W-Sit, Hands on HeadPose Reference
Camera angles
W-Sit, Hands on Head keeps the folded W legs low and wide while the torso sits tall, fingers laced behind the skull and both elbows pointing out.
Tags: sittingfigure drawingfull bodyw sittinghands behind head
How to draw the W-Sit, Hands on Head pose
three-quarter view 
side view 
back view 
high-angle view
Picture two wide shapes joined by a narrow waist. At the bottom the shins spread out to the sides from a seat planted between the feet; at the top the elbows spread just as far, framing the head. The spine in between lengthens with a slight arch, so the chest opens and the shoulders draw back. Because the arms are up and the hands hold only the weight of the head, the balance depends on that broad base of shins, which is stable enough to carry the upright stretch without any wobble.
Every view tells you something different about the arms. Seen from the front they make a symmetrical frame around the head, with the forearms nearly vertical. The back view shows the interlaced fingers on the back of the wooden head and the shoulder blades squeezed toward the spine. Profile, from the figure's left, puts both elbows nearly edge on, so they appear as a single bent arm rising above the shoulder, and it is the best view of the gentle arch. From above, the wings of the elbows echo the wings of the shins below, a pleasing rhythm for a composition.
More on angles and common mistakes
When the elbows creep forward around the face, the open-chest feeling is lost. Hands resting on top of the head belong to a different pose; here they cup the back of it. Keep the back from rounding and keep the hips on the floor between the heels rather than perched on top of them.
The w sitting hands behind head pose fits a morning stretch on a bedroom floor, a contented break in a dance studio, or a laid-back character watching something unfold. It also works as a quiet, compliant pose in a dramatic scene. The mannequin has no imagined hair to tangle in the fingers. Edit this pose: twist the upper spine a little toward the right elbow and lean slightly to that side, turning the symmetrical stretch into a side bend.
Free to use (CC0). The pose images on this page are released under CC0 1.0 (public domain dedication). Use them for drawing practice, commercial illustration, reference sheets or AI image generation; no attribution is required. A credit to PoseMaker is appreciated but optional.
W-Sit, Hands on Head pose prompt
Copy a prompt for your AI image generator. Pair it with the OpenPose skeleton in ControlNet so the generated character matches this exact pose.
General prompt
A person sits in a W position with the knees together in front and the shins folded out to the sides. The back is tall with a slight arch, both hands clasped behind the head and the elbows opened wide, chest lifted, gaze forward. Plain background.
Midjourney
full body person w-sitting on floor, knees together, shins folded out to the sides, tall arched back, hands clasped behind head, elbows wide, open chest, gaze forward, relaxed stretch, plain background --ar 2:3 --style raw
Stable Diffusion
1person, full body, w sitting, sitting on floor, hands behind head, interlocked fingers, elbows out, arms up, arched back, chest out, upright posture, knees together, legs folded outward, front view, plain background
Negative prompt
elbows forward, hands on top of head, rounded back, sitting on heels, knees apart, cross-legged, hands on knees, leaning forward, standing, extra arms, extra fingers, fused hands, bad anatomy, cropped feet
OpenPose skeleton for ControlNet
Load the PNG into a ControlNet OpenPose unit (preprocessor: none), or import the JSON into an OpenPose editor.
Have a photo of the pose you want?
Upload it to Photo to Pose. We detect the pose in your browser and put it on the mannequin, ready to adjust.