Casual stance
A loose standing pose with both hands in pockets, one hip dropped and the shoulders slightly uneven.
Casual is a matter of small asymmetries. One hip drops, the shoulders follow at a different angle, and the head sits slightly off center. The hands in pockets keep the arms quiet so the torso carries the pose, and the whole figure reads as someone standing still between two moments.
This study is a good reminder of how much variation a viewer tolerates in a standing pose before it looks contrived. Nothing here is dramatic, yet the three slight offsets, hip, shoulder and head, are enough to make the figure feel inhabited. It is the pose for a character sheet, for a catalogue, or for a scene where the figure is not the focus but must not look stiff.
Draw the hip and shoulder tilts in opposite directions; when they match, the figure looks like it is leaning on an invisible surface. The knees should be soft with one slightly more bent, and the feet should stay close, since a casual stance rarely includes a wide base. Attack the temptation to make the arms symmetric: with both hands in pockets the elbows still sit at different heights.
Drawing notes
- Tilt hips and shoulders in opposite directions rather than parallel.
- Keep the elbows at different heights even with both hands in pockets.
- Soften one knee more than the other to keep the stance from stiffening.
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 standing casually with both hands in pockets, full body.
Working notes
- A loose standing pose with both hands in pockets, one hip dropped and the shoulders slightly uneven.
- The pose relies on three small offsets; keep them small or it stops looking casual.
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 fashion studies first.
