# Anatomy and pose A sprite with head, chest and hips stacked on one vertical and both arms hanging parallel reads as a mannequin, however well it is shaded. At 16–32 px the pose is nearly the only thing the player reads, and the pose comes from three things: a line of action, where the weight sits, and which way the ribcage and pelvis tilt against each other. Anatomy detail is the last 10 %; it only matters up to the few landmarks that survive at your size. ## Rules 1. **Draw the line of action first.** One 1-px curve on its own layer, before any mass: **C** for effort, recoil, bracing; **S** for relaxed, cocky, contrapposto; **straight diagonal** for reach, dash, lunge. Head, spine and the leading limb sit on it; the curve ends on the support foot. At 16–32 px it is often all the player reads. Templates `anatomy-loa-guides-32` (the bare curves) and `anatomy-loa-poses-32` (the same curves on dummies). 2. **Three line types only: straight, C, S.** Pair curves *asymmetrically*: offset the left and right bulge of a limb or torso by 1–2 px along its length. Mirrored or parallel curves close the form and look like a snowman. 3. **Build from three hard masses and three soft links.** Hard: head, ribcage, pelvis. Soft: neck, waist, hip joint. Keep the alternation. Ribcage and pelvis tilt against each other: at 32 px slope the shoulder line 1–2 px one way and the hip line 1–2 px the opposite way, and the figure is no longer a mannequin. 4. **Decide where the weight lives before drawing.** One foot, both feet, seat, knees, hands. The vertical through the support foot is the line of gravity. If head, chest and hip centres all sit within 1 px of it the pose is **static**; shift each 1–3 px, alternating sides, for energy. A wide regular base reads stable; a thin or irregular base reads in motion. 5. **The loaded side pinches, the free side stretches.** Weight on one leg raises the pelvis on that side and tips the ribcage the other way (contrapposto). At 32 px+ make the loaded flank 2–3 px shorter between ribs and hip with one notch pixel; make the free flank one long unbroken diagonal. 6. **Motion leans: the top is ahead of the base.** Draw a faint line from the planted foot through the pelvis to the head; walk ≈ 1–3 px of head offset per 28 px of height, run and dash far more (angles are [INFERENCE]; Loomis gives no numbers). The push foot stays behind that line; when the torso leans forward the rear leg extends to counter it. Template `anatomy-poses-motion-32` (dash). 7. **Profile spine is an S.** Head forward of the ribcage, ribcage tipped back, pelvis forward. Standing side view: chest slightly back and up, hips slightly forward, belt tilted forward. A vertical stack of head / chest / hips is the mannequin. Template `anatomy-poses-balance-32` (side stand). 8. **Posture is character.** Lead with a body part: chest = hero, head = scholar or menace, pelvis = slob, knees = coward. Shoulder height is a one-pixel emotion dial: up 1 px = tense, down 1 px = defeated. Compact, narrow, head below the shoulder line = fear or defeat; wide stance with an upward triangle = heroic; low horizontal mass = relaxed; a 30–60° diagonal axis = action. 9. **Limbs taper and bend.** 3 px at the root to 2 px at the end; never parallel sides, never a right angle, never a mitred elbow. A 1-px curved cap at elbow, knee or wrist shows which way the limb faces: round = toward the viewer, flat = side-on. 10. **Overlaps are T-junctions.** The near form's outline runs on; the far form's outline stops against it. Never let two outlines cross. Keep ≥ 1 px of background between an arm and the torso it crosses, or merge them on purpose. 11. **Keep only the landmarks that survive.** ≤ 32 px: shoulder point, elbow / knee bend, ankle. Use inside / outside asymmetry: calf bulge high on the outside, ankle bone high on the inside, a 1 px offset between the two outlines. At 32–64 px only 3–4 muscle shapes read: chest fan, shoulder cap, ribs + ab block, forearm bulge near the elbow. Everything else is shading. 12. **Volume is constant.** Bone length never changes; foreshorten by overlap, not by shrinking. A stretched pose is 10–20 % longer and thinner, a crouch shorter and thicker, and the pixel count of the body stays about the same (squash and stretch). 13. **Twist with two blocks.** Shift the chest block and the pelvis block horizontally by *different* amounts (chest +2 px, hips −1 px at 32) and shear the shoulder line against the hip line. That one move sells a turn. 14. **Pose the extremes and the counter-move.** Action is readable at the start or end of a sweep, not the middle. Anticipation is a spine curve opposite to the action, then the reverse C (`rules://44-attacks-and-impacts`). 15. **Profile reads fastest.** If the action must be read instantly, show it in profile; front and 3/4 views hide limbs and flatten the waist (`rules://37-views-and-directions`). 16. **Construct in order:** line of action → three masses → limbs (tubes) → hands and feet → outline → shading. One layer each, merged last. Make 2–3 thumbnails at 8–16 px high first and choose; the first try is never the best. ## By size | canvas | what the pose can carry | |---|---| | 8 | One idea: lean (head 1 px off the feet) or crouch. No limbs to tilt. | | 16 | Head offset 1 px; shoulder / hip tilt 1 px; arms 1 px. Three readable poses: stand, lean, crouch. | | 24 | Contrapposto as a 1-px tilt; bent knee; arm swing; no pinch notch. | | 32 | Full contrapposto, pinch notch, S spine in profile, chest / hip block twist, elbow and knee bends. | | 48–64 | Ribcage and pelvis as separate shapes, wrapping-line arcs on limbs, 3–4 muscle planes, shoulder girdle tilt. | ## Templates ```grid anatomy-loa-guides-32 G = line-of-action #e0506a --- ................................................ ..........G..............G...................G.. .........G................G..................G.. ........G..................G................G... .......G....................G...............G... .......G.....................G..............G... ......G......................G.............G.... ......G......................G.............G.... .....G.......................G.............G.... .....G.......................G............G..... ....G........................G............G..... ....G.......................G............G...... ....G......................G.............G...... ....G.....................G..............G...... ....G....................G..............G....... ....G...................G...............G....... ....G..................G................G....... ....G.................G................G........ .....G...............G.................G........ .....G..............G..................G........ .....G..............G.................G......... ......G............G..................G......... ......G............G.................G.......... .......G...........G.................G.......... ........G..........G.................G.......... ........G..........G................G........... .........G..........G...............G........... ..........G..........G..............G........... ...........G..........G............G............ ............G.........G............G............ ............G..........G...........G............ .............G..........G.........G............. ``` `anatomy-loa-guides-32` — three 1-px guide curves on a 32 px canvas, to copy onto a spare layer: **C** (columns 2–14, effort / recoil), **S** (19–30, relaxed), **straight diagonal** (34–46, dash / reach). Put the head at the top end and the weight foot at the bottom end. ```grid anatomy-loa-poses-32 H = dummy-head #e8c547 T = dummy-torso #8e5ea2 A = dummy-arm #5aa05a J = dummy-joint #8a6040 L = dummy-leg #d9788f G = line-of-action #e0506a O = outline #2b1d2e --- ............................................................................ ..........OOOOO..............OOOOO...............................O......OO.. .........OHHHHHO............OHHHHHO............................OOHOO...OJJO. .........OHHHHHHO..........OHHHHHHO...........................OHHHHHO..OJJO. ........OHHHHHHHO..........OHHHHHHHO..........................OHHHHGHOOAAAO. ........OHHHGHHHO..........OHHHGHHHO.........................OHHHHHGHOAAAO.. ........OHHGHHHHO..........OHHHHGHHO.........................OHHHHGHHAAAO... .........OGHHHHHO..........OHHHHHGOO.........................OHHHGHHHAAO.... .......OOGHHHHHO............OHHHHGTTO......................OOOOHGHHHHAO..... ......OTGTTJHOO..............OOHTTGTTO....................OTTTTGHHHHAO...... .....OTTGTTTO.................OTTTGTTTO...................OTTTAGAAAAO....... .....OTGTTATTO................OTTTGTTAAO.................OTTTAGAAAOO........ .....OTGTAAATO..OO............OTTTTGTAAAO..........OO....OTAAAGATO.......... ....OTTGTAAAAO.OJJO...........OTTTTGTAAAO.........OJJOOOOAAAAGTTTO.......... ....OTTGTTAAAAOAJJO...........OTTTGTTAAAO.........OJJAAAAAAAGATTO........... ....OTTGTTTAAAAAAO............OTTTGTTOAAAO.........OAAAAAAATGTTTO........... ....OTTGTTTTAAAAO.............OTTGTTTOAAAO..........OOOAATTGTTTO............ ....OTTTGTTTOAOO.............OTTTGTTTOAAAO............OTTTTGTTO............. .....OTTGTTTTOOO............OTTTTGTTLAAAO............OTTTTGTTO.............. .....OTTTGTTTTLLO...........OTTTTGTTLAAO............OTTTTTGTTO.............. ......OTTGTTTTLLO...........OTTTTGTTAAAO............OTTTTGTTLLOO............ .......OTTGTTTLLLO...........OTTTGTLJJO.............OLTTGTTLLLLLO........... .......OTTGTTLLLLLO...........OTTGLLJJO............OLLLTGTTLLLLLLO.......... ........OOGLLLLLLLLO..........OLLGLLLLLO...........OLLLGOOOOLLLLLO.......... .........OLGLLOLLLLO..........OLLGLLLLLO..........OLLLLG....OOLLLO.......... .........OLGLLOOLLLLO.........OLLGLOLLLO..........OLLLGO.....OLLLO.......... ..........OGLLOOLLLO..........OLLLGOLLLO.........OLLLLG......OLLLO.......... .........OLGLLOLLLLO..........OLLLGOLLLO.........OLLLGO......OLLLO.......... .........OLGLOOLLLLO.........OLLLLGLLLLO.........OLLLG.......OLLLO.......... .........OLGLOOLLLO..........OLLLOGLLLO.........OLLLGO.......OLLLO.......... ........OLLGLOLLLLO.........OOLLLOGLLLOO........OLLLG.......OOLLOO.......... .......OJJJJJJJJJJJO.......OJJJJJJJJJJJJO......OJJJJJO.....OJJJJJJO......... .......OJJJJJJJJJJJO.......OJJJJJJJJJJJJO......OJJJJJO.....OJJJJJJO......... ........OOOOOOOOOOO.........OOOOOOOOOOOO........OOOOO.......OOOOOO.......... ``` `anatomy-loa-poses-32` — the same three curves on dummies (guide in red, drawn just outside the back contour so it stays visible): **C** (columns 0–19: head and pelvis forward, chest bowed back, braced), **S** (23–42: head left, chest right, hips left, relaxed), **diagonal** (46–73: one straight line from rear foot through hip and shoulder to the reaching hand). The curve through head, chest, pelvis and support foot is the first thing you draw; the masses then sit on it. ```grid anatomy-poses-balance-32 H = dummy-head #e8c547 T = dummy-torso #8e5ea2 A = dummy-arm #5aa05a J = dummy-joint #8a6040 L = dummy-leg #d9788f O = outline #2b1d2e --- .........OOO..................OOO....................OOOO.............. ........OHHHO................OHHHO..................OHHHHO............. .......OHHHHHO..............OHHHHHO................OHHHHHHO............ ......OHHHHHHHO............OHHHHHHHO...............OHHHHHHO............ ......OHHHHHHHO............OHHHHHHHO...............OHHHHHHO............ ......OHHHHHHHO............OHHHHHHHO...............OHHHHHHO............ ......OHHHHHHHO............OHHHHHHHO...............OHHHHHHO............ .......OHHHHHO..............OHHHHHO................OHHHHHHO............ ........OHHHO................OHHHO..................OHHHHO............. ......OOOJJJO..OOO..........OJJJO....................OJJJO............. ....OOTTTOOOOOOAAAO........OOOOO..............OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO....... ...OAATTTTTTTTOAAAO.......OTAATTO............OAAATTTTTTTTTTTTAAAO...... ..OAAATTTTTTTTTAAAO.......OAAATO............OAAAAATTTTTTTTTTAAAAAO..... ..OAAATTTTTTTTTAAAO.......OAAATO...........OAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTAAAAAO.... ..OAAATTTTTTTTTOAAAO......OAAATO..........OAAAAAOTTTTTTTTTTTTOAAAAAO... .OAAAOTTTTTTTTTOAAAO......OAAATTO........OAAAAAOOOTTTTTTTTTTOOOAAAAAO.. .OAAAOTTTTTTTTTOAAAO......OAAATTTO.......OAAAAAAAOTTTTTTTTTTOAAAAAAAO.. .OAAAOTTTTTTTTTOAAAO......OAAATTTO........OOAAAAAJJTTTTTTTTJJAAAAAOO... .OAAAOTTTTOLLLLOAAO.......OTAATTTO..........OOAAAJJTTTTTTTTJJAAAOO..... ..OAAOOLLLOLLLLOAAO........OAALLLO............OOLALLOOOOOOOLALLO....... ..OAAOOLLLOOLLLLAAO........OAAALLO............OLLLLLO.....OLLLLLO...... ..OAAOOLLLOOLLLLJJO........OAAALLO............OLLLLO.......OLLLLO...... ..OJJOOLLLOOLLLLJJO........OLJJLLO...........OLLLLLO.......OLLLLLO..... ..OJJOOLLLO.OLLLOO..........OJJLLO...........OLLLLO.........OLLLLO..... ...OO.OLLLO.OLLLO...........OLLLLO..........OLLLLO...........OLLLLO.... ......OLLLO.OLLLLO..........OLLLLO..........OLLLLO...........OLLLLO.... ......OLLLO.OLLLLO..........OLLLLO.........OLLLLO.............OLLLLO... ......OLLLO.OLLLLO..........OLLLLO.........OLLLO...............OLLLO... ......OLLLO..OLLLO..........OLLLLLO.......OLLLLO...............OLLLLO.. ......OLLLO..OLLLO..........OLLLLLO.......OLLLO.................OLLLO.. ......OLLLLO.OLLLOOO........OLLLLLOO.....OLLLLO................OOLLLLO. ......OJJJJJOOJJJJJJO......OJJJJJJJJO...OJJJJJJO..............OJJJJJJO. ......OJJJJJOOJJJJJJO......OJJJJJJJJO...OJJJJJJO..............OJJJJJJO. .......OOOOO..OOOOOO........OOOOOOOO.....OOOOOO................OOOOOO.. ``` `anatomy-poses-balance-32` — three static poses on one baseline (colour-coded dummy, see `rules://30-proportions-by-size`): **contrapposto, front** (columns 0–18: shoulder line tilted against the hip line, weight on the viewer's left leg, relaxed knee out on the free leg), **side stand** (22–35: head forward of the chest, chest back, pelvis and belly forward), **heroic wide stance** (39–68: upward triangle, fists on hips, shoulders ≈ 2 heads wide). ```grid anatomy-poses-motion-32 H = dummy-head #e8c547 T = dummy-torso #8e5ea2 A = dummy-arm #5aa05a J = dummy-joint #8a6040 L = dummy-leg #d9788f O = outline #2b1d2e --- .................................................................................... ....OOOO..........................................OOO............................... ...OHHHHO........................................OHHHO.............................. ..OHHHHHHO......................................OHHHHHO............................. ..OHHHHHHHO....................................OHHHHHHO............................. ..OHHHHHHHO....................................OHHHHHHHO............................ ..OHHHHHHHO....................................OHHHHHHHO..................OOOOO..... ..OHHHHHHO.....................................OHHHHHHHO.................OHHHHHO.... ...OHHHHHO...................................OOOHHHHHHO.............OOO..OHHHHHHO... ....OHHHTTO...O....................OO.......OTTTTHHHHO...OO........OTTTOOHHHHHHHO... ....OTTTTTTO.OAOOO................OJJOO....OTTTTTTOOO..OOJJO......OTTTTTTHHHHHHHO... ...OTTTTTATOOAAAAAOOO.............OJJAAOOOOTAAAATTAOOOOAAJJO......OTTTTTTTHHHHHHO... ...OTTTTAAAAOAAAAAAAAOO............OAAAAAAAAAAAATTAAAAAAAOO.......OTTTTTAAJJHHHO.... ...OTTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAAJJO............OOAAAAAAAAATTTAAAAAAO.........OTTTTTAAOHHHO..... ....OTTTTAAAAAAAAAAAAJJO..............OOAAATTTTTTOOAAAAO..........OTTTTTAAAOOO...... .....OTTTTTTAAAAAAAJJOO.................OTTTTTTTO..OOOO............OTTTTAAAO........ .....OTTTTTTTOOOOAAJJO.................OTTTTTTTO....................OTTTAAAO........ ......OTTTTTTO...OOOO.................OTTTTTTTO.....................OTTTAAAO........ ......OTTTTTTTO.......................OTTTTTTO......................OTTTTAAO........ ......OLTTTTTTLO.....................OTTTTTTTO......................OTTTTAAO........ ......OLTTTTTTLLOO..................OLTTTTTTO.......................OTTTTAAO........ .....OLLTTTTTLLLLLO................OLLTTTTTLO.......................OTTTTAAO........ .....OLLLLTTOLLLLLLO...............OLLLTTTTLLOO......................OTTTAALO....... .....OLLLLOO.OLLLLLO..............OLLLLLLLLLLLLO......................OLLAALLO...... ....OLLLLO....OOLLLO.............OLLLLLOOOLLLLLLO......................OLJJLLLO..... ....OLLLO.....OLLLLO............OLLLLLO...OLLLLLO.......................OJJLLLLO.... ...OLLLLO.....OLLLLO...........OLLLLLO.....OLLLO........................OLLLLLLO.... ..OLLLLO......OLLLO...........OLLLLLO......OLLLO........................OLLLLLO..... ..OLLLLO......OLLLO..........OLLLLLO.......OLLLO........................OLLLLLO..... .OLLLLO.......OLLLO.........OLLLLLO........OLLLO.......................OLLLLLLO..... .OLLLO.......OLLLLO.........OLLLLO.........OLLOOO.....................OOLLLLLOO..... OJJJJJO.....OJJJJJJO.......OJJJJJO........OJJJJJJO...................OJJJJJJJJJO.... OJJJJJO.....OJJJJJJO.......OJJJJJO........OJJJJJJO...................OJJJJJJJJJO.... .OOOOO.......OOOOOO.........OOOOO..........OOOOOO.....................OOOOOOOOO..... ``` `anatomy-poses-motion-32` — three dynamic poses facing right, same baseline: **C brace / pull** (columns 0–23: head behind the pelvis, arms thrust forward, back leg straight, front knee bent), **diagonal dash** (27–58: whole body on one diagonal, trailing leg straight, near arm swept back, head ahead of the hips), **hunch / defeat** (62–81: back hump above the neck line, head low and forward, arm hanging, knees bent). ## Procedure 1. `layer` op create "line-of-action"; draw the curve with `draw` op polyline or paste a guide template. Decide the weight foot and mark its column. 2. `layer` op create "dummy"; block head, chest and pelvis as three flat shapes on the curve with `draw` op grid or `draw` op ellipse / rect. Tilt shoulders against hips (rule 3). 3. Add limbs as 3→2 px tapered strokes (`draw` op line with `thickness`, or `grid`). Hands and feet as clusters. 4. `look` op preview; then the silhouette test: `layer` op duplicate, `recolor` op replace every colour with one dark flat colour, `look` op preview, then delete the copy. If the action is unclear change the pose, not the shading. 5. Shift a mass by `draw` op blit to the new x/y plus `clear` of the old one, rather than redrawing; compare variants on separate frames with `look` op onion. 6. Only then outline and shade (`rules://02-shading-and-light`). For animation keep the same masses across frames (`rules://06-layers-and-rigging`, `rules://42-walk-and-run`). ## Mistakes - Stiff statue → centres of head / chest / hip on one vertical, shoulder and hip lines parallel → rule 3–4: tilt and shift. - Pose reads on one side only, other limbs lost → arm swallowed by the torso → leave ≥ 1 px gap or move the limb off the body. - Limbs like pipes → constant width, no bend → taper and give 1 px of bend. - Leaning figure looks like it will fall over → no counter-weight, base too narrow → plant the push foot behind the line and extend the rear leg, or move the mass over the foot. - Symmetrical "fly-swatted" front pose → both arms spread flat → hide one limb behind the body, turn the head, drop one shoulder. - Pose changes figure size between frames → volume drift → keep masses fixed, move them rigidly (rule 12). - Muscle noise at 32 px → every group drawn → keep four shapes, shade the rest. ## Review - A line of action (C, S or diagonal) is visible on the silhouette alone. - Shoulder line and hip line are not parallel (unless the pose is deliberately frontal and static). - The weight foot is identifiable and under the centre of mass, or the lean is clearly intended. - Every limb tapers and no two outlines cross. - Filled flat, the pose still says what the character is doing. - Body pixel count is stable across poses of the same character. ## Sources Hampton, *Figure Drawing: Design and Invention* (gesture, spine, centre of gravity, weight, pinch / stretch, T-overlaps, pp. 5–50, 88–199); Loomis, *Figure Drawing for All It's Worth* (mannikin, balance and the tipped line, pp. 38–49, 103–130); Blair, *Advanced Animation* (line of action, construction sequence, pp. 3–7, 21); Hultgren, *Animal Drawing: Anatomy and Action for Artists* (line of action, stretch and bunch, pp. 13–38); Solarski, *Drawing Basics and Video Game Art* (Gravity and Movement, Pelvis, Spine and Ribcage, Shoulder Girdle); Bancroft, *Creating Characters with Personality* (tilts, flow, pp. 70–71, 141); Williams, *The Animator's Survival Kit* (pp. 168–170, 225–258, 272); Muybridge, *The Human Figure in Motion*; Mateu-Mestre, *Framed Ink* (p. 104–105); Slynyrd Pixelblog PB17, PB49, PB57; BJG sprite workflow; Saint11 tutorials.