Bridge pose
A back-lying figure with knees bent and hips lifted, forming an arch with two clear contact points.
The shoulders and head stay on the floor while the hips rise, so the body forms a low arch with the knees at the top of the bent legs and the feet planted under them. Weight is shared between the upper back and the soles, with the arms lying along the ground for support.
In profile the pose is a set of clear angles: a horizontal line along the shoulder girdle, a diagonal up through the thighs, and vertical shins dropping to the feet. That makes it unusually good for studying how the ribcage and pelvis relate when they are not stacked, and it is a natural fit for drapery, since any garment falls backward along the torso toward the shoulders.
The error most drawings show is a bend in the wrong place. The arch comes from the hips extending, not from folding the knees further, so the thigh line should be a straight run from knee to hip with only the pelvis rotating. Check the neck: the head must stay flat and long, and the chin should not be crushed against the chest. Also watch the feet, which in this study stay parallel and planted rather than turning out.
Drawing notes
- Arch through the hips, keeping the thigh line straight from knee to hip.
- Keep the head flat with a long neck instead of tucking the chin into the chest.
- Plant the feet parallel so the shins drop vertically.
Pose prompt
The description used to generate this study. Copy it into your own workflow, or hand it to the studio with your photo.
Adult woman in bridge pose, lying on her back with knees bent, feet grounded and hips raised, full body, side view.
Working notes
- A back-lying figure with knees bent and hips lifted, forming an arch with two clear contact points.
- This study is a visual reference for the arch shape, not a posture instruction.
Put this pose on your own reference
Take this study to the studio and generate a new image in the same pose, or browse the rest of the floor poses studies first.
