Reclined with knees bent

A back-lying figure with both knees raised and feet planted, giving a low repeated-angle shape.

Lying on the back with knees up turns the body into a horizontal base and a looping shape above it. The spine rests along the floor, the pelvis is flat, and the thighs rise while the shins drop back to the planted feet. From the side, the knee becomes a peak with the feet tucked beneath it.

This is the cleanest pose in the library for studying a reclining torso, because nothing overlaps the spine and the ribcage can be read across its whole length. It also gives an unambiguous ground line, which is useful when you are blocking a scene with a character on the floor, or when a figure needs to sit low under another element of the composition.

One recurring error is a flat back that bends like a plank at the hips. The thighs must leave the pelvis at a real angle, and the lower back keeps its natural curve rather than being pressed into the ground. Watch the feet, which should be flat and aligned under the knees, and keep the arms from stretching stiffly straight down if the study shows them relaxed. If the knees fall together or apart, draw that asymmetry rather than forcing symmetry onto it.

• floor
• reclining
• knees bent
• side view