How to Draw... - Gravity and Balance

Gravity and Balance

A big part of making your drawings look realistic is by placing your subject into an environment that follows the laws of Newtonian physics. Unless they're supposed to be in some crazy world where right is left and up is down, they should obey the laws of physics. You need to pay extra attention to this if you're subject is in an action situation.

Gravity- Gravity isn't the same everywhere. If your subject is jumping on the moon, they should appear to be floating. A subject jumping on Earth would, in contrast, have a greater sense of upward or downward motion, depending on their direction. Throw some movement lines in there, flapping clothes, or blowing hair or fur to indicate whether they are rising or falling. Floating is also appropriate for an underwater picture. Hair, fur, and clothes should wisp in sweeping motions. Movement lines should be curved and softened into currents of water. Unless your subject is distressed, their fingers should be together like paddles, to indicate that they are swimming calmly.

A combination of gravity and a sense of motion can combine to make a very realistic pose. Above is a series of sketches of a dragon doing a backflip. Arrows are placed here to indicate a sense of weight and gravity from the tail, wings, and feet.

Balance- Balance is a key element to any subject that you aren't viewing in a close-up. Any time most or all of their body is a part of the picture, balance becomes important. Be sure to maintain your subject's center of gravity unless they are in an action pose. Putting your subject off of their center of gravity can indicate a situation of distress (tripping, for example), or a direction of motion (lunging). Your subject's center of gravity depends on their body structure. Humans have their center of gravity located laterally in their upper back. Saurians, on the other hand, have long tails to counterbalance the weight of their upper bodies. Their center of gravity is located further down their backs, and this also applies to the quadrupedal species of the Territory. In bipedal dinosaurs and birds, the center of gravity is vertically along the hip.

Above is a quick sketch of a pair of Velociraptor. The one of the right is in a normal bipedal walking posture. The center of gravity is over the hips, notice how the rest of the body works to balance it. The 'raptor on the left is in alert standing posture. Notice how the arms draw up and the neck curves to shift the animal's weight back over the hips, to preserve the center of gravity.

The greatest source of reference on balance and gravity issues would be real-life photography and film. Study the closest thing you can find to your subject, and watch how they move and how they place their bodies to react and balance out the force of gravity on them.