Full-body or half-body? Half-body or bust?
Do you go for the most detailed one? The simplest one?
What, exactly, is each drawing good for?
This is a short gift guide to choosing among the 3 main types of commissions so you know how to make the most out of each format according to your needs!
I. Bust Drawing
Semi-stylized anime group portrait. Do not reupload.
Bust drawings tend to include a character’s head, neck, and shoulders.
Some artists exclude the shoulders while keeping the neck and clavicle area; other artists include the upper chest.
If it only includes the head, artists may also refer to them as icons or headshots.
Bust drawings focus on the character’s face, head, and hair. This is a good way to present their facial features, expression, or even their personality.
Given this, bust drawings are good gifts for:
- new friends,
- online friends,
- penpals,
- colleagues.
If you don’t know that much about your new friend yet but feel that you’ve clicked with them, a bust drawing is a good gift to get them. As long as know what they look like, a bust drawing will instantly feel personal!
Don’t know what they look like?
This works for their online avatars, too. If they are an online friend or you met in an online game, you can commission an artist to draw your online friend as their avatar or chosen character in the game you play together.
II. Full-Body Drawing
Full-body drawings are exactly that: drawings that feature a character from head to toe. (Or in the case of anthropomorphic characters that have no feet, head to tail?)
Full-body drawings cover the entire physicality of a character.
A full-body drawing can capture so many things: a character’s full outfit or form, their relationship to another character, or even action!
Running, tripping, kicking–full-body drawings can showcase all these.
Given this, bust drawings are good gifts for:
- fashion enthusiasts,
- dancers,
- sports enthusiasts,
- athletes,
- martial artists,
- action movie fanatics,
- fantasy genre fanatics.
In addition, full-body drawings give an artist more freedom to use poses.
Poses are a great way to show not only a character’s personality, but also their relationship with another character. Given this, bust drawings are also good gifts for friends who share common interests with you.
III. Half-Body Drawing
Semi-stylized, semi-realistic portrait. Only re-upload with proper credit, for non-commercial use.
Half-body drawings usually feature the character’s head all the way down to their waist.
For some artists, half-body drawings go all the way down to the character’s hips.
Half-body drawings are up close to a character enough to show their face while also giving us an idea of what they’re wearing and doing.
You could say that half-body drawings are the best of both worlds.
Given this, half-body drawings are good gifts for:
- close friends,
- family,
- significant others,
- long-time colleagues,
- anyone you’ve known for a while.
If you’re in your senior year or taking your exams, a half-body drawing that visualizes who your friend aspires to be might give them the inspiration to face life’s challenges.
For example?
In terms of work, your friend could be in the uniform of a chef, doctor, lawyer, news anchor, architect, or whatever they aim to be.
If your chosen artist draws inanimate objects as well, props such as beakers, typewriters, guitars, and mannequins can further clarify what your friend is doing in the drawing.
And since half-body drawings still show faces up close, don’t forget to ask the artist early on to give your friend a certain facial expression in the drawing: laughter, maybe? Relief? Determination? Whatever it is, it’s something half-body drawings can convey.
I love you, friend!
It’s not always easy to say that.
Or maybe it is, but you’re looking for a different way to express it.
Whichever the case may be, commissioned drawings give you choices on how to express your appreciation to someone. The question is, which type of commissioned drawing?
- Bust drawing- Focuses on facial features. It’s a sure and easy way to make a gift feel personal, even for new friends and online friends!
- Full-body drawing– Presents a character’s entire physical form. Let a dynamic pose exude personality and convey friendship between characters!
- Half-body drawing– Best of both worlds; still shows face clearly while showing what the character is wearing and doing. Literally show someone you care for and believe in them!
If you’ve enjoyed this guide to the 3 types of commissioned drawings, comment below which type you’d like to get for a friend and which type you’d like to receive yourself; here’s a quick summary.
Happy commissioning!
Sample art by GabTheirArtIsTheirArt.
Gift and confetti by Canva Layouts, shape vectors by Twemoji.
Gab Their Art Is Their Art 