Your Friend: The Rice Bag (or Flour Sack )

The model of the flour sack, or the rice bag is nothing new at all in the west, but I thought it deserves some review for our friends in Japan.

The torso which makes up two of the largest masses of the body, determines the weight of the body.

There are many models to help simplify these masses in drawing:  the bean, the box forms and in animation, “the flour sack” or the “rice bag.” 

The rice bag functions just as well as the box form or the bean shape to simplify the torso as a 3-dimentional form but it also:

1)   Makes weight clear

2)   Shows forces acting on the body

3)   Shows Emotion!!

Master the Rice Bag and use it as a model to show feelings.  Where energy is  heavy, the form will squash.   Where energy is pulling the form will stretch.

To help yourself visualize:  How would you show emotion if you didn’t have any arms or legs??