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- Copy this one rhythm line and your poses will NEVER look boring again
Copy this one rhythm line and your poses will NEVER look boring again
Do this to prevent boring poses
Jae Johns
December 28, 2025
In partnership with
Hello friend!
Copy this one rhythm line and your poses will NEVER look boring again.
It’s called the S-curve rhythm line.
The S-curve is a long, smooth line that runs through the body—from the head, through the spine, and down to the feet. This line gives your pose flow, movement, and feeling.
Without it, poses look stiff and lifeless.
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Here’s how to use it:
• Start with one long S-shaped line. Draw it first, before details. This is the backbone of the pose.
• Let the body wrap around the line. Place the head, chest, hips, and legs along the curve.
• Bend the pose slightly. Even a standing character should lean or shift weight. Straight lines = boring poses.
• Push the curve. If it feels too much, it’s probably just right. Small curves often don’t show up at all.
• Keep it simple. You only need one strong rhythm line to guide the whole body.
Try this quick exercise:
Draw five stick figures using only one S-curve each. No details. Just flow. Notice how even simple poses start to feel alive.
If your poses feel stiff, don’t fix the arms or legs first.
Fix the rhythm line. Everything else will follow.
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If you enjoy the technique, that’s only a small tip of how you can transform your art. I go much deeper. I cover more about anatomy, perspective, foreshortening in my book below.
$10
68 Pages
Have a great day,
Jae