Another thing that helps me is using solid shapes (circles, ovals, etc... some people use boxes) to make guidelines for the body. I feel it makes it easier for overlapping body parts to look right, and to do foreshortening. (Google foreshortening if you haven't read much about it.)

It's usually easier to think of interesting poses if you are illustrating a "situation" rather than just characters. The situation in this example: the character is searching for her sister and is jumping out of the water onto the rocks to look around and call out. It's the moment she's decelerating from upward-rightward movement.

Some more of the "logic" behind this example pose: The overall curve of her body, the swish of the hair & jewelry, and that the top of her head is cropped off contribute to the impression of upward or rightward motion. That the axis of her head-shoulders-chest is ALMOST centered but slightly to the right also gives a 'going to the right' feeling.

But the fact that her upper body is more vertical (head above shoulders) and she has an arm in front bracing her gives the impression of stopping. If she was leaning forward a little more, it might look like she was still going (taking flight?!)

Her face is the "focal point" of the pic. A lot of the lines in the pic sort of point there. On the left side there are a lot of diagonal lines going from lower left to upper right (hair, hair net, upper arm, "thigh") while lines on the right side of her are more often vertical or curve in the middle (belly, forearm, bewb, hair). That also gives the impression of movement stopping. The water too.

One more tip I got from Ursala Vernon (great artist): especially in regards to movement, it can help to think of things in the pic symbolically. For example, if I'd wanted her to look like she's still moving rightward, I wouldn't put those seagulls there. They feel like they are blocking the path, even though they are behind her.

Hope something here is helpful!!

wow...thats pretty cool...I'll see if I can do somthing like this next time<3 really amazing owo

maybe You can tell me what I can work on my art it would really help if you critic my art<3 you don't have to but it will help

Awesome tips! ;D

Thank you for this... I'm actually using this knowledge right now... 2 years later. I'm glad I came back to find this information. I'm taking Art seriously now... lol

Also I'm Lacarma. I changed my name...