Overhead Sword Strike 姿势参考

Anticipation is the subject of this picture. The figure is not cutting yet; it is coiled at the furthest point back, a beat before a downward slash. Both hands meet on the hilt of a sword that is not in the image, raised above and slightly behind the head, with the elbows lifted high and wide. The chest arches and the ribcage opens, stretching the front of the body like a drawn bow. Below, the left foot has stepped forward into a lunge, knee bent over the ankle, while the right leg reaches back long and strong, driving into the floor.

Sketch the direction of the blade before the arms. If the imagined sword points back and down behind the shoulders, the hands have to sit behind the crown of the head, which forces the elbows up and the shoulder blades together. Seen in profile, figure facing left, you can follow the arch from front knee to hands and judge the length of the stance. The front view is trickier: the raised arms frame the head and the lunge foreshortens, so keep the elbows wider than the shoulders. The back view shows the pinched shoulder blades and the straight line of the drive leg, and the low angle turns the whole thing into heroic key art.

Hands in front of the face mean there is no wind-up, and the coming strike will look weak. A narrow stance makes the swordsman topple, so spread the feet along the line of attack. A soft, bent back leg drains power; keep it nearly straight.

Fantasy battles, samurai duels, kendo practice, a knight facing a dragon or the first panel of a two-panel attack all start from this coil. Draw the sword long enough to clear the back of the head. In the editor, rotate the torso slightly away and drop the right shoulder to set up a diagonal cut instead of a straight vertical one.