COMIC ART CORRECTIONS: Boob Fuckery: Not In the Good Way!

comicartcorrections:

They’re a mainly anime/manga phenomenon, but they’re sneaking into Western Comics with the image below, sent to me by zackcandraw from tumblr:

Now, this is particulary disappointing because the anatomy on this character is otherwise absolutely sterling.  It’s lovely. The arms are solid and muscular, the legs, though slender, are believable.

BUT THOSE BOOBS, YO.  THOSE BOOBS.

This strays into “Painted On Suit” territory (which I am going to tackle at some point on this blog) but also into “Boobs Don’t Work That Way” territory, named after the brilliant blog of the same name. (I love you, BDWTW, call me). Let me break down the workings of breasts for the breastless artists among us that seem to keep getting it wrong:

HOW BOOBS WORK:

Boobs are a roughly hemispherical pad of fat and gland mass that sits under the skin on top of the pectoral muscle on female humans.  I say “roughly” because the shape is highly variable.  Some are pointy.  Some are saggy.  Some have puffy nipples.  Some have giant nipples.  Some have tiiiiny nipples.  Some women don’t have nipples (surgery scars, etc).  Some have implants, hence a round, perky appearance.  They are still hemispherical, or there-abouts.  But they’re not just sitting, hemispherically on a flat surface.  They curve AROUND the ribcage at the same time.  There are fat deposits around the breast.  Fat can go under the arms, up the front of a woman’s decolletage, and in the armpit.

None of this is take into account with a lot of comic art.  I think their rule book on boobs are thus:

Now, the second thing I wanted to address with the image -the way the material of her uniform/outfit goes around her boobs.  Clearly people that draw things like that have never made a costume in their life.  No, the presence of the zip makes NO difference.  Ever zipped up a jacket/sweater/whatevs and it does that funny thing where it bulges out in a bump?  That’s because zippers are going to do THAT before obediently sticking to the body like glue.  Why?  Because their position is dictated by the lay of the fabric.  And fabric, unless tailored precisely to follow certain contours, does NOT sit in cracks or cleavages, not even if it’s skin-tight spandex.  IT JUST DOESN’T DO THAT.  Not even wet-look vinyl.  Not even lycra.  NONE OF IT.  And I know what I’m taking about, I’m a cosplayer and sewing enthusiast.  So this image above?  Wouldn’t happen like that.  Below is an image of how fabric usually sits on breasts:

Unless tailored in a particular way, clothes do not hug the cleavage.  I’m sorry, Comic Boys.  (Well, no I’m not - reality getting in the way of a good wank kinda makes me laugh).  Notice that the nipples aren’t visible?  In the image I’m correcting, the boobs look conical at the end, indicating nipple structure.  Nipples are soft and pliant (most of the time) and tend to be pushed in/hidden by firm material.  Material that a superhero might wear to protect their body would certainly be a firm, thick material.  It would hide the shape of the nipples.  If it didn’t, the bra the superheroine would be wearing certainly would.  Of course they would be wearing a bra.  Haven’t you seen marathon runners at the end of the marathon that haven’t got something to protect their nipples?  There is BLOOD.  So trust me - a woman wants a bra on during action and adventure.  Preferably something to reduce movement and profile (as boobs can get in the way).

Oh, but that’s not as fun as flapping, wobbling, be-pouched, gleaming spheres with minds of their own, is it?  Fuck no. *sigh*

So, the corrected image:

I was kind and let her keep her large breasts.  I added bumps on her abdomen to mark out her abs and pubis. I also added tension lines to the shirt, which tend to happen with bigger breasted women.  (I’m one of them, I speak from experience).

I also gave her more of a caboose (just slightly) and a touch more thigh fat in the inside of the leg.  It’s both sexy and realistic.

Finally, I reworked her mouth so it wasn’t such a blatant O-Face/Headjob Mouth expression.

Thanks for the great image, zackcandraw.