MEN, WOMEN and CLOTHING
Body shape and clothes play an important role in portraying in a shorthand way the stereotypes of characters, eg by profession, (like a lawyer, teacher, baker, farmer etc) or ‘type’, ( surfer, conservative, bikie etc).
Observation is the best way to learn, preferably from life, but also from TV. Keep a felt nib & paper handy whilst watching TV and scribble down anything interesting you notice about clothing, expressions or body language.
Body shape examples
We’ll start with ‘uniforms’.
At this stage just use the simple ‘oval and T’ faces.
Make up a dozen of your own examples.
Now combine body types with ‘uniforms’, then make up characters using any clothing.
Now do the same with women.
Apart from the obvious differences in body shapes, the sexes walk, stand and sit differently. Again whilst watching TV note down the way women walk , stand and sit.
Some body shape examples. Make up some of your own.
Then add clothes as before. Take note of ‘accessories’, eg; make-up, handbags , glasses, sunglasses, shoe styles etc.