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Draw a Side Plank Hip Dip Figure: Pose, Motion, and Alignment
Learn to draw a side plank hip dip with clear joint alignment, a motion arrow, and a check box for shoulder, hip, and ankle stacking.
Free lesson
Four exercises
Worked answers
Object Drawing Lessons
This guide teaches a drawing construction for a single side-plank hip-dip pose. Use a simple stick-and-shape convention: joints are small circles, limbs are straight or gently curved lines, and the torso is a rounded rectangle. In every coordinate task, the origin is the lower-left corner of the inside margin box; x increases right, y increases up, and the floor line is y=0. The hip dip is a short downward arrow with a dashed return path. All measurements are hypothetical.
Practice materials: Printable downloads are not available for this lesson yet. Use the instructions and four exercises below.
Set up the plate and choose a scale
Use a rectangular plate 18 cm wide by 12 cm tall with a 2 cm margin on every side. The usable inside box is 14 cm wide by 8 cm tall. Measure all coordinates from its lower-left corner; the floor line is the bottom of this inside box at y=0. Put the figure in the left two-thirds and reserve the right third for the motion arrow and an alignment checklist.
Choose a figure height that fits inside the 8 cm usable height. If the page is smaller, scale the inside box and all landmarks together. Keep every point within 0 ≤ x ≤ usable width and 0 ≤ y ≤ usable height; the margin box, not the paper edge, is the boundary for this check.
- Draw a light plate 18 cm by 12 cm and mark the 2 cm inside margin.
- Treat the lower-left corner of the inside box as (0,0); x runs right and y runs up.
- Use the inside box's bottom edge as the floor line y=0.
- Reserve the right third of the inside box for a 4 cm-wide alignment checklist.
Build the side plank pose from joints
Start with the supporting forearm on the floor. The elbow is directly under the shoulder. Draw the shoulder joint as a small circle, then the elbow circle below it, then the wrist circle forward along the floor. The upper arm is a straight line from shoulder to elbow; the forearm is a straight line from elbow to wrist.
Place top and bottom hip markers at the torso's lower end, with the top hip slightly higher but both at the same x coordinate. The bottom leg reaches the bottom ankle on the floor line; the top leg stacks with its ankle directly above the bottom ankle. The top arm reaches upward from the shoulder, with the hand above it.
- Draw the shoulder and elbow with the elbow directly below the shoulder.
- Draw the wrist forward on the floor line and connect the elbow to the wrist.
- Draw the torso from the shoulder to the paired top and bottom hip markers.
- Draw the bottom leg to its ankle, then stack the top ankle directly above it.
- Draw the raised top arm and a head oval clear of the arm.
Add the hip-dip motion arrow and alignment check box
The hip dip is a small downward movement of the hip toward the floor, then a return to the stacked position. Draw a short solid arrow from the hip joint pointing down about 1 cm (hypothetical example). Draw a dashed arrow from the dipped position back up to the starting hip position. Label the solid arrow 'dip' and the dashed arrow 'return'.
In the right third of the inside box, draw a checklist about 4 cm wide and 4 cm tall. Include four tick boxes: shoulder over elbow, top hip over bottom hip, top ankle over bottom ankle, and motion arrow points down from hip. These are drawing-alignment checks, not a clinical assessment.
- Draw a solid downward arrow from the hip joint, about 1 cm long.
- Draw a dashed upward arrow from the arrow tip back to the hip joint.
- Label the solid arrow 'dip' and the dashed arrow 'return'.
- Draw a 4 cm by 4 cm checklist in the right third of the inside box.
- Write the four check lines with small tick boxes beside each.
Refine line quality and label the figure
Ink the joint circles first, then the limb lines, then the torso outline. Keep line weight consistent: about 0.5 mm for joints and 0.3 mm for limbs (hypothetical examples). Erase construction guides after inking. Add short labels with leader lines: 'shoulder', 'elbow', 'hip', 'ankle', 'dip', 'return'. Place labels outside the figure so they do not cross the joints.
Check that the top arm does not overlap the head oval and that the motion arrow does not cross the torso outline. If a label crowds the figure, move it to the margin and use a longer leader line. The check box should remain readable at arm's length.
- Ink joint circles with a slightly heavier line than limbs.
- Ink limb lines and torso outline, then erase pencil guides.
- Add labels with leader lines outside the figure.
- Verify that labels and arrows do not cross joint circles.
Worked example
On an 18 cm by 12 cm plate with a 2 cm margin, use local coordinates from the lower-left corner of the inside box and floor line y=0. Place shoulder (5,5), elbow (5,2), wrist (8,0), top hip (8,4), bottom hip (8,3.5), bottom ankle (12,0), top ankle (12,1), and top hand (5,8). Draw a 1 cm downward dip arrow from the top hip and state the alignment checks.
Worked answer
The usable inside box is 14 cm by 8 cm. Plot the shoulder (5,5), elbow (5,2), wrist (8,0), top hip (8,4), bottom hip (8,3.5), bottom ankle (12,0), top ankle (12,1), and top hand (5,8). The shoulder and elbow share x=5; the top and bottom hip share x=8; the ankles share x=12. The wrist and bottom ankle sit on floor y=0. The dip arrow runs from (8,4) to (8,3), pointing down. Every point stays within 0≤x≤14 and 0≤y≤8, so the 2 cm plate margins are preserved.
Why: Using a local origin at the inside margin box makes page-edge margins explicit. Vertical stacking is checked by matching x coordinates, while ground contact is checked at y=0.
Check: Confirm all x values are between 0 and 14 and y values between 0 and 8. Check x-shares: shoulder/elbow 5, hip pair 8, ankle pair 12. Confirm wrist and bottom ankle are at y=0 and the arrow decreases y by 1.
Four practice exercises
Exercise 1
On a 16 cm by 10 cm plate with a 1.5 cm margin, use coordinates local to the inside box and floor line y=0. Place shoulder (5,4), elbow (5,1), wrist (8,0), top hip (9,3), bottom hip (9,2.5), bottom ankle (12,0), top ankle (12,1), and top hand (5,7). State the usable box size and check alignment and margins.
Show answer and check
The usable box is 13 cm by 7 cm. All points fit within 0≤x≤13 and 0≤y≤7. Shoulder and elbow share x=5; the hip pair shares x=9; the ankle pair shares x=12. Wrist and bottom ankle are on y=0; top hand is at the inner top boundary y=7.
Why: Subtract the two 1.5 cm margins from each plate dimension to get the inside box. Local coordinates can then be checked against its width and height without switching origins.
Check: Calculate 16−3=13 and 10−3=7. Check every point against x=0..13 and y=0..7. Confirm the three vertical pairs share x and the two ground contacts use y=0.
Exercise 2
A student draws the elbow 2 cm behind the shoulder and the top ankle 2 cm in front of the bottom ankle. Add a top and bottom hip marker at the same x coordinate. Describe three fixes that restore all three alignment checks without changing the overall pose.
Show answer and check
Move the elbow horizontally until it is directly under the shoulder, move the top ankle horizontally until it is directly above the bottom ankle, and place the top and bottom hip markers at the same x coordinate. Keep their vertical separations and the rest of the pose unchanged.
Why: Each check is a vertical-stacking relationship in the drawing. Correcting only the horizontal positions restores alignment without changing the pose's overall size.
Check: Drop a vertical guide from the shoulder and confirm it passes through the elbow; repeat from the top hip and top ankle to their paired lower markers.
Exercise 3
A 20 cm by 14 cm plate has a 2 cm margin. The figure occupies 12 cm of the 16 cm usable width. Design a checklist box that fits in the remaining space with at least 0.5 cm clearance. List four checks.
Show answer and check
The usable width is 16 cm; after the 12 cm figure area, 4 cm remains. A 3.5 cm-wide, 5 cm-tall checklist fits with 0.5 cm horizontal clearance. Its four lines can be shoulder over elbow, top hip over bottom hip, top ankle over bottom ankle, and dip arrow points down.
Why: The two 2 cm margins leave 20−4=16 cm. Subtract the figure's 12 cm to get 4 cm; a 3.5 cm box leaves 0.5 cm.
Check: Verify 20−4−12=4 cm and 4−3.5=0.5 cm. Confirm all four checklist lines have a tick box.
Exercise 4
On a 20 cm by 14 cm plate with a 2 cm margin, use local coordinates from the inside box and floor y=0. Mirror the pose leftward: shoulder (10,6), elbow 3 cm below it, wrist 4 cm left of the elbow on the floor, top hip 6 cm left and 1 cm below the shoulder, bottom hip 0.5 cm below the top hip at the same x, bottom ankle 6 cm left of the top hip on the floor, top ankle 1 cm above it, and top hand 4 cm above the shoulder. Shift the whole pose only as much as needed to fit the inside box, then report all coordinates.
Show answer and check
The usable box is 16 cm by 10 cm. Before shifting, the bottom ankle is at x=−2, so shift every point right by 2 cm. Final coordinates are shoulder (12,6), elbow (12,3), wrist (8,0), top hip (6,5), bottom hip (6,4.5), bottom ankle (0,0), top ankle (0,1), and top hand (12,10). Every point lies within 0≤x≤16 and 0≤y≤10. The dip arrow still points down from the top hip.
Why: The unshifted bottom ankle is 2 cm left of the inside box. A 2 cm right shift moves it to x=0 and moves every other point by the same amount without changing alignment. The top hand reaches y=10, exactly the inside top boundary; floor contacts remain y=0.
Check: Calculate the usable box as 20−4=16 cm wide and 14−4=10 cm tall. Confirm all x values are 0..16 and y values 0..10. Check shoulder/elbow x=12, hip-pair x=6, ankle-pair x=0, and the floor contacts at y=0.
Common mistakes
- Placing the elbow behind the shoulder instead of directly under it. Drop a vertical guide from the shoulder circle and place the elbow circle on that line.
- Drawing the top leg in front of the bottom leg instead of stacked above it. Draw both legs from the same hip joint and keep the top ankle directly above the bottom ankle.
- Making the hip-dip arrow point sideways or upward. The dip arrow must point downward toward the floor; the return arrow is dashed and points back up to the hip.
- Letting the top arm cross the head oval. Angle the top arm slightly forward or backward so the hand clears the head; keep the shoulder-to-hand line straight.
Self-check rubric
- The plate size, margin, local origin, and floor line y=0 are stated and used consistently.
- The elbow is directly under the shoulder within about 0.5 cm on the plate.
- The top hip is directly over the bottom hip within about 0.5 cm.
- The top ankle is directly over the bottom ankle within about 0.5 cm.
- A solid downward arrow shows the hip dip, and a dashed upward arrow shows the return.
- A joint-alignment check box lists at least three checks with tick boxes.
- Labels are readable and do not cross joint circles.
- The drawing stays inside the margin and uses consistent line weights.
Questions and answers
Can I draw the figure facing the other direction?
Yes. Mirror the whole pose left to right. The alignment rules still apply: shoulder over elbow, top hip over bottom hip, top ankle over bottom ankle, and the dip arrow points down.
How long should the motion arrow be?
About 1 cm is a hypothetical example. The arrow should be long enough to read clearly but short enough that it does not touch the floor line. Measure your own plate and adjust.
Do I need to draw the floor line?
Measure coordinates from the lower-left corner of the inside margin box, not from the paper edge. Then check x and y against the usable width and height.
What if my joints are not perfect circles?
Small ovals or dots are acceptable if they clearly mark the joint. The rubric checks alignment and readability, not perfect circles.