Toe-heel Combinations | Knee-bend Combinations | Leg and Foot Variations | Legs in Sitting Positions | Proportions of Legs | Combining Knee Angles | Leg Angles | The Model Rotates | The Camera Shifts | Legs Kneeling or Crouching | Ideas for Unusual Leg Positions | Formal Leg Patterns | Informal Patterns | Legs Express Character and Mood | Legs Indicate Tension

 

 

many variations in standing positions. Effective and individual stances are derived by combining their flexible parts in inge­nious ways. Leg-span... is a variable too often forgotten, for any leg position, once established, may be made to appear entirely different when the degree of separation between the legs is increased or decreased. Changing the size of the floor-clock (upon which the model takes position), changes the outline of the stance and its attitude. For instance, a small floor-clock might be appropriate for a majestic lady, while a carefree youngster might project her outgoing personality by leg positions executed on a large floor-clock.

30" FLOOR-CLOCK

40" FLOOR-CLOCK

TOE-HEEL COMBINATIONS provide natural as well as expressive sour­ces for foot variation. BOTH FEET FLAT ON CLOCK BOTH FEET UP ON TOES. (one on ball one on tip) ONE FOOT FLAT ON CLOCK ONE FOOT ON HEEL ONE FOOT FLAT ON CLOCK ONE FOOT UP ON TOE (ball) ONE FOOT FLAT ON CLOCK ONE FOOT UP ON TOE (tip) ONE FOOT FLAT ON CLOCK ONE FOOT rocked out

KNEE-BEND COMBINATIONS

can also lend variety to standing leg-po­sitions on your floor-clock.

Think of all the ways the bend in the knee can change the appearance of an otherwise ordinary leg position. (The knee, or knees, may be bent at greater or less degree than illustrated here.)

NOTE:

The amount of knee-bend revealed in the finished picture is dependent, not only upon the knee"s physical action, but also upon the position of the camera when the picture is taken.

When all else must remain constant, (foot, hip and camera position) the bent knee itself can still change the appearance further by leaning toward or swinging away from the camera.

LEG AND FOOT VARIATIONS

such as floor-clock-stops, leg-span, toe-heel placement and knee bend... when explored to their fullest, or used in combinations with each other, reveal the leg's potential for an infinite number of positions.

In assuming or directing leg positions, you will notice that, whether the show-foot touches the floor or not, the numbers on the imaginary floor-clock can identify the direction the toe is pointing.

SHOW-KNEE   BENT ONE   FOOT   FLAT, ON   CLOCK ONE   FOOT   ON   TOE LEG-SPAN..   MEDIUM BASIC-FOOT   AT   3

BASIC-KNEE   BENT ONE   FOOT   FLAT   ON CLOCK ONE   "ROCKED   IN" (ON   TOE) LEG-SPAN..   MEDIUM BASIC-FOOT   AT   5

BOTH   KNEES   BENT BOTH   FEET   ON   TOES LEG-SPAN.   MEDIUM BASIC-FOOT   AT   4

A twist of the hips . . .

after the leg position has been established, can reapportion the body's weight and bal­ance. The hips can twist in either direction to make slight or radical changes in the appearance of the whole body.

LEGS IN SITTING POSITIONS lay a completely different role in pictures than legs in standing positions. No longer needed to support the body's weight, they can now be used for design, compositional arrangement and expression; they may either compete or co-operate with the arms. In their new role they present an interesting challenge to both the model and the director. In the pictures you have taken, observed or analyzed, you have no doubt noticed that generally one leg (the leg nearest the camera) appears to be more important than the other. 'First come ... first observed' is the law of legs in pictures and should guide direc­tors and models posing them. The most important leg is the primary leg, while the leg further from the camera, and of less importance, becomes the sec­ondary leg. For easy identification of legs in sitting positions, we have illustrated the primary leg as light and the secondary leg as dark. The secondary leg creates a background for the primary leg and usually adjusts it­self to the scheme of things as an effective blend or counterpart. When legs are equidistant from the cam­era and in exactly the same position they should be arranged with equal care. Distortion of flesh...

in sitting or reclining positions becomes evident at the calf or thigh when too much pressure is applied. The disfigurement of the calf (be sure to watch for it) is easily eliminated, while thigh distortion requires a redistribution of body weight.

PROPORTIONS OF LEGS must be considered when the legs are re­leased from the duty of supporting the body's weight in sitting (or reclining) po­sitions. Their new freedom creates problems in perspective (through point of view) ordi­narily never considered when the body is standing upon them. When the legs are as free as the arms, they too may extend too far toward or too far away from the cam­era, straying into danger zones that play havoc with their proportions. If the glass sandwich that restricted the movement of the arms can now be used to encompass the whole body and especially to restrict the movement of the legs, your problems in arranging them for sitting and reclining positions become negligible. Legs are not concealed by clothing... in sitting (and reclining figures) because their covering is generally pliant and re­veals the mass that lies beneath. Whether drapery accentuates the con­tour of the leg by folding around it or ac­centuates its position by radiating from the angle of the knee makes no difference; the viewer is still conscious of their proportions. The outline and form revealed suggest the entire position and make the correct ar­rangement of leg angles very pertinent to the success of the picture as a whole.

Model and director...

'Keep your eye on the angles... as well as the curves /'

COMBINING KNEE ANGELS

is one way of bringing variety into the leg positions of sitting and reclining figures. An immediate mental image of what the (combined primary and secondary leg) knee angles look like (on the finished pic­ture's flat surface) can be an invaluable aid in planning positions.

Remember,  these  angles  result from:

Model's leg-position and

(The actual angles the legs form individually and in combination.)

Camera’s Viewpoint

(Every angle not in profile to the camera is subject to perspective alteration in some degree.)

POSITION  A

LEG ANGLES

can evolve into leg positions by progressing logically from one angle to the next. Watch the primary knee unfold from its high pos­ition in illustration A to the low level in position B and then contract in position C.

The secondary leg unfolded only at the hip to put the leg in position C.

Three very different leg positions ori­ginate from these simple movements and if you diagram each knee angle, you will find only two changes in the primary knee (none in the secondary knee).

Can you visualize

...the change that would take place in the leg positions illustrated on this page if:
... the knee angle of each primary leg was in­creased? - decreased?
... the hip-tracks were turned toward the camera? - away from the camera?
... the knees leaned toward or away from the camera?

FRONT VIEW                    POSITION A                       BACK VIEW

THE MODEL ROTATES

and interesting changes take place even though the actual angles of her legs remain the same as they were in positions A, B and C of the preceding page.

Were you able to visualize this front and back view of position A as the model ro­tated her knees toward the camera or away from it? Did positions B and C rotate prop­erly in your mind?

Can you now visualize

... the changes that would take place in po­sitions A, B and C on the preceding page if:
... the camera were moved to a higher or lower position?
... the camera were shifted to the extreme right? ... the camera were shifted to the extreme left?

BACK VIEW
POSITION C FRONT VIEW

THE CAMERA SHIFTS

and more variation is noted. In position B, notice how the appearance of the legs changes when the camera shifts either to the extreme right of the model, or to her extreme left.

	CAMERA SHIFTS TO RIGHT OF POSITION B
CAMERA   SHIFTS  TO LEFT  OF   POSITION   B

You, the director

... vary legs in sitting and reclining posi­tions by command of both your model and your equipment. Your ability to visualize and anticipate the results of all major and minor changes is of paramount importance. It is you who must decide which... [Chapter Incomplete]

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