Understanding the line of action is one of the most important skills in figure drawing.
If you're new to the concept, you can read my full explanation in What is the Line of Action in Figure Drawing.
In this article, the focus is on visual examples.
Each pose below is paired with a simplified gesture line that shows the primary movement of the figure. The goal is not to trace the body, but to capture the overall flow and balance of the pose.
Studying examples like these can help train your eye to quickly recognize the gesture before worrying about anatomy or detail.
The line of action helps artists simplify the movement of the figure into a single directional gesture.
In the examples below, each pose reference is paired with a simple gesture line showing one way to interpret the movement of the pose.
There is rarely only one correct answer. The goal is to identify the clearest flow through the body.
Reference pose with a subtle line of action. The torso may appear mostly straight at first glance, but there is still a gentle shift in the body. The gesture follows this slight movement from the head, through the torso, and down into the supporting leg.
This pose suggests a long C-curve through the body, with compression on one side and stretch on the other. The line of action does not always have to follow the weight-bearing leg. In this case, the opposite leg created a more interesting rhythm, so the gesture follows that movement instead.
The movement in this pose is more upright, but there is still a clear directional sweep through the torso and hips. The line of action is kept simple, focusing on the overall movement rather than the smaller details of the pose.
This pose contains a lot of stored energy as the body compresses forward. Instead of a smooth curve, the line of action follows a zigzag rhythm through the torso and legs, almost like a compressed spring. This helps capture the tension and potential movement in the pose.
In this example, the non-weight-bearing leg created the most interesting movement in the pose. That was the first rhythm that stood out, so the line of action follows that direction instead of the supporting leg.
The body stretches into a long arc with clear directional force. The simplified line highlights that arc without getting distracted by limb detail.
The body bends forward creating a broad curve through the back and shoulders. The line of action follows this movement down into the legs, capturing the overall rhythm of the pose.
In this pose, I wanted to keep the head aligned with where the lifted foot would land. Thinking about that vertical relationship helps ensure the pose still feels balanced.
This gesture begins with a strong curve through the upper body before transitioning into a straighter finish through the leg. I will likely continue refining this line as I work on it. In a later pass, I would push the head slightly farther to the left, past the foot, to better reinforce the balance of the pose. Gesture drawings often evolve through small adjustments, and it is perfectly normal if the first pass is not exact.
This pose creates a strong C-curve through the torso before resolving into the legs. The line of action follows that continuous sweep, capturing the overall direction and compression of the body.
I was drawn to the way the hip pushes outward in this pose. I exaggerated that movement in the gesture line to remind myself not to stiffen the pose as I continue developing the drawing.
This pose creates a strong upward lift through the torso while remaining grounded through the legs. The line of action follows that lift and then resolves through the planted foot, helping unify the upward movement with the stability of the stance.
Even though there is no single correct line of action, this pass focuses on the sweeping movement through the center of the body. On another attempt, I might choose to follow the front leg instead, since it introduces an interesting change of direction that I did not notice at first.
The torso stretches upward while the legs anchor the figure to the ground. The line of action follows this rising movement and then resolves through the base of the pose.
In this example I indicated the position of the knee and foot to help describe the stance. However, it would also be perfectly valid to use a single sweeping C-curve from the head down to the foot to describe the overall movement of the pose.
A helpful exercise is to look for lines of action outside of drawing sessions.
You can try identifying gesture in:
Training your eye to see gesture everywhere will make it much easier to capture movement when drawing the figure.
For deeper breakdowns of the process, read Gesture First: Seeing the Figure Before Anatomy and How I Approach Figure Drawing Practice.