Cartooning: Drawing Bodies and Poses

Overview

Graphic novelist Ira Marcks breaks cartoon bodies down into their building blocks: proportion, torso styles, limbs, hands, and feet, then shows how adding a sense of gravity gives a character real balance, before putting it all into a set of expressive, action-packed poses. The progression moves logically from static structure to dynamic movement, so a character stops looking like a stiff mannequin and starts looking like it belongs in a scene.

Who It's For

Cartoonists and illustrators of any level who want a structured way to draw bodies that feel grounded and alive rather than stiff or flat.

Key Takeaways

• The fundamentals of cartoon proportion
• Drawing torso styles, limbs, hands, and feet
• Applying gravity to give a character believable balance
• Building a series of emotive, action-packed poses