Hi there, Using reference is good, and you should definitely keep using it. The issue is your drawing lacks form. You’ve copied the reference by drawing the outline and that’s why it looks stiff. By reducing the human body to simple 3D forms it becomes easier to manipulate and change the pose to whatever we want. For the overdrawing, I’ve made the character look more relaxed than you probably want but to make the pose a bit more dynamic I turned them more side on and adjusted their arms so that they weren’t standing so straight. To make them appear like their guard is up remember there is an amazing reference you carry around with you at all times. Think about the emotion you’re trying to convey and act out that pose. Literally put your body into the pose you want to draw. So my advice is learn to draw simple forms. This will help you utilize references without being a slave to them. And act out the pose you want to draw. Hope that helps. | Artwod Feedback