How To Draw Overweight Women

Anonymous asked:
Do you have any tips on drawing bigger girls? I can never seem to make it look right, and I really want to draw different body types.

For you anon, and all the other people that ask me this question! "ヽ(´▽｀)ノ"
There's always stuff I'll be learning, but I'm happy to pass this little tidbit to anyone that could use some guidance. I intend on doing a second installment of this once I've learned a little more and taken some time to practice critiques I was given for this one, covering things I didn't here; such as fat distribution on the face, neck, fat rolls, cellulite, and more variety in general. Again, still learning, but I hope it helps.

PLEASE NOTE: This tutorial was made in May 2013 and may have some dated wording/terminology, I apologize.

Edit October 2013: I said backstory plays a role in how I decide my characters' body weight. I wanted to explainwhy, because I realized some people found my justifications offensive. I am sorry for that misunderstanding; What I was trying to show is thatthere is no wrong way to be fat. Everyone's body is welcome and valid. I have done a poor job of explaining this, and I apologize.

You can be born fat and stay that way. You can be thin as a kid and grow up fat, just as some kids start out fat and lose it with age. You can be athletic and fat, or NOT athletic (read: don't confuse this with "unhealthy"), and fat. You can be fat because of diet, too- which I never implied as a negative. All of those reasons areokay and valid and real.

Again, I am sorry. I usually DON'T justify any of my characters' traits, but I thought it would be a good way for girls reading this to further connect to this tutorial and relate to characters whose experiences reflect theirs. I'll keep this in mind for the future.

Be sure to check out the resource links to other helpful and even more up-to-date tutorials!

RESOURCE LIST

Reference Tumblrs/general help for all bodies:
diverse bodytypes! helpyoudraw fuckyeahreferencesDrawing Fat Torsos Body Shapes And Athletes

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this work for guys/masculine presenting people?
Yes! Any of these shapes can apply to all genders!
But instead of two circles meeting specifically at the waist, instead they more often meet either lower toward the hips (big circle sitting on a small one, like a lightbulb), or higher under the chest (pear shaped) or just one oval/circle in the middle as well. It depends on the body type you're going for. You could also use "round squares" instead of circles for more blocky strongmen that are still big.

Also check out the tutorials listed above for masculine presenting tutorials.

nonbinary people as well?
For genderqueer, nb, agender, or other more ambiguous presentations, don't be afraid to mix and match traits. These are just guidelines, and there are definitely exceptions to any of these rules, especially for those not conforming to gender binary. Once you understand the gendered masculine vs feminine differences in shape placement you can definitely get creative. I do hope to do an all gender encompassing revision of this sometime but for now I hope this helps!

The title of this tutorial is inaccurate! They are not curvy, they are fat!
I am not renaming this tutorial.There is such a thing as curvy women that are also fat. This tutorial is for all kinds of big body-types and that includes fatness.