One of the things I am frequently complimented on is how I am able to draw MLP ponies in so many different poses and doing such dynamic motions.

Key to this success is the fact that I focus heavily on the underlying skeleton and joints of the character. It this skeleton and it’s accompanying joints that define and constrain the range of movement a character will have. Also it acts as the anchor points for all of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments on the body. Once you understand this framework it becomes much easier to visualize the characters in whole range of movements and poses.

These are some quick notes I did a couple of months ago to help an artist who was striving to improve their work. Maybe they’ll help someone else as well.

Edit. The original photo was taken with my phone under less than optimal conditions. I have gone into Photoshop and have adjusted the brightness and contrast to hopefully make it easier to look at.