Sketching Posture

I was traveling recently and again found myself with a 2 hour layover so of course it's the perfect opportunity to pull out the ol' sketchbook and start observing people. One thing I looked for were particular postures that conveyed a personality. On the left here is a woman who needed to move past someone but as you can see she was a little hesitant for fear of how the stressed out traveler in front of her might react. I particularly liked her femininity and how she coyly asked to be excused. It's also interesting to see what many people choose to wear as they are traveling. This woman wanted to be comfortable but also wanted to accentuate her feminine attributes. Notice the slight off balance and how that helps with the attitude. Had she placed more weight on her right foot it would have given her a more aggressive attitude and lost her soft gentile manner. Even the turned in toes help.
Next there is another woman who is a little more assertive. She was standing at the ticket counter at the gate and having to get something taken care of. The legs together, leaning forward and being on her tippy toes all give a strong message about her attitude. What I like about this one is she comes across as being completely in control. You can almost see her pointing out what needs to be fixed to the airline agent. The posture has an, "I know there is something that can be done" feeling to it. I also get the notion that this woman has traveled regularly and knows the ropes. She also is dressed entirely for comfort and not for show. It's very interesting to see how different people handle similar situations. If the woman in the first sketch had been in the same situation her posture would be completely different.
UPDATE:If you haven't already visited my website go take a look at the latest updates. There is the 2008 sample reel on there now complete with a shot list. Also there are backgrounds added to the still art portfolio. Check it out at www.rustymillsanimation.com.