Do You Draw Stiff Characters? Here's How to Fix It!

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

If you'd like to level up your skills or hang out with like-minded artists trying to get better, please check out the link to our Discord. discord.gg/S7uuCG9MTd If you'd like to level up your creature designing skills, please sign up for my online course: Creature Design for Film & Games www.conceptart.cgmasteracademy.com/courses/78-creature-design-for-film-and-games For my private mentorship, please email me at [e-mail]

[@dorjedriftwood2731]

I think the issue is a trade, people want sharp detail and defined cut geometry shapes, and if you want to be smooth and loose you need to let go of the need be highly chiseled. If you just drop the anatomical perfectionism and let the movement of your arm and wrist to be free. I am not convinced that just insisting on more anatomical correctness is going to solve the stiffness, I solved my problems with stiffness when I stopped insisting on polishing before fully forming the large shapes in a way the expresses a continuity of movement. I find obsession with anatomy causes stiffness because people think of the shape of muscles as being solid rather than fluid. It seems to me that you define stiffness as being non gestural, where I see stiffness as not allowing for freedom within volumes and joints, because your example of non stiff character looks very stiff to me. Everything looks tight and blocky. Even the hand and fingers is flat on. I try to show people to draw limbs like ropes and then slowly build the joints and bones into the shape of the rope leaving some room for them to still look fluid. The more mechanical people think of joints and limbs the more I see stiffness in there work. But again it seems like we have very different ideas of what stiff is. I personally draw a lot like you I like to hatch and line in a way that evokes chiseled sculpture rather than smooth forms and so I have to overcompensate for the stiffness that puts in my work by starting as loose and non committal as possible because I get very sucked into muscular and bone details. My father was a bodybuilder and I am a dancer and martial artist so forms are a big focus in my imagination. I try to purposefully use animation principles when I draw to make up for my rigid view of anatomy. Especially as I am trying to train myself to draw in a manga style after rejecting it for years I have really grown a taste for the medium and find the omission of detai to be strikingly difficult. The medium makes it so a single millimeter of shift in a feature or a single line on the face can can completely change the emotional message.mand every extra detail tends to imply age. I am mentioning this because it means that the ability to confidently draw lines that convey weight in movement and define an entire portion of a figure becomes paramount. In art school I constantly criticized students who drew Anime style characters as completely wasting there time as they weren’t learning the massive library of techniques that the school was offering but now in my fourties I am trying to perfect it and it very much reminds me of calligraphy which is also a medium where loose and tight are directly observable. So another aspect I would say is helpful to me in being loose and fluid is like in cursive to draw things in singular long strokes instead of hatchy sketch construction. Just my two cents I am positive plenty of people got exactly what they needed from your video just engaging with you in discussion as a fellow artist. I completely agree with the broom up the backside problem many early artist seem to fall into. Obviously at that point explaining anatomy is much more paramount.

[@hamasser]

"So, Stiff Bill looks like he is in pain. Just standing like he is really suffering and we don't want Bill to suffer." Sounds like you've already got those Bob Ross-esque quips down, so the nickname might be earned!

[@Noggynogfr]

Fully agree with the Halloween proposal 😅

[@PoonFlipper]

hi Bobby

[@sophiesteph9593]

This literally cured an issue I didn’t know I had!!! Cured my art block I’m so excited to practice this and escape my block THANKYIU

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

You're welcome!

[@TAS-j5m]

best chanel ever

[@LuckyBenjamin_]

best coment ever

[@YEAGfishy]

your videos have helped me remove a lot of blocks and unlock so much potential in my art, but could i mention one detail i really appreciate? The camera angle. Seriously, it's so... real, it's like im sitting next to you and you're showing me this stuff as i look over to your page. In art guide videos you get a lotta top down views of the paper and that's not bad at all, but this approach feels fresh and comfortable in my opinion

[@JinbaHGS]

Hi Bobby - I started drawing lines, circles, and curves today. It's a mess. I love it. Love your style - it takes skills I've learned in the past, and allows me to relax as I apply those skills instead of worrying about perfection.

[@shoob6298]

It's funny that people referred to you as "Draw Sessions", and I can guarantee you there are many channels on youtube who would go by much awkwarder aliases, we're just used to it. Also, awesome video. Figure stiffness has been something I've actively been working to grow out of over the last year. The tip about the neck posture was something I had never thought of before and I will defintely be thinking about it in my future drawings!

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

To be fair, I've only given my real name out a handful of times.

[@SteveBillyy]

Loving the Bob ross idea ^^ go for it

[@Sssenstional]

I just found your channel and couldn’t agree more that you should be Bob Ross and draw creatures on cam

[@Desned369]

I dont know how to put this in words but like you remind me of like a semi-pissed off art teacher who is frustrated that his class isnt preforming to their best ability but instead of being mad at them you take a step back and break down the lesson into more consumable chunks

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

Aww thanks! I can assure you I'm not "pissed" I'm just very blunt and straight forward.

[@malleablephi675]

Yet another helpful technique that I never fully adopted until now. Hard to imagine that a handful of months ago I was struggling to put pencil to paper. Now, hardly a day goes by without at least one sketch being made. Amazing, as always. Also, yes, best Halloween idea.

[@neoprofeno]

Apoyemos a estos verdaderos artistas, no dejemos que la IA nos suplanten!!

[@taste1t660]

I agree with the halloween idea

[@Iggyshere]

I doodled Just drawing the curvature of the spine and I noticed nice difference drawing a character. Thanks for another tip.

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

Happy to help!

[@lanigirognithemos]

The hot girls characters I draw are never stiff. The guys I draw next to them on the other hand... well... 😂

[@dhashinn]

Favorite channel

[@TheZecurubinha]

That would be pretty funny Bobby! Do the cosplay! Embrace your role! Thank you for the draw session!!

[@HangryDwarf]

"Let's put in a happy little monster... look at this tentacle... what's it doin'... just tentacling... so happy."

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

LOL

[@aaronflanagan8090]

Bob Ross video great idea!

[@anontaku1]

Yo I was literally just binge watching your videos and scribbling for almost 1 hours now and just a minute ago I turned the notification bell on and here's a new video lol. Btw my thoughts after trying this method for an hour: This 2 minute character thumbnail scribbling technique is intriguing and opens up possibilities for sure. but the problem is I can't think of distinct otherworldly creature shapes other than humanoid and animals that I already know about. . And also when I try to refine it I feel like I lack proper anatomical (animals, insects, marine creatures etc) & mechanical knowledge. Like I was overthinking how this creature walks, how does the joints work etc. But still I somehow drew 2 interesting designs. So I'm gonna practice this daily from now on.

[@Buddhabellie]

just found you and I am happy I did.

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

Welcome aboard!

[@gumie3579]

This is called the contrapposto pose. First pose you learn in life drawing, hardest to master.

[@tristanrocha2759]

Bobby Ross! Thanks for the figure lesson!

[@notsohappy1923]

it was an incredible tutorial,keep doing that sir.

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

Thanks, will do!

[@reaper_artwave]

Very helpful thank you. looking forward to part 2!

[@frankseymour4162]

This lesson was very well thought out and helpful. Your explanations are comprehensive, good job.

[@MariaRai-vb8rr]

This was so helpful. This video ended so fast. Love it...

[@sevens_october]

I draw manga traditionally and I can appreciate seeing others methods in drawing.

[@pikaboo01]

Happy little critters

[@__Bruh]

Look forward to getting to work with this new information ALSO, "stiff bill" kinda reminds me of medieval art lmao

[@EverythingMARVELforfans]

Love it❤ Do more videos on character development and design.

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

Thank you! Will do!

[@aleksandarstanisic1848]

Ye voice is so 😎

[@youreselves]

runny nose haha, love your helpful content Bobby! Good luck

[@nobi1688]

Hallo Bobby from Portugal 🇵🇹 I love so much you Drawing. Its so beutiful 👌 👍 I love it.

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

Thank you so much 😀

[@S-A-Q]

Very informative and helpful. Thanks.

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

Glad it was helpful!

[@stygiantint]

nice tut it's a thing or two, aspiring artist should know the posture on character drawing should be based on realism, thanks for this guide👌👌❤❤

[@gerdbertling643]

that was really great! Thanks a lot!

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

You're very welcome!

[@AbyssWatch3r]

learned alot from you, any way we can send you our character designs and point out mistakes or what can we improve more, makes for a content reaction videos thank you

[@RedGallardo]

Nnn... Google knows I have stiffness problems but doesn't realize what exactly. So it recommends this. Well, I'm a cartoonist and I suffer from terrible stiffness. Of course I do draw different angles and actions and emotions... But I get too physical with it, too logical, so all characters looks like frozen. Frozen mid-jump, frozen ducking from danger, frozen running...Even at 45 degrees about to fall they feel like bronze statues carefully secured with wires. There's so much more to it, it seems. Shape dynamic, the right exaggeration, motion distortion, weight... It seems impossible to keep everything in mind but master somehow do. They just make 1 curve and you feel it. Where it's going, where is the center of mass, the momentum, the changes that would happen in a moment due to eyes focus and the situation... It's like some artists tell a whole story through one picture. No BG or any other objects, just the pose that tells everything. Wish I could do that. And I mean understand, not just copy from references. =( Learning is good but the more I follow rules and keep in my mind, the worse it gets. So I'm kinda stuck between "ignorance is a bliss" and "overloaded mind is your worst enemy".

[@RookyRxb57]

I just came across your channel and I wish I stumbled upon it sooner! New sub! Also the Bob Ross idea sounds funny lol

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

Thanks for subbing!

[@funwithmadness]

My character drawing/design skills just simply suck and I'm not afraid to admit it. :)

[@JamieDarren]

Hi Bob. love your fucking channel.

[@jaydenjarrell7]

He Mr Bobby do you think you can share some advise on line quality and drawing from your own imagination 🤔

[@PickledBrainzz]

"Do you suck? Why is that; Why don't you listen to anybody when they tell you that you suck?" LMFAO

[@titanmesozoicgd6943]

It would be really funny if you became bob ross for april fools! Really Fast tutorial for painting lol.

[@titanmesozoicgd6943]

and don't forget the bobross hair.

[@phantom262]

a few things i think i can take away from this video is the curvature of the spine, and the head being more pointed to the viewer rather then off in the distance.

[@voryndagothDL]

We need Halloween Bob Ross!!

[@bikr6573]

He looks like Han Solo posing as C-3PO. 🤣

[@sasbeacon4534]

Does different textured paper have names?

[@TheBoneBrew]

Please do the Bob Ross thing! That would be epic!

[@Xadax1111]

Happy little monsters

[@lobsterboy64]

im not good in details. but this helped me draw goku and im so happy i watched the video

[@gingrr.junkie]

BOBBY ROSS

[@Buddhabellie]

2:13 😅😅😅😅

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

😂

[@neoxivxu]

♡

[@entropie]

9:11 um... Have you seen Mr. Coleman lately?

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

Yep. It's sad.

[@entropie]

@ He was a monster in his day though 💪

[@shlokshedge3025]

First

[@jenniferschultz6458]

🧹☠️

[@MegaByron1970]

😂...bob ross

[@sasbeacon4534]

Come on man, you hearted my comment and didn't even say anything about paper! At least tell me what kind of paper you use!

[@bobbyrebholz2183]

Moleskine. I mention it in just about every video and tag the product right on the videos lol.

[@sasbeacon4534]

@bobbyrebholz2183 My bad! Still love your videos! They would help me A TON if I didn't feel like I don't have control over the pen sometimes.

[@mowgalish]

♡