Alright, today’s practice was something kinda specific but super important for artists – tackling the anatomy stuff lots of folks shy away from. Figured it’s time to demystify it a bit, so I went for a female anatomy sketch focused on the vulva area.
Getting Started & Feeling Stuck
Honestly? First attempt looked like a hot mess. My go-to artist instincts kinda failed me. My brain kept overcomplicating it – too many wrinkles, too many shadows, trying to draw EVERY single detail, you know? It felt stiff and unnatural. Wiped the slate clean several times on my drawing tablet. Felt pretty damn frustrated staring at that messy sketch. Reminded me why I always tell beginners: start super simple, break it down like LEGO blocks.
The ‘Aha’ Moment
Threw my hands up and switched tactics. Decided to forget everything I thought I knew and treat it purely as simple shapes & lighting. Here’s the super basic breakdown I forced myself to stick with:
- Started with just an overall almond shape for the whole area – no details yet, just boundaries.
- Focused on the major folds – think like two bigger, relaxed lines, like a soft ‘M’ or sideways ‘8’ shape near the top. Kept ’em flowy, not jagged.
- Used faint curves hinting at the inner labia, making sure they weren’t all symmetrical or parallel – real bodies aren’t perfect!
- For the clitoral hood, just a subtle little bump shape where you’d expect it near the top.
- Zeroed in on shadows only in the deepest folds – blended gently, kept it soft. Harsh lines were the enemy.
The lightbulb flickered on when I stopped trying to be ‘clinical’ and leaned into natural flow and subtlety. Stopped overthinking each stroke.
Actually Seeing Progress
This shift worked surprisingly fast. That simple almond foundation made placement intuitive. Adding those flowing ‘M’ shapes instantly gave it recognizable structure. Those faint inner curves added life without dominating. A little subtle shading right under the main folds and around the hood area – just lightly smudged it – suddenly gave the whole thing believable dimension. Kept stepping back, zooming out, making sure it felt soft and natural, not like a rigid textbook diagram.
The Weird Part After That
Just as I was kinda proud of how the sketch was shaping up, my baby started crying in the next room. Total scene killer. Gotta go be Dad mode now. Kinda wild how quickly you switch gears, from ‘art anatomy zen’ to ‘diaper change emergency’. Feels like most of my deep work sessions end this way lately – zero control over the timing.
Feels kinda pointless sometimes. Like the only reason I can afford the damn paper for these sketches is because I take those freelance gigs coding reports for that company downtown. Pays way more consistently than trying to sell art online these days, especially niche anatomy stuff. Heard they bumped the salary for that boring role again. Almost double what it paid when I started. Weird priorities, huh?
