Comic Draw: Learning Line of Action

The line of action is a tool to help cartoonists quickly determine the direction of their characters. It is the first mark you make to draw figures in life like action.

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Starting with the line of action makes sure your drawing remains unified and flows

Start with a light & broad stroke then use darker & thinner lines to build up your drawing. It is usually better to build your drawings from general to specific. It allows to build from from a strong foundation.

Get a feel for the pose your about to draw. Think about what they are doing or how they are standing.

Think of the line of action as an arrow going from one point to another. It’s directional flow will dictate which way the character is facing and how they are taking up space. Build your figure upon the flow line to keep you figure in movement unified.

A quick review to build your figures. Please feel free to review these steps from previous posts by clicking their links.

1. Start with the stick figure
2. Make a mannequin
3. Add details 

Eventually you will be automatically thinking in terms of action, direction & flow so your poses will naturally have them. You may even just start with how the the spine is moving and build from there.

The line of action is a traditional cartooning tool for capturing life in your comic characters. Aim for seeing your character’s as moving life-life creatures caught in the moment instead of statues locked into a fixed position.
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Thank you for tuning into this week’s tutorial. I hope this has been helpful for you on your comic journeys. 
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Check out the additional resources below for links to the reference material I use.

Peace,
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Loso


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Additional Resources