Tips for Drawing Women: From Form to Finishing

Drawing women requires a solid foundation of knowledge and technical skills, but also a deep understanding of how their unique features affect movement and character.

Women’s bodies can be delicate and light, toned and muscular, and everything in between. Their form also changes during and after childbirth, and each stage of their life introduces new and complex artistic challenges. 

Is your head spinning yet? Don’t worry—you’ve got a lifetime to practice, and in the meantime, here are some of Cubebrush’s top resources to help you turn your next female-centric project into a masterpiece. 

Female Form and Balance References

Have you ever tried to create a female character only to find that something about her proportions seems bulky and generic? But what should you adjust, and how can you refine the feminine aesthetic without changing your basic concept?

Reference pictures are a classic starting point for artists looking to gain insight into the essential elements of drawing women. This set of 200+ images by Grafit Studio is just one of dozens of female reference sets you’ll find from them depicting women jumping, bending, walking, and relaxing with a variety of props and furniture. 

This collection of images give artists a detailed view into how women use their bodies to do a variety of activities that require strength and balance, including kneeling, gripping, and twisting into unusual positions. They’re ideal for figure drawing and concept art, and the lighting is carefully adjusted to highlight every muscle and curve. 

This pack contains:

• 200+ female reference images

How to Draw Females by RobotPencil

Every woman’s body is different, but there are some basic principles artists can apply to produce well-proportioned forms. And that’s what this tutorial for drawing women by RobotPencil is all about. 

Creator and educator Anthony Jones is back with another drawing series that will help you differentiate your male and female creations in key areas that will give you fast, believable results. He covers basics like how to approach shapes and gestures, portraying delicacy rather than strength, and proportion fundamentals that will apply to many of your female characters. 

One of his biggest tips? 

Tossing on some big breasts is NOT the solution for turning mediocre sketches into passable women! 

Of course, that’s just one of many pro insights Anthony has in store that will immediately uplevel your work and speed up your process. 

This tutorial comes with:

• 1 tutorial for drawing women
• Zbrush thumbnail notes
• .psd file of sketches

Female Anatomy Inside and Out

It’s not just what’s on the outside that counts when it comes to drawing women. For centuries, artists have realized that dissection and careful study of internal structures are essential for understanding how our bodies move and what features to highlight in art. 

Fortunately, you don’t have to dig up a body to get some valuable insight! This incredible resource gives you a 3D, inside-out look at every major structure in the female body. Not only are all systems represented, but this model can also be customized for any project. 

This complete model gives you an unprecedented look at the following:

• Circulatory System 
• Digestive System
• Integumentary System
• Lymphatic System 
• Muscular System 
• Nervous System 
• Reproductive System 
• Respiratory System 
• Skeletal System 
• Urinary System 

Is it a bit pricey? Maybe—and it’s also the last digital anatomical model for drawing women you’ll ever need!

Old Witch References

Are you fantasizing about sketching up the crones from Macbeth or dreaming of an ancient sorceress in a boggy hovel? Drawing women isn’t all princesses and pop stars—hags are ladies too, and they pose their own challenges for artists. 

This set of witch reference photos offers a glimpse of an older woman who’s engaged in a few nature rituals and cauldron-bubbling spell preparations. You’ll also gain some understanding of how female proportions change, wrinkles appear, and muscles adjust while still retaining essential femininity. 

Of course, not all witches are older women, but this classic take on a forest enchantress will provide context for any aged character you choose to create.

This set gives you:

•  I’m 750+ old witch reference images 

Fully Rigged Pregnant Woman

Pregnancy does crazy things to a woman’s body, and it can be tough to capture digitally even if you’ve gone through it yourself! Breasts enlarge, abdomens expand, and all of it redistributes weight, shifts your anatomy around, and alters how nearly every movement takes place. 

This fully rigged pregnant female is a perfect workaround for spending hours creating your own model from scratch. All of her materials are modular, so you can easily customize eye and hair color in addition to many other features. Clothes can also be removed or hidden so you can work on any layer you like incuding completely nude, and the model is perfect for animators looking to hone their skills.

You’ll receive:

• 1 fully rigged pregnant female model for Blender

Believe Women—Starting with the Ones You Draw!

The beauty of the female form is that you’re never going to stop finding new details and nuances to practice. Whether you’re exaggerating a fantastical being or creating a hyperrealistic likeness, the resources at Cubebrush can help you keep your female characters believable and balanced. 

If you’re working on drawing women or just looking for the best tools and tips for your next project, explore the Cubebrush Marketplace today to find everything you need!