Arms Up, Legs CrossedPose Reference

Raised arms carry the eye upward before the crossed lower legs bring it back toward the center. The elbows remain slightly flexible rather than becoming two perfectly rigid poles. Both shoulders participate in the reach, but the pelvis still drifts sideways above the crossing knees. This combination matters: a vertically extended torso does not require a symmetrical lower body. Observe how the narrow opening between the arms echoes, without exactly matching, the smaller spaces around the shins. Those repeated shapes help organize a long figure on a portrait page.

Block in the rib cage before deciding how much of the neck remains visible between the elevated shoulders. Place each elbow between its own shoulder and wrist, even if one arm overlaps the other from your chosen viewpoint. The front angle explains the leg crossing; either profile makes the reach easier to judge against the forehead and chest. A rear angle can reveal uneven shoulder heights hidden by the head. The reference is a wooden rig, so the hands approximate an overhead meeting rather than promising an exact interlocked finger arrangement. Draw fine hand anatomy separately if your finished character needs it.