# Figure Drawing: Forshortening

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/figure-drawing-forshortening/63795>\
**Category:** design\
**Created:** [September 10, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/figure-drawing-forshortening/63795 "2004-09-10T00:01:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jo\_so](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/94ad74/32.png) [@jo\_so](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/jo_so)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 12:01am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/figure-drawing-forshortening/63795/1 "2004-09-10T00:01:31Z")

</div>

Im having trouble with my forshortening when im sketching hands legs feet etc…  
i was wondering if anyone has any tips on forshortening…

i dont know the exact definition of forshortening, but its when an object seems more smushed than it actually is because of the perspective your viewing it from…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 12:09am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/figure-drawing-forshortening/63795/2 "2004-09-10T00:09:21Z")

</div>

_yawn_

[http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=foreshortening&meta=](http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=foreshortening&meta=)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 1:28am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/figure-drawing-forshortening/63795/3 "2004-09-10T01:28:46Z")

</div>

> [@jo-so](#):
>
> i dont know the exact definition of forshortening, but its when an object seems more smushed than it actually is because of the perspective your viewing it from…

Yep, it’s a term used when the perspective you view the figure at changes the length of a particular portion of the body. I have a book that deals with dynamic figure drawing, but I can’t remember the author off the top of my head. I doubt there would be many decent tutorials online.

I find that the best method is to pick an object, draw it and observe the how your perspective affects the way the object appears. It’s skill better acquired through practice rather than learnt. Although a tutorial or two wouldn’t hurt…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/figure-drawing-forshortening/63795/4 "2004-09-10T01:42:12Z")

</div>

start by using primitives like cylinders then also you need to know what type of perspective (2 point…). I always draw perspective lines when drawing scenes.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2004, 2:54am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/figure-drawing-forshortening/63795/5 "2004-09-10T02:54:04Z")

</div>

yah thats true art is more practice than anything, thank you for your imput everyone.