How to Create a Superhero Pose
- 1). Study superhero comics and cartoons. Look at the graphic novels put out by publishers such as Marvel, DC Comics, manga publishers and other companies that produce graphic novels. Study how the superheroes are drawn compared to the other characters in the books. Make some notes about what you see; you might find these useful as you begin to draw your own superheroes in their various poses.
- 2). Notice the superhero's characteristics. According to Lee, superheroes normally stand taller than a normal person by at least a head and a half. The male characters have slightly bulkier shoulders and smaller waists. Female superhero characters tend to be shapely. The way they move their bodies sometimes looks superhuman in their ability to twist and turn --- think Spider-Man. As you begin practicing your superhero sketches, keep these elements in mind as you create your characters in their various poses.
- 3). Understand the composition of the drawn page. Composition in art concerns itself with how the lines, colors and forms are arranged in comparison to each other on the page. When drawing superhero poses, think about how you can use the composition in your work to heighten the effect of the pose. Sometimes what is drawn around a character is just as important as how the character itself is drawn. For example, if you draw Batman throwing a punch at a villain, drawing the fist and arm of Batman so that it's front and center in your composition with few other elements in the picture frame will make this element of the pose stand out more.
- 4). Draw your characters at exaggerated angles. Typically, superheroes are drawn so that they bend farther back to avoid a punch or farther forward when they get set to spring into a run. If you feel that no human could replicate that angle and still remain balanced, it's probably correct for a superhero. If you're not exactly sure if your angles are right, take some tracing paper and trace over the pages of a superhero comic book, making sure that you get a feel for how the body angles are drawn.
