How Not to Draw Feet

Because human feet concentrate a large number of curves into a small space, they have the potential to be every bit as attractive and expressive as their owner's face. However, I've seen so much anime/manga artwork of otherwise cute girls that were spoiled by poorly-drawn feet, that I felt compelled to create this web page to point out the most-common problems that I've encountered. I apologize in advance if I sound like a snob.

	little toe is way too long little toe's nail is way too big
	toe pads way too long big toe should be twice as wide as little toes
	gargoyle claw syndrome
	tips of toes should form an arc, not a straight line
	outside edge of foot is too high arched tips of toes should form an arc, not a straight line
	arch should not be pronounced on outside edge of foot
	tips of toes should be rounded, not pointed
	heel looks too bony arch should not be so pronounced on outside edge of foot an extra line was drawn that makes no sense big toe appears smaller than little toe
	toenails were drawn too large top of big toe should be straight, not bumpy
	heel should be rounded, not square what's with the 90-degree angle on the joint of the little toe?
	foot appears to have been crushed in a machine
	heel should be rounded, not square some toes appear to be double-jointed ball of foot should not be so pronounced
	arch drawn on wrong side
	impossible to distinguish little toe from big toe tips of toes should form an arc, not a straight line
	either gargoyle claw syndrome, or toenails are way too long (nails should NEVER extend past tips of toes, as they would make it difficult to wear socks, and they would constantly scratch against bedsheets)
	back of heel should be vertical with respect to the plane of the sole too thick at ball of foot even the little toe should not be that tiny
	balls of feet should not be this pronounced an extra line was drawn (extending back from little toe) that makes no sense
	little toe was drawn as extending farther out than big toe
	human's foot, or dog's paw? all toes should be straight and parallel, even when scrunched
	big toe was drawn too thin big toe should be constant height, not taper to a small tip
	balls of foot were drawn too prominently; never draw a line between them
	big toe was drawn too thin big toe should be constant height, not taper to a small tip character was drawn flat-footed (this is the right foot, but could pass as left foot)
	arch on outside edge of foot should not be that pronounced (if drawn at all)
	this foot should never be displayed in public
	real toes do not bend that way. was this a botched attempt at foot-binding?
	top of big toe should be straight, not bumpy or tapered nail of big toe was drawn too big (also crooked) joints of small toes drawn too angular instep was drawn perfectly!
	this foot appears bony; top surface should be smooth
	heel should be rounded, not square where's the arch? what's that line coming from the ankle? big toe should be thicker than other toes big toe should not be tapered toes should be parallel, not scrunched together
	toes should be curved at the joint, not angular toenails are too long
	girl's foot or dog's paw? toes should be straight and parallel, not look like they've been crammed in a pointed-toe shoe all their life
	these feet appear to have been crushed, and all the flesh got pushed into the toes
	the balls of the foot should not be that pronounced; that line down the center looks like a butt crack
	notice how the little toe extends farther than the big toe the arch on the outside edge of the left foot should not be this pronounced the arch on the right foot is drawn strangely
	big toes should be drawn thick, but not THAT thick!
	the heel should be more rounded than this the foot is arched too far inward along the outside edge
	these toes were drawn too short and stubby
	the curve on the outside edge of the foot is well-drawn, for once the big toe should be straight
	feet do not bend like this unless crushed or made of rubber these toes appear to have been caught in an escalator!
	the line between the balls of the foot should not be drawn the arch of the foot was drawn on the wrong side
	toes should not be drawn so thin
	heel was drawn too bony forefoot was drawn too thin
	feet do not bend like this unless crushed or made of rubber
	toes were drawn very long and thin
	gargoyle claw syndrome
	width-to-length ratio is way off
	bottom of heel should be rounded, not flat balls of feet should not be this pronounced
	forefoot too thin
	big toe should be twice as wide as little toes
	lines should not be drawn between the balls of the foot arch should be drawn
	second toe appears just as wide as big toe toenails are too long heel is too bony tip of little toe should be the same size as the other three small toes
	bottom of heel appears to be callused and flat line should not be drawn between balls of foot toenails are too long Morton's toe pads of little toes should be circular, not elliptical or pointed
	toes should be straight and parallel pads of four small toes should be the same size
	big toe should be twice as wide as small toes the curve that defines the outside edge of this foot is perfect! tips of toes should be rounded, not pointed or egg-shaped
	line should not be drawn between balls of the foot big toe is drawn way too long
	lines should not be drawn between balls of the foot, even on the stocking (fabric should be taut at that point) toes do not bend this way, looks like a botched attempt at foot-binding

Characteristics of what I would consider “perfect” feet:

• The toes should be straight and parallel.
• The four small toes should be equal in width and have circular (not elliptical) pads.
• The big toe should be twice as wide as a small toe.
• The big toe and second toe should be equal in length.
• The pads of the small toes should be “pudgy” enough that there are no gaps between them.
• The tips of the toes should form a perfect arc.
• The arch should barely be noticeable on the outside edge of the foot, and very noticeable on the inside edge.
• The heel should be rounded, not angular when viewed from the side.
• The back of the heel should be almost perpendicular to the plane of the sole.
• The toenails should not extend past the tips of the toes (otherwise they would scrape the bedsheets, scratch the romantic partner, and make it difficult to wear socks/stockings). Toenails are optional on the small toes, to limit the amount of detail shown.
• The toes should not be splayed (spread out) or scrunched (curled) when the person is in a supposedly relaxed posture.
• The top of the foot should be smooth, not bony.
• The balls of the foot should not be pronounced, nor should they have a line drawn between them.
• The soles should not be wrinkled, since that would be showing too much detail (leave it to the viewer's imagination).
• The big toe should have a constant thickness, not taper to a point.

I realize that not every character will have perfect feet, but little details make all the difference between cute and ugly.

I hope to add some examples of very-well-drawn feet in the near future.

This page is a work-in-progress.

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← because I'm OCD and proud of it!