Arm over head
A cropped figure with one arm lifted above the head, opening the armpit and lifting the ribcage.
A raised arm in a portrait crop takes up a quarter of the frame and changes the whole torso. The armpit opens, the ribcage lifts on that side, the shoulder rotates so the deltoid rolls toward the head, and the waist visibly lengthens. The other arm usually drops away, which makes the two sides of the upper body read very differently.
The crop makes this pose useful for showing the full range of the shoulder, which is where figure drawings most often go wrong. You can see the clavicle angle change, the scapula rotate, and the breast and ribs respond to the stretch. It also creates an elegant open shape with a strong diagonal from the raised hand down through the opposite hip.
Draw the lifted arm as a continuation of the torso rather than a limb attached above it. The elbow travels up and slightly out, and the armpit is a deep fold, not a smooth curve. When the arm is raised the shoulder loses its usual round shape and flattens, so do not reuse the same shoulder you would draw for a lowered arm. Check that the raised hand is still inside the crop and that the ribs above the raised side move outward.
Drawing notes
- Fold the armpit deeply instead of drawing the arm as a smooth curve.
- Flatten the raised shoulder; it loses its round shape with the arm up.
- Let the ribs on the lifted side move outward and the waist lengthen.
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, upper-body portrait, posing with one arm raised over the head.
Working notes
- A cropped figure with one arm lifted above the head, opening the armpit and lifting the ribcage.
- Watch the raised shoulder: it flattens instead of staying round.
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 upper body studies first.
