Ugh. . . I usually have such problems with anatomy. :c So I'll ask a friend to look at the sketch and tell me if things look okay, and if I should fix something. . . Usually, that works out.
Also, using some references might be of help to you.

I'm really bad with proportions. And the head shape. If I find myself drawing hard poses I have to use a mirror and look at myself to see the ratios. And of course, I have problems drawing the hands and feet. Still need to work on that...

I guess the best thing to do is just practice and draw real people/models.

• I actually "learned" anatomy in a weird way.
  
  The library never had any how to draw books (I didn't like them anyways) or biology books with good human figures (just bones and whatnot). I didn't have those little figures you could bend to work with. I didn't find tutorials online that I was satisfied with.
  
  So here's what I did.....
  
  I looked at models in store ads and magazines. So I'd practice just drawing them. Around summer when everyone is in bathing suits, there were a lot of good examples of the human body. AND I utilized a full sized mirror...to use myself to pose. A lot. Which is just sad. XD
  
  That's how I improvised for my lack of materials. ^^; Now I don't really care and I draw crazy poses and body forms just for the heck of it.
  
  As for the hardest body part....you know what. It's the male abdomen. I REALLY want to draw like...six packs and stuff...but then I get all embarassed when I look at them. XD So I don't get much practice.

Uggh, I stink at anatomy. I always draw heads slightly too big. <_<;

I think it really helps to improve if you practice quick figure drawings. Have a few people model for you or like ToriKat, look through magazines and draw models.

I have a loooong way to go yet on anatomy. For me the real life drawing classes didn't seem to make any difference when it came to my stylized drawings, perhaps I just haven't drawn enough straight from real life or something?

For me I've learned a lot when using magazine references and using mangas as references (yes I steal other peoples poses xD). And just other art I see on DA, like the pose and try it out myself.

Need to work much much harder on this part though *sigh* Helpful links here though, I'll have a look through them.

I've noticed drawing heads too big is a comon theme for anime artist switching into realism because anime tends to have larger heads in general as a style.

*stares @ my avatar, and denies having a ginormous head* X3

Gah, but see, I _must_ have a giant head so that mah green hair and eyepatch and misc. hairclip thingy can all fit. X3 if it was to real-size, I could prolly only have like, an eyepatch, and it wouldnt' be as fun. o.O

Originally Posted by ScarletStratholme

*stares @ my avatar, and denies having a ginormous head* X3

Gah, but see, I _must_ have a giant head so that mah green hair and eyepatch and misc. hairclip thingy can all fit. X3 if it was to real-size, I could prolly only have like, an eyepatch, and it wouldnt' be as fun. o.O

Lol, well, I think they could fit.. they'd all be a lot relatively smaller.

Anime has a trend towards neotony and prepubescence, lol. And as children, we all have bigger heads. So, like, larger heads and bigger eyes and all that are considered youthful and attractive, so a lot of people draw them that way.

When I draw real life heads they tend to be too small xD Maybe it's because I try too hard not to make them too big?

Originally Posted by Mou

When I draw real life heads they tend to be too small xD Maybe it's because I try too hard not to make them too big?

lol. XD Quite possibly. Or, they're the right size, you just think they're too small because you draw stylized stuff? Iknow the latter happens to me when I draw calves. They tend to be longer in anime and stuff because long legs are pretty. So I tend to draw them as long as the femur - which is, by definition the longest bone in the body and so the calf damn well not be equal or longer. XD

heh i like drawing hands the way mine are (er.. the thumb on the first joint is more pulled out so my thumb isn't straight so much as angular? ) oh lordy i think that made no sense. okay lest try again.. when i hold my hand palm away in front of me.. all my fingers go from a straight line from the wrist.. BUT the thumb.. is goes out on a diagonal a bit till the first joint, and then it goes straight.

-tries to understand what jitsumi said-


o-o kjslajksdkaj ??


I draw heads too big too ... but ... my head is too big compared to my body, so i have and excuse. A sad excuse... but an excuse.

anatomy is very tricky, but there is a system for making sure the proportions are right.

With real life you measure everything by the size of the head, the height of the body is seven heads high, and so on.

But with anime it's close to the same thing, working with the head measurement, but the length of the shoulders is the height of the head sideways, and so on.

You should most likely go look it up, there are a number of great sites out there with helpful tips.

I still suck at anatomy and the wrinkles on clothes. x____X

XDDDD;;

Personally I think in art when heads are slightly bigger it looks better than if they're slightly too small. So I guess if you have to make an error better err on the side of largeness...

My own head is kinda big too D:. I have to wear large sized hats. My feet are tiney though >__>;; Must be why I'm a klutz.

hmm. i suck at drawing hands and legs lol takes me a while to getity perfect, my advice is just keep working on one drawing until you get it perfect and then try tracing over it until you get the feel :]
-Amanda-

I usually do that ... but then i notice the paper is almost broken and all dirty. ; O; So i just leave it like that and call it "finished". xD;

Originally Posted by Moon

I usually do that ... but then i notice the paper is almost broken and all dirty. ; O; So i just leave it like that and call it "finished". xD;

There are ways to fix that- eg, lightbox it onto a new sheet of paper, drawing lighter to begin with, use harder pencil leads, etc.

I know this is going to sound weird but the hardest thngs for me are actually the face and the hair >.< I can never get the positioning right (as in the eyes nose and mouth) and it takes forever!!! but I'm getting better (I think o.o; ) and with hair it's hard for me to do longer hair that isn't in curls/ringlettes or in hair bands because often times it comes out looking blocky >.<;;;

Originally Posted by umi237

I know this is going to sound weird but the hardest thngs for me are actually the face and the hair >.< I can never get the positioning right (as in the eyes nose and mouth) and it takes forever!!! but I'm getting better (I think o.o; ) and with hair it's hard for me to do longer hair that isn't in curls/ringlettes or in hair bands because often times it comes out looking blocky >.<;;;

Lol. hair is a pain. And positioning isn't too hard if you find a quick guide taht goes over the basics. look for a face drawing tutorial?

The human body is terribly hard ;__; I'm working on poses and getting things not to look so stationary and fake. Hands have started coming easier to me but right now I'm struggling on legs and getting the muscles to look correct.

• Oh, anatomy, a woe! xD
  
  Feet. Feet. Feet Are Evil. XD Especially from a sort of below angle where you can see some of the bottom and some of the side, always hard to define. XD
  
  Heads. I've never had Too much of a problem with, But, i can never draw eyes perfectly symettrical O.O. Never. So sometimes, my faces look utterly screwed. Which is why eyebrows can sometimes be amazingly handy, as they can change an expression to not look so...freaky.
  
  I have problems with anatomy from the front. In general. More on anime drawing than real life. xD Although I like drawing muscles and defining them on the body. =) (With help from ze trusty anatomy book) on occasion. =)

Uaaah, I completely suck at anatomy. >< Right now anyway. A while ago I could draw something easily that looked fine (not perfect of course) but now my anatomy is all screwy. x x I can't draw heads anymore! They were so easy! -rants-
XD
Well, contrary to what a lot of people have been saying, I think hands are easy.

most people have this problem i still do. I practice a lot and i am slowly getting better but nothing to brag about i still need a lot of immprovment. I understand how hard it is to draw anatomy! :oops:

Originally Posted by patchy

The human body is terribly hard ;__; I'm working on poses and getting things not to look so stationary and fake. Hands have started coming easier to me but right now I'm struggling on legs and getting the muscles to look correct.

To correct stiffness, try drawing the spine first, and give it a nice curve to it. Then add the limbs as lines as well, and then build the muscles up from there. As for getting muslces to look correct, just google "human muscles" and some charts will pop up that will help.

Originally Posted by Lennifer

• Oh, anatomy, a woe! xD
  
  Feet. Feet. Feet Are Evil. XD Especially from a sort of below angle where you can see some of the bottom and some of the side, always hard to define. XD
  
  Heads. I've never had Too much of a problem with, But, i can never draw eyes perfectly symettrical O.O. Never. So sometimes, my faces look utterly screwed. Which is why eyebrows can sometimes be amazingly handy, as they can change an expression to not look so...freaky.
  
  I have problems with anatomy from the front. In general. More on anime drawing than real life. xD Although I like drawing muscles and defining them on the body. =) (With help from ze trusty anatomy book) on occasion. =)

Hmm, feet... I hate feet, too. Lol. People with foot fetishes, I jsut don't understand. As for facial symmetry, if you're working digitally, do a Canvas --> Flip Horizontal and correct until the pic looks good both ways flipped. You can do it with traditional by, say, holding your paper to a light, but then the actual fixing/redrawing is harder. I take the easy way out and usually just do an eyepatch.