Seated forward fold
A seated figure with both legs stretched forward and the torso folded down over them.
Sitting with both legs straight ahead puts the pelvis directly on the ground and turns the whole figure into a narrow horizontal block. Folding the torso forward stacks the ribs over the thighs, so the body becomes one dense shape with a rounded back on top and long straight legs below.
This is a compact, low silhouette, and it holds a good lesson about how little of the figure survives when it folds. The shoulders move forward of the hips, the arms reach along the legs, and the head drops toward the shins. That makes it a strong study for compression: you can see where the abdomen shortens, where the back of the torso lengthens, and where the fabric of a shirt or dress bunches at the waist.
Draw the hip crease first, because that is the hinge; artists often fold at the waist and leave the pelvis upright, giving a sitting figure that looks like a bent pipe. Keep the legs close together with the knees slightly soft, taper the calves and let the feet relax rather than point rigidly. The neck matters too: the head should hang between the arms with the back of the neck long, not crane up to look at the feet.
Drawing notes
- Hinge at the hip crease so the pelvis tips with the fold.
- Show the back lengthening and the abdomen shortening as one movement.
- Let the head hang between the arms with a long back of the neck.
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 seated with legs extended, folding forward towards her feet, full body, side view.
Working notes
- A seated figure with both legs stretched forward and the torso folded down over them.
- This study is a visual reference for the compressed silhouette, 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.
