[VENiM]

Hey all. I personally think that when it comes to drawing, my technique and such are pretty good, but when it comes to anatomy, i plainly suck. whenever i draw faces, my girls look like guys or something in between. I can't pinpoint exactly what's wrong, but it would help a great deal if someone could give me some guidelines or rules to drawing males or females. What makes a girl look like a girl and a guy look like a guy?

[Anthony]

The difference can sometimes be subtle, sometimes be great. Women have generally rounder features, smaller noses(thinner), we give them bigger eyes that are more rounded in shape, less wide from corner to corner but fuller lips, a pointier head and chin, and a less sloping forhead. These are mostly guidelines though. Also, women have thinner eye brows on average and longer eye lashes.

[Steven Stahlberg]

Yes, I agree with those points. The differences are basic but small. Doctors can tell right away if a skull is female or male. Here's a pic I found on the web, from some head modeling page at some university, sorry I can't remember the URL now.

[xXxPZxXx]

I was JUST talking about this with a friend today! We were talking about how it seems like a centimeter here and there can totally change the look of a person. Why DO people look drastically different? it comes down to centimeters. Weird stuff.

Thanks a TON Steve for the skull models. I could stare at them forever trying to figure out everything different. But I think I get it a lot more now.

-PZ-

[Elessil]

Actually that about the eyelashes is not true - although it sounds weird, men naturally have the longer eyelashes on average. However, women use make-up, and long eyelashes are seen as female trait, so that's where the common impression comes from.

I've also noticed that playing with the contrast can do a big deal too, smoother shadows look a little more female in my opinion. But then, since I can only draw guys (or not even that... ) I'd better shut up

[ December 27, 2001: Message edited by: Elessil ]