Straight Punch Pose Reference

A straight right is thrown with the floor, not the arm. The right heel lifts and the foot pivots, the right hip turns toward the target, the shoulder follows, and only then does the arm snap out straight from the shoulder with the fist rotated palm-down. At full extension the right shoulder rises to cover the jaw from one side while the left fist stays high by the chin on the other. The chin tucks behind the lead left shoulder. The left foot stays in front, knee softly bent, catching the weight that rolls forward.

Arm-only punches are the most common problem: the hips stay square and the fighter looks like someone reaching for a shelf. Turn the belt line until it is nearly side-on. Dropped guards come second, usually because the artist forgets the non-punching hand exists. The third is overreach, where the head travels past the front knee; at that point the fighter is off balance and easy to counter.

The front view is a near-profile with the figure facing right, which shows one straight line from back heel through hip to fist. Use the side view to study how the extended arm foreshortens into a fist and a short tube when it points at the viewer, a favourite comic panel angle. The three-quarter view reveals the twist between hips and shoulders, and the back view, a profile from the other side, shows the raised heel. Boxing, MMA, street fights, kung fu scenes and fighting game key art all lean on this shot.

No gloves or hand wraps are on the mannequin, so add them as needed. For a combination, use the editor to bring the right fist back to the chin and extend the left arm instead, giving you the jab that usually comes before the cross.