Comics and realistic body image

K-Dawg · Post by **K-Dawg** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 7:18 am

Bah, don't worry about it. I just found it funny, nobody calls me macho around here.

Soap Committee · Post by **Soap Committee** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 7:28 am

Mercury Hat wrote:I've recently noticed a lot of my female characters are built like I am. It's too late to fix, but it's just something I noticed >_>.

That's happened to me with a lot of stuff. :/ I hear art oftentimes take even just a slight reminiscence from the artists' appearances.

McDuffies · Post by **McDuffies** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 7:33 am

I, on the other hand, draw male characters all thin and scrawny which is unlike me, because, as everyone known, I am all manly and masculine. And don't wear glasses at all.

Pillywiggin · Post by **Pillywiggin** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 7:39 am

Soap Committee wrote:
Mercury Hat wrote:I've recently noticed a lot of my female characters are built like I am. It's too late to fix, but it's just something I noticed >_>.
That's happened to me with a lot of stuff. :/ I hear art oftentimes take even just a slight reminiscence from the artists' appearances.

I actually just noticed that they physical builds of three of my main female characters are based of of me, my older sister, and my younger sister.

Well, my younger sister before she started a ROTC program for the marines.

Sput · Post by **Sput** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 8:36 am

*laughs at pillywiggin*
Yea. All my female characters? Same exact hairstyle as me. Trying to get outta that but damn it's hard. XD

Phact0rri · Post by **Phact0rri** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 10:33 am

Yes I would assume its a natural evolution of the artist to draw like one is. if only because we are our own best resource for how things are supposed to look. where all my characters are not rail thin, most of them have hair styles I once did, dress like me, and I draw all chins on guys (no matter the sizes) in polygon fashion.

Robbie · Post by **Robbie** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 10:39 am

My characters.... well, I try to keep them somewhat realistic. Especially since they're based on real people. But I don't keep them too close to reality. They all have this odd, round look to them. Some people have described it as "cartoony." Makes sense since it's a cartoon and all.

On the other hand, my dear dear friend told me once that I made the characters look too fat. I thought it was a question of just fitting their entire bodies into a panel of the size I was using at the time. I suppose that realisim is just one of those things that you get a sense of and improve on over time. It's one of those things that you need to decide on yourself, and hope that other people catch on to it.

TheSuburbanLetdown · Post by **TheSuburbanLetdown** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 7:53 pm

A lot of my characters are built like me. Mostly bacause whenever I need a reference for a pose, I'm always around to look at. That's probably the reason they all have super-sharp jawbones. I'll remedy that soon.

RemusShepherd · Post by **RemusShepherd** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:36 pm

Yeah, most of my characters have broad shoulders because my shoulders look like they were designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. I'm trying to fight that, though, by forcing some character designs to have weak, curved shoulders.

Col · Post by **Col** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:44 pm

A lot of my drawings of people or things come out kinda long.

McDuffies · Post by **McDuffies** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 2:10 am

I know what you mean, a lot of my characters have head the size of 1/3 of the body, call-shaped with two giand eyes that cover 75% of the face.

Alschroeder · Post by **Alschroeder** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:29 am

I'm bearded, and a lot of my male characters, both supporting and opposing, have beards.---Al

Noise Monkey · Post by **Noise Monkey** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:31 am

I think the only character I've used that's bearded was Santa...

I did have a character I introduced and promptly forgot that had a that long droopy biker mustache. And a mullet.

and a very furry belly.

Okie · Post by **Okie** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 6:15 pm

Roughies has nudity.

Only one main female character has appeared in the nude, Fay. This character is not flat chested; nor does she have a perfect model's body. She is very comfortable with her body, not ashamed in the least, but she is not an outright exhibitionist. She enjoys popularity, even with questionable characters. In a recent episode where she attended a Biker Rally, she participated in events that, in my opinion, objectify women. These events really happen, women really participate, and she would... so she did. Women having fun in a hula hoop contest could be innocent, but if it is a topless hula hoop contest where the audience is 95% male and 100% drunk, it is clearly not very innocent.

Now, contrast that with my other female character, Prue, who is constantly covered (wearing a fuzzy cat costume all day, every day). She is rather flat chested, but people might not realize that because she's never revealed. Her body insecurities are only part of why she covers herself up. She's shy, extroverted, and doesn't want attention on herself. She is hiding from her past, and from herself. This character frowns on the objectifying of women, and when she finds out about what Fay did at the Biker Rally, will have a talk with her about why she thinks women shouldn't participate in those things. She will want to help Fay make "better decisions."

But likely, Fay will think Prue is over-reacting. (Drama!)

I'm conscious of body image issues, and when I'm done telling the story of the Civil War, will return to them. Male nudity will happen at some point too i'm sure.

Intrigued? Read Roughies!

Cat42 · Post by **Cat42** » Mon Oct 10, 2005 9:12 pm

Okie wrote:Intrigued? Read Roughies!

Damn you, I think I might now.

TBAC · Post by **TBAC** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 4:20 am

i'm tired of them

every billboard, every tv show, impossibly shaped women, every magazine

and we think it's not having an effect. we all have minds of our own. just because i see it doesn't mean anything. what if we see it 1000 times, a day, an hour, it has no effect?

but why do advertisers still do it. because it works. because we fall for it.

i can't go anywhere without seeing women that i know are drawn out of whack, women airbrushed out of whack

i look.

at all of them. every time. i can't help it and neither can you.

if you draw your girl people characters with impossible waists, boobs, etc. it'll be lost in a whole ocean of them.

draw what you want. don't worry about the consequences, you can't control any of that.

just make sure it's your pen you're holding in your hand.

god that made me tired.

Black Sparrow · Post by **Black Sparrow** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 6:27 am

Awww.... Someone's getting all angsty...

Noise Monkey · Post by **Noise Monkey** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 6:33 am

Here, have some nitrous....

..mmmm......wavy....

Cat42 · Post by **Cat42** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 9:10 am

it's not impossible, it's just horribly painful, and tends to come out repulsive.

Keep in mind though...

Dammit, I forgot as I typed this.

Rocknjosie · Post by **Rocknjosie** » Tue Oct 11, 2005 9:26 am

I'll have what they're having

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