Having focused on drawing the rib cage and the muscles of the upper torso in the previous tutorial, it’s time to draw the lower torso (or pelvic region) from a three-quarter, eye-level view.
I’ve separated the tutorials for the upper and lower parts of the torso to keep them reasonably short. However, there’s another reason for breaking this material into two lessons. By learning to draw the upper and lower parts of the torso independent of each other, you’re also developing the ability to draw the figure bent, twisted, or tilted at the waist.
In such dynamic poses, the upper and lower parts of the torso will not relate to each other as they do in a static, standing pose. For instance, if you want to draw a figure bent at the waist, it won’t help you to know how the rib cage lines up with the pelvis in a standing pose. So it’s wise to learn how to draw these parts of the torso—and other independently-moving parts of the body—as individual units.
In the end, of course, we have to combine these different parts to create a completed figure, and that’s where the core axis and some other knowledge comes into use. At the end of this tutorial, we’ll combine our drawing of the pelvic region with the drawing of the upper torso from Tutorial 09, creating a drawing of a standing figure (fig. 1, below).
Tutorial 10: A Schematic Drawing of the Lower Torso from a 3/4, Eye-Level View
I use the terms lower torso or pelvic region to designate the entire form of the torso below the waist and down to the crotch. Part of this form is determined by the pelvis itself, and part is determined by the muscles that lie on top of it. We’ll also draw the very upper parts of the legs, simply because it’s difficult to ignore them when drawing the pelvic region.
Fig. 1. The completed schematic drawing of the torso from a three-quarter, eye-level view.
As with the tutorial for the upper torso from a three-quarter view, we’ll draw the lower torso facing to the left side of the paper. I’ll use the terms far side and near side to refer to the distant or closer sides of the figure, respectively (fig. 1).
Be sure you have a good understanding of the basic proportions of the pelvic region covered in Tutorial 02, and the major muscles of the pelvic region, from Tutorial 04. This tutorial also contains some discussion of perspective, but it is not crucial that you understand those concepts to complete this lesson.
There are 6 steps in this tutorial, with additional comments about combining the upper and lower parts of the torso in one drawing.
Fig. 2. The pelvic region has a box-like form centered on the core axis, with its top at the level of the ASIS points.
Step 1: The Box Form of the Pelvic Region
To begin, draw a vertical line representing the core axis of your figure (fig. 2, A). The pelvic region will be centered on this axis, and will fit within the height of a single head. Mark the top and bottom of this head length with two short lines crossing the core axis, at whatever distance you wish (2 or 3 inches tall is a good choice).
To begin drawing the form of the pelvic region, create a simple box in two-point perspective. The front of the box should be about 3/4 of a head length wide, with about 1/4 of the surface to the right of the core axis, and 3/4 to the left.
Fig. 2. The pelvic region has a box-like form centered on the core axis, with its top at the level of the ASIS points.
Fig. 3. If you draw the top of the pelvic box, the core axis should pass directly through its center.
Optional: The Box Form in Relation to the Core Axis
The following description is for your understanding only. In the fleshed figure, what follows would not be visible on the body, so you don’t need to add this to your drawing unless you wish.
Not only is the box of the pelvic region visually centered on the core axis from the three-quarter view, but the axis runs directly through the very core of this form. To demonstrate this, we can complete the top plane of the box, and find the center of this surface by connecting the corners that lie diagonally across from each other (fig. 3). Notice that these diagonals cross exactly on the core axis (A).
Fig. 4. The sides of the pelvic box should be angled outward, giving the front plane a trapezoidal shape.
Step 2: Converting the Front Plane to a Trapezoid
The front of our box represents a vertical plane at the front of the ASIS points and the pubic bone of the pelvis. Recall from the front view of the pelvic region, however, that the shape of this part of the body is more like a trapezoid than a rectangle. Consequently, we need to adjust the left and right sides of the front of the box (fig. 4, A and B).
Notice that angle A is slightly steeper than angle B. This is due to the edge being further back in space, and the fact that the distance from the bottom of angle A to the vertical side of the box must appear to be less than the same distance on angle B, which is closer.
From the bottom of angle B, draw a line (C) going into perspective to the right of the drawing. This is the new bottom of the side of the trapezoidal box.
Fig. 5. The top edge of the side plane should be raised to a steep angle, more accurately matching the incline of the near hip bone.
Step 3: The Inclined Angle of the Hip Bones
Adjust the back edge of the box so it also comes out at an angle (fig. 5, A). Note that the side of the box is not a trapezoid, however—it must remain a rectangle. The back edge should therefore be parallel to the diagonal at the leading edge of the box.
The top edge of the side must also be adjusted, as the hip bones rise from each ASIS at a fairly steep angle (B). From a three-quarter view, this is visible only on the near side of the figure, and requires that we adjust the edge at the top of the side of the box. The exact angle is somewhat flatter than 45 degrees, and should bring the back, top corner of the side about 2/3 of the way up to the top of the head length that frames the pelvic region.
Fig. 6. The top plane of the pelvic box should be drawn as an oval that overlaps the sides and front of the box.
Step 4: The Top Plane as an Oval
Because the form of the pelvic region is rounded, we need to translate the flat planes of our cubic form into convex ones, especially at the top. Do this by drawing an oval over the inclined top plane of the pelvic box. If you wish, you may first draw the back and left edges of the inclined top of the box, as I’ve done in figure 6. This may help you to draw the oval correctly, though it isn’t necessary.
Some pointers may be helpful here:
- The oval passes exactly through the front top corners of the box, which are the ASIS points (A).
- The oval extends outside the inclined edge of the near hip bone, and just touches the diagonal of the back edge of the box (B).
- The oval passes inside of the back top corners of the box.
- In spite of being foreshortened and on an incline, the shape that you draw should be a symmetrical oval. It may help to draw a long axis (C) bisecting the oval, being sure that the top half of the shape is a near reflection of the bottom half.
Fig. 7. The curve of the lower abdomen descends from the ASIS points to the pubic bone, about 1/4 of a head length from the bottom of the pelvic box.
Step 5: The Lower Abdomen
The front of the oval drawn in Step 4 defines the convex form of the lower abdomen. To draw the bottom edge of the abdomen, first mark the position of the pubic bone, which lies about 1/4 of a head length up from the bottom of the pelvic box on the core axis (fig. 7).
From one of the ASIS points, draw a curving line (A) that descends to the pubic bone and then rises to the other ASIS.
On the near side of the pelvic region, you may continue the curve of the lower abdomen from the ASIS around the outside of the oval, marking the bottom of the near oblique muscle.
Fig. 8. The crease of the far groin angles down from the lower abdomen at a 45-degree angle, while the near groin appears as a curve that defines the form of the upper leg.
Step 6: The Groins and the Crotch
In a three-quarter view, the creases of the groins do not appear to come together at the bottom of the head length that frames the pelvic region, as they did in the front view. This is because the front edge of the near leg hides the lowest point of the crotch, which lies back in space.
Draw the crease of the far groin as a line angling down from the lower abdomen at around a 45-degree angle (fig. 8, A). The near groin (B) follows the rounded form of the top of the near leg, which you may wrap around the side of the pelvic box and, in front, continue to the bottom of the box.
Last, adjust the far edge of the pelvic box below the abdomen, which is really the front of the far leg (C). Curve this line inward toward the contour of the abdomen, creating a slight indentation below the far ASIS.
Fig. 9. In a drawing of a standing figure, the upper and lower torso are aligned on the core axis, which also aligns the bottom of the thoracic arch with the near ASIS.
Aligning the Upper and Lower Parts of the Torso
To draw the entire torso for a figure in a standing pose, you would simply complete the steps from this tutorial and from Tutorial 09 on the upper torso, using a single core axis for the figure. The core axis is the unifying element that ensures the pelvic region will be in correct alignment with the rib cage and upper torso muscles for a three-quarter view of a standing pose.
When the upper and lower torso are aligned on the core axis, it also happens that the bottom of the thoracic arch (fig. 9, A) will be in line with the near ASIS (B). You may recall this was true in the front view, too, along with the nipple being in line with these two features. From a three-quarter view, however, the near nipple does not appear in line with the bottom of the thoracic arch or the near ASIS, as the upper torso extends out farther than these features.
Fig. 10. The upper and lower torso are connected by the contours of the abdomen on the far side and the oblique on the near side, with the position of the navel varying with the protrusion of the belly.
Connecting the Upper and Lower Parts of the Torso
To connect the upper torso to the lower torso, extend the contours at the far and near sides of the rib cage down to the hip bones. On the near side, the contour tapers in slightly at the waist, then curves outward around the oblique muscle (fig. 10).
On the far side, the contour along the ribs breaks outward to form the edge of the upper abdomen, which angles downward and connects to the edge of the lower abdomen in the pelvic region. The degree to which this line extends depends on how much you want the belly to protrude. In figure 10, I’ve drawn a somewhat slender figure with the belly relaxed, causing it to naturally extend outward.
Fig. 10. The upper and lower torso are connected by the contours of the abdomen on the far side and the oblique on the near side, with the position of the navel varying with the protrusion of the belly.
To find the position of the navel (A), I’ve drawn a line down from the top of the thoracic arch, curving it outward slightly and following the contour of the abdomen on the far side. The navel remains on or slightly above the bottom of the third head unit. Notice that I’ve redrawn the curve that crosses the lower abdomen (B), breaking away from the perfect oval that defined the top plane of the pelvic region. This extension of the lower abdomen is actually more accurate for a drawing of a figure with a relaxed belly.
If I wanted a figure with a more distended belly, I would draw the edge of the abdomen further out, which would also move the navel to the left. The curve of the lower abdomen, however, does not change on people of different girths. In the drawing, therefore, the contour of a large belly would overhang the lower abdomen around the level of curve B.
Would drawing the figure from imagination be harder if you wanted to draw the eye level lower, as if it was a child looking up towards a viewer? From the other tutorials you have posted I can guess it would only we a few changes with the proportions of the figure changed based on the eye level. Also what if I wanted to rotate the figure less or more then 45 degrees? what would be the proper method?
I do think that extreme eye levels, such as worm’s eye or bird’s eye views, are more difficult, because the figure is so strongly foreshortened from these angles. But for something like a child’s view, I wouldn’t say it’s harder. It does, however, change the appearance of the figure, so there’s more to learn. I’m a believer in learning to draw the figure first from a single eye level–if you can do that, you’re in a good place to then try drawing from other eye levels.
And yes, the changes are not that great, though they are greater in some parts of the body than in others. One of the more notable changes is the level of the chin of the figure appears in relation to the shoulder line (assuming the figure is looking straight ahead). From an eye-level view, the chin is just about in line with the point where the shoulder lines meet the sides of the neck. As the viewer’s eye level goes down, however, the shoulder line drops in relation to the chin, just as it goes up as the viewer’s eye level rises.
If you wanted to rotate the figure less than 45 degrees, it’s just a matter of figuring things out (no pun intended). For example, if you know that the width of the torso decreases as the figure turns from the front to three-quarters (from about 1-1/3 head lengths wide in a front view to a little more than one head length wide in a three-quarter view), and you want to draw a view halfway between these, it’s safe to assume that the torso width would decrease about half the amount–to around 1-1/4 head lengths wide. This is easier to illustrate than to describe in words, but I think you get the idea. Try drawing parts of the figure at rotations halfway between any two that you know–it’s an excellent exercise, and probably not as difficult as you might think.
Drake, the spine isn’t mentioned here as it isn’t visible and isn’t necessarily needed to draw the schematic torso from this viewpoint; but I have a question concerning its’ effects when connecting the ribs to the pelvis. When an observed model or imagined figure doesn’t have a naturally aligned spine (for example if they have any degree of scoliosis) would a slight bend or curve in the spine have any drastic effect to the ribcage, or to the way that the ribs correlate with the pelvis?