Lets Talk About Chicks

[Unknown Hero James]

I would just like to discuss drawing girls for a little while. Being a dude, drawing males seems easier for me than drawing chicks. I mean, I always have a reference from which to work with, and he doesn't complain (for anyone getting wierded out here, the glorious model is me. I am not a homosexual, although I did find Victor/Victoria quite amusing).
Drawing women has always been a challenge for me. For the past year or so I have been stressing over the female form. I think that I've gotten quite good at it and I can sketch up a pretty good figure if I take my time. But stylistically I'm not getting any where.
For Kurt it's easy. Kurtiss uses the same body models for different characters. I'm not saying that this is a bad thing. Kurt dishes out four or five good comics a day whereas I can only produce about two If I do nothing but work. This doesn't happen often, though. For the past few updates I've been rushing at the comics expense.
To sum it up for you: A male in a single panel.... the hell with it. All of the male models in the whole comic take me about an hour to structure, block in, and add detail. If I draw a woman, I kill myself trying to make her EXACTLY AS I SEE IT IN MY GOD FORSAKEN NOGGIN.
like I've said, anatomy isn't the problem. I just can't represent a chick well in my style.
Did any of you guys have that problem? Any girls? If you are having any problems, is it anatomy or style or what?

[Unknown Hero James]

I'd just like to post some examples of stylistic girls.

Katie Rice, who is the chick master. I forget her blog, but if you find it tell me.


John Kircfalusi, whom I adore in an unhealthy manner


Jen Wang, who is an inspiration to young artists


Vera Brosgol, who is just plain kooky with females


There are more, but I think I am slowly murdering bandwidth.
These artists are very good at taking all of the skills of drawing and use the real anatomy and neuances of the female form and making theirs. I wish I could do that, bescause I'm getting tired of copying Jim Davis and Bill Mudron.[/img]

[Black Sparrow]

You're not alone; the fact is that we draw best what we know. I have a tendency to draw dudes girly, but chicks are a breeze... and this is because I see a chick in the mirror every morning.

Invest in some anatomy books. The best way to get a stylistic approach is to learn the realistic approach first. Just keep practicing with the genuine figure out of anatomy books and off of internet pics... and eventually something will develop. Getting some sources to draw from helps, in this case. While you're drawing one day, you might find that you like a particular curve exaggerated, or a certain line taken out. That's just how style develops.

[Siabur]

Believe me, I understand how hard it is to draw the ladies. My first ones were only females because I would tell you that's what they were and their names were girly. I started copying the girls from sports illustrated and various lingerie catalogs, soon it became easier to draw women than men. Keep practicing and it will happen.

[EvilChihuahua]

While I didn't use to be, I'm now quite proficient at drawing the female form.

[Rao!]

I dunno, I have always had less difficulty drawing girls, mostly out of practice I think... I tend to actually find guys somewhat boring to draw... Less shapes, and less variety of possible clothings.

[Prettysenshi]

Jen Wang is God.

But seriously, it's easier to draw what you see. I would invest in a model or something. Maybe a friend who you are close with! (It's free this way!) And draw them when you can, in whatever pose. Understand the curves of the body, and how they move alongside one another, etc.

[Warofwinds]

As a woman, I find it oddly disturbing that I draw men much easier than women. Perhaps because I like looking at more (heh) and therefore pay more attention to curves. But I am not a fan of highly stylized women, especially like that first image up there. It's just so...unrealistic.

[Black Sparrow]

My main problem with the first image is the spaghetti limbs... I can handle cinched waists and gigantic breasts... but to me, a girl's got to have an underlying structure and geometry. One of those girls in the top image has a warped hipbone, and another completely lacks any semblence of a skeleton. Ick. Not sexy.

[Biev]

I'm a girl and I can only draw girls. All my guys come out looking feminine, it's exasperating. It's just comes from the fact that I've had no interest in drawing guys, ever. So while I have a good, let's say 24 years of practice in drawing women, when it comes to drawing men I'm still a total noob. (-_-);

My story has two male characters, one of them hasn't been introduced yet but he's a child so that's easy. But the other guy... grr, I have to kick myself every time I'm trying to draw him, and I keep thinking "why couldn't I have made my main character a lesbian!" I've managed to avoid the issue before by drawing purposedly effeminate guys but this time there's just no shortcut.

sigh~~~ I need the practice though so I have to bear with it.

[Adobedragon]

I find drawing all humans and human-like beings difficult. I'm good at drawing horses, dogs, and other four-legs. But two-legs? Oy vey.

As a woman, I find it oddly disturbing that I draw men much easier than women.

Ditto that. I like looking at men, so they're easier to draw. In general, curvier women are easier for me to draw. My protag is built like me (not curvy) and consequently the hardest to draw.

[Swikan]

I definitely have more problems drawing males than females. I will say, though, that I have gotten significantly better at drawing males since I started the comic. (It also helps that I am no longer trying to draw with a mouse.)

I am stil hit-or-miss on both forms, though.

[Jkandra]

I've been able to avoid this problem so far since my only female character to date is a computer. My women come out too stiff right now. I'm working on getting the curves right.

[Swikan]

LOL at Jkandra! HAHAHAH! I hadn't noticed that the computer was the only girl. *grin* Of course, I wasn't really expecting to see a girl yet.

Want to know something weird? I like doing different body positions for my characters. I find they look better, especially the female characters, if I draw TILE first and then go from there. :lol

[Jkandra]

The depressing part is I've been cartooning off and on since the late 70's (yes I remember when "The Brady Bunch" was on prime time) and I've never been happy with my females, DRAWING females, I mean. But now that I've been drawing with pen and ink again and not just the computer, the rusty parts are loosening up.

[Brockway]

My comic is a thinly veiled excuse to draw girls and sword fighting. Drawing guys just isn't as much fun to me. Also, that first drawing scares the crap out of me. 3rd and 4th look the most attractive style wise to me.

[Biev]

I suppose people tend to draw more of the gender they're attracted to, so over the years we probably get a lot more practice in drawing one versus the other.

[Deaths Head II]

I've found a way to avoid the issue by having the only recurring female character so far actually be a feminine man in drag. Its awesome because even if people argue that I draw him too womanly or too manly, it works either way.

But on a more serious note, I prefer drawing woman...but that I'm not very good at it. This is mostly because for most of my life I've grown into a gritty style with my serious art, and that works better for my rugged and buff he-men then my women. This is due to the fact I've only started preferring women over men recently since I've progressively became more of a pansy over the ages.

[[AOD]]

I prefer to draw women, I suppose, out of pure practise and repetition. My problem is that, while I have no qualms about drawing men, I seem utterly incapable of drawing handsome men -- they almost always turn out to look like the creepy homeless guy you see on the street. While my women are almost uniformly pretty.

@~AOD

[Glambourine]

Girls are actually easier, I think, because you can exaggerate the curves and get away with murder. I also kind of agree with Robert Crumb in the documentary "Crumb"--he's working on a drawing, and talks about how he spends a long time trying to get the female figure looking exactly how he wants it, but doesn't really care how the men turn out.