Hey Ryex, I'd probably say I'm also in the learning stage when it comes to drawing but I don't have the balls to open anything of mine up to criticism, so kudos to you!
Good luck with your drawing endeavors!
I'm wondering: are you aiming more for realism, or to convey 'femininity'? I know this may be obvious but sometimes you have to (ironically)
really exaggerate feminine features to draw a recognisable woman. Manga/anime is a prime example of this, and well most cartoon styles in general. Once you understand the underlying features that define the female body, you can probably tone them down later so that your drawings look more realistic and human.
Of course the perception of femininity depends on culture and maybe on you yourself, so you just have to ask yourself "what do I like in a woman?" (or something similar) and then build your picture up from that, with those features as your top priority.
For example, if you think of a good-looking woman as having a slim waist and big hips and big boobs, don't be afraid to really exaggerate her tiny waist, even if it's not anatomical. See how that looks to you and then gradually make it more realistic later.
I may be recontextualising, but to quote,
Quote from: Reygekan on February 09, 2011, 07:19:26 pm
Don't be afraid to start unnaturally thin and start fleshing them out later.
Something which I also found to help get proportions right was to first draw lines where the major parts are (e.g. a line going across the shoulders, a box where the hips should be, a circle for the skull, crosses for the elbows, etc.). And plan out the pose beforehand! This helps prevent the common "oh crap, I didn't leave room for the arm, let's just stick it behind the person's back" kinda occurence which I see (and have committed myself) quite often.
Also, a random tip: apparently the shoulders should be about 3 times the width of the face. Don't be afraid to make the woman's chest wide (it has to support her boobs) -- just slope the shoulders down (e.g. like a trapezium more than a square) to cancel out the masculine effect that makes. And the boobs should be in the same place as men's boobs, just the nipples hang lower and stick further out the front. Add them later - they shouldn't dictate the shape of the actual ribcage (the
real chest).
I hoped that helped and made some sense to you. I tried my best to be verbose, but I think I'm a bit muddled in the head lately so I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't get it. :S