Figure Drawing for Artists

CHAPTER 8THE TORSO

Let’s talk gesture. Again.

Christ on the Cross, c. sixteenth century, Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564). Chalk on paper. Private collection/Bridgeman Images.

Contrapposto: Opposing Positions

When artists use the term “contrapposto,” it chiefly references the tilt of the shoulders against the opposing tilt of the hips. This is due to a shift in balance so one leg becomes the dominant support, letting the other leg relax. That hip, then, falls a bit with the relaxation, and the opposing shoulder rises in response.

The original idea of contrapposto was to bring a little asymmetry into the picture (or sculpture) to make the ...