"consider your characters conditions"

November 18, 2013 3:19 PM

Let's Draw Abs!, a DeviantArt tutorial, by Coelasquid, of The Punchline Is Machismo (prev.)

How To Draw All Sorts Of Crap

posted by the man of twists and turns (16 comments total)

With this and the butts post from yesterday I think I've got all I need. Look for my gallery show next month.
posted by wabbittwax at 3:24 PM on November 18, 2013 [4 favorites]

Look for my gallery show next month.

Behold! Every conceivable permutation of abs and butts put on display! Butts with abs! Abs made of butts! See it today!
posted by Nomyte at 3:30 PM on November 18, 2013

But I thought this is how you draw abs?
posted by asperity at 3:32 PM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]

This was way more thoughtful and nuanced than I expected. I admit, I clicked through for beefcakes.
posted by chatongriffes at 3:42 PM on November 18, 2013

Oh man, this tutorial has been causing chaos on the various fitness forums and websites I read.
posted by jamesonandwater at 4:49 PM on November 18, 2013

Oh man, this tutorial has been causing chaos on the various fitness forums and websites I read.

You can't just say that and then not tell us more! Are they upset over the characterization of bodybuilders? Do they think it's inaccurate?

I actually found it pretty informative to see the difference between "sculpted" abs and "functional" abs.
posted by yasaman at 5:35 PM on November 18, 2013

The appearance of one's abdominal muscles is mostly down to body fat, for one thing. I guess there's some kind of aesthetic difference between "sculpted" and "functional", but this guy is giving an art tutorial, not an anatomy lesson.
posted by indubitable at 5:44 PM on November 18, 2013

I actually found it pretty informative to see the difference between "sculpted" abs and "functional" abs.

Yeah, me too. It's the kind of thing I've always sort-of known, but never explicitly thought about. The comparison between a body-builder and a strong-man is very informative, it puts the finger on why those kinds of guys generally look more powerful, even though you see less muscle.
posted by gkhan at 5:55 PM on November 18, 2013

Yeah the "all for show" versus "real strength" thing has been bending various people out of shape. A lot of bodybuilders lift very heavily. Here's the best example I can find right now. It keeps being posted without the context of it being a comic book tutorial though.
posted by jamesonandwater at 5:59 PM on November 18, 2013

But I thought this is how you draw abs?

This is how you draw abs.
posted by mhoye at 7:14 PM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]

Obliques pudge out over the pelvis if they're built up at all. This is not fat, it's muscle.

Aargh, thanks for the reminder. It was suck a buzzkill this summer when I was training for an Ironman that I still had saddlebags. Cold comfort now.
posted by psoas at 7:26 PM on November 18, 2013

No, this is how you draw abs.
posted by The Tensor at 8:20 PM on November 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

I clicked on the link expecting to be irritated (why did I do that?), but that was very informative. I've not really given men's abdominal muscles any thought since I bought that one issue of Men's Health (to discover that it wasn't really about men's health as such).
posted by Grangousier at 12:06 AM on November 19, 2013

This has been around for a long time. It's good for drawing, but full of inaccuracies as far as the other info goes. E.g.:

The "six" part comes when guys only work three of the four pairs. While an 8 pack is totally possible, it's rarer to see guys who have worked all four sets up to be bulgey and defined.

No, the appearance of the rectus abdominis muscle as a "four/six/eight pack" is the result of tendons that run over the surface of the muscle. The number of tendons is a result of genetics and has nothing to do with how much someone works them. If you're born with a "four pack," you will never have anything else.

Re bodybuilders vs. strongmen/powerlifters etc.: they all use steroids at high levels, the visual differences are mainly down to bodyfat level and partly training styles. Bodybuilders are strong, too.

There is no difference between "natural abs" and "manufactured abs." Doing "piles of crunches" is not a necessary condition for having a visible six-pack.

Bulk doesn't necessarily limit speed and flexibility. Look at professional football players or heavyweight Olympic weightlifters for instance. They're very big, extremely fast/explosive, and very flexible.
posted by ludwig_van at 6:50 AM on November 19, 2013 [1 favorite]

This is how you draw abs.

I'm not sure I did it right.
posted by Metroid Baby at 6:53 AM on November 19, 2013 [1 favorite]

Ah crap.

I thought you meant Abs. The one with the Tattoos.

I'm....sorry.
posted by mule98J at 9:38 AM on November 19, 2013