Published November 29, 2025

Figuring It Out

Falling in love with figure drawing in Pakistan.

Content warning: This comic about figure drawing contains nudity.

“Figuring It Out” is a black and white comic, with screentones used to create gray tones. It is an autobiographic comic, so it follows the author through his young adulthood in Pakistan. It starts in an auditorium for an A Level Art exam (college art exam equivalent) in Islamabad, Pakistan. Panel 1 is a close up of art materials strewn across a drawing board. A knife sharpened pencil sits next to open tubes of acrylic paint. The caption reads: “The first time I encountered Figure Drawing was during my A Level Art Exam.” Panel 2 shows us the hall, full of kids on desks frantically drawing and painting as well as those in the corner situated on the floor with easels, paints and bags strewn across the carpets. The caption reads: “I was in an air conditioned hall full of kids from all across Islamabad. It was the last day of the exam…” It’s a chaotic moment, as a teacher stands over a kid, reviewing their work. Another kid looks on as the teacher asks: “What on Earth did you do to your painting?!!”. Panel 3 shows a POV of the kid (the author) looking horrified, as his teacher rubs his eyes in disappointment while his friends snickers behind him: “He butchered it!”. The caption reads: “...And I was screwed.”

Panel 1 shows the author holding his painting, looking defeated, surrounded by a crowd of kids running to submit their paintings. The caption says: “In retrospect, it was pretty arrogant of me to think I could have passed one of the hardest A level subjects on the back of a half baked gimmick. I had not prepared properly, but I had still worked harder for this than anything else before and I had come up laughably short. In that moment, I was certain that I wasn’t cut out to be an artist…” Panel 2 is a close up of the author’s eyes, aimed down and colored with sadness. “... And that I had wasted a year of my life in that pursuit.” Panel 3 shows an overhead shot of the author standing in front of his art materials and bag with his hands on his hips, while students around him discuss their exam. “I blurred my eyes as I handed in my final painting. I didn’t want to look at it and I sure as hell didn’t want to look at the other student’s work. I had been humbled enough for the day and I just wanted to go home.”

Panel 1 is a close up of the author picking up his materials from the ground and packing his bag. The caption says: “All that was left was to pack up my stuff and go back on that engineering path my family wanted me on.” Panel 2 is a low shot of the author reaching inside his bag, looking for something. “Where is the–?”. Panel 3 shows the author looking at a determined boy painting in the foreground, as the other kids are packing up. The author says “...Oh right.”. Panel 4 is an over the shoulder shot of the author approaching the boy as he’s painting. He asks the boy: “Hey man, can I have my blue acrylic back? I gotta go.” The boy turns around confused: “Huh?”.

Panel 1 shows the boy returning the paint tube as kids work frantically behind him, cracking under deadline pressure. With a blank look, he says: “Yeah, sure.”. The caption reads: “The guy hadn’t shown up on the first 2 days of the exam. He had walked in this morning in a daze, with only his paper and a few supplies. He had borrowed paints from a lot of the other students, myself included.” Panel 2 shows the boy rushing off in a hurry as the author reels in surprise at his exit. “Thanks…”. The caption reads: “The words had barely left my mouth and he was already on the run for cerulean blue.” Panel 3 shows the author looking guilty and downtrodden. The caption reads: “I felt bad for asking it back. It was the last hour of the exam, after all. But I really didn’t want to be in that hall much longer. And now, there was nothing keeping me there.” Panel 4 shows the author noticing something and it shocks him. The caption reads: “Until I saw what he was painting.”.

We see a large splash panel of a drawing board, surrounded by image references of a nude woman posing, a paper with paint washes on it and a bunch of pencils and brushes intermingled with paint tubes and a messy watercolor palette. On the drawing board, is a painting of a nude woman with her back turned to the viewer, surrounded by plants and corn crops with two wolves around her in front of a large, full moon. The caption reads: “This was the first time I had seen a painting of a nude figure in person.” Panel 2 is another close up of the author with his eyes wide, completely blown away. The caption reads: “The picture was pretty kitschy. It reminded me of an 80’s album cover. But this analysis happened way later. In that moment, there was only one thought coursing through my mind.”

A splash page of the author standing in front of the boy’s desk, looking at his painting. Awash with awe, he says: “Wait, you can do that here in Pakistan?” The caption reads: “Let me give some context.”

Panel 1 shows a Pakistani flag waving solitarily on a large steel pole. The caption says: “In general, practicing art in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is pretty weird. Drawing people and portraits carries a bit of notoriety. It is generally believed that only Allah can create humans and drawing them is challenging his sovereignty over creation.” Panel 2 shows a young girl who’s drawn a portrait of her father standing proudly with her drawing. The caption reads: “Despite this, a lot of artists still draw portraits when they start.” In panel 3, we zoom out to show her parents clapping, proud of her skill as the caption says: “Depending on your situation, you might get praised for your skills…” Panel 4 shows a huge silhouetted hand, holding prayer beads, forcefully pointing down as a crying girl is forced to tear her drawing apart. The caption reads: “...or heavily censured for your audacity.” Panel 5 shows a close up of a nude women’s chest, covering her breasts with a sheet of cloth, as the caption says: “And all of this is before we bring nudity into the discussion.”

A younger version of the author is lying on his bed and drawing in his sketchbook, turned away from the viewer with his headphones on. The captions reads: “I vividly remember as a kid, my parents wouldn’t buy me a CD of a wrestling event I really wanted. Not because of the violence or because someone was going to be buried alive in concrete in that event. It was because the cover had a woman in a swimsuit on it. Movies with kissing scenes were censored, magazines were taped up to cover anything seemingly risque and a healthy dose of religiously fueled shaming was always in rotation. So the message was clear, nudity and sexuality were the same. Both were taboo and never to be displayed or seen. I had internalized this well, so I never even thought drawing a nude figure was an option.” Panel 2 shows a very stiff drawing of a woman kicking a man as a pencil hovers over him. The caption says “This posed a problem for me.” Panel 3 shows the author slamming his head down on the sketchbook. The caption says: “My anatomy knowledge was purely theoretical and I had no idea how anything actually worked.” Pane 4 is a close up of the author, looking frustrated as the caption says: “Every artist I looked up to talked about life drawing and its benefits. But I had no access.”

Panel 1 is an overhead shot of the author lying in bed, his head in his arms. The caption reads: “I genuinely believed no one did that in Pakistan, and it felt impossible to imagine anyone drawing a naked person here.” Panel 2 is a silhouette of the author as lightning strikes through his brain at the image of the girl’s butt from the painting. The caption reads: “Which is why that painting was such a shock to my system.”. Panel 3 is a shot of the author looking determined as he clicks his mechanical pencil while holding up a new sketchbook. The caption reads: “After my finals were finished, I picked up my pencil and sketchbook again and started over.”

The author sits in front of his computer desk as he loads up a website for figure drawing. The caption reads: “I found a website online that allowed you to practice figure drawing. I waited until the hours when everyone in my house was either resting or asleep before I opened it up. I started up the session in class mode, set to half an hour.” Panel 2 shows an image of a nude woman with her arm raised, reclining on a cushion. The caption reads: “The first image loaded up.” Panel 3 shows the author, looking stunned and blushing. The caption reads: “It was a strange rush, crossing that threshold.” Panel 4 is a close up of the author’s paper, where he’s drawing a base drawing of the pose as the caption reads: “I was pretty excited to be drawing a naked lady.”. Panel 5 shows the author look up with a focused expression, with his tongue sticking out. The caption reads: “So excited in fact, I forgot to check the screen.”.

In panel 1, we see an image of a nude man sitting on drapery. The caption reads: “The picture had changed.” Panel 2 is a reaction shot of the author looking shocked and confused, saying: “Wha?!!”. Panel 3 shows another close up of the sketchbook page as the author tries to quickly draw the next pose. The caption reads: “I started to draw in a frenzy…” Panel 4 is a close-up of the author looking up quickly as the caption says: “...trying to get as much down as I can.” Panel 5 shows another image of nude man, leaning against a tree in a complex pose. The caption reads: “The picture had changed again.” Panel 6 is a confused author wondering to himself: “Isn’t this supposed to be 30 minutes?” Panel 7 shows the timer in the corner of the webpage. The caption reads: “It was 30 seconds.” Panel 8 is a close up of the author’s eyes in shock as the caption says: “This was how I first learned what gesture drawing was.”.

This page shows a breakdown of the process of approaching figure drawing. Panel 1 shows a rough drawing of a woman on her knees with her arms flared out behind her. The drawing is made of multiple, chaotic lines that indicate her form. The caption reads: “My method of drawing before was one I had aped from John Buscema, based on “How to Draw comics the Marvel way.” Panel 2 is the same drawing but refined with less lines. The caption reads: “But if you only have 30 seconds, you don’t have time to noodle and find form. You have to simplify.” Panel 3 is another version of the drawing but as a stick figure. The caption reads: “The rhythm and flow is key. Early on, I resorted to drawing only the stick figure and finding the curves.” Panel 4 Shows two torsos bending in different ways. The caption reads: “Over time, I learned about C-curves and S-curves to keep an eye out for them in short poses.” Panel 5 is a rough drawing of a man pulling down on a rope as the caption says: “As I grew more comfortable with this, I started introducing more form to these skeletons.” Panel 6 shows a shaded drawing of a plus-sized naked man, crouching over a stick. The caption reads: “In 2 minute poses, I would work in a bit of rendering to my base drawing.” Panel 7 shows a drawing of a naked man leaning over on his knees, with his torso twisting and his arm on his back. The caption reads: “5 minutes, and there was an extra layer of rendering.” Panel 8 shows a drawing of a woman leaning on a chair with her hand reaching out above her. The caption says: “And when I did 10 minutes or longer, I would relax and draw as much as I felt.”

Panel 1 is a close up of the author’s hand drawing a bunch of bean shaped torsos in his sketchbook. The caption reads: “I enjoyed practicing the smaller gesture drawings and how to capture a pose as fast and simply as I could. Panel 2 is a series of rough stick figure drawings of different poses. The caption says: “I filled up my sketchbook with a lot of 30 second poses…” Panel 3 is a drawing of an arm, recreated from a Burne Hogarth book. The caption reads: “... And anatomy studies to better understand how the figure works.” Panel 4 is a show of the author hunched over in front of his computer at night, sketchbook and pencil in hand as the caption reads: “In the end, I got a U in A level Art (an F in American terms). But it didn’t particularly matter.” Panel 5 is a close up of the author intensely drawing in his sketchbook, in complete concentration. The caption reads: “I spent that summer doing figure studies. Whether I was meant to be an artist or not didn’t matter anymore. I was having too much fun!”

The author is now in university. He stands in front of an imposing, silhouetted building of the School of Art, Design and Architecture in panel 1. He’s dwarfed by its size. The caption says: “After that summer, I went to architecture school as a compromise for my parents. The degree was a waste of 5 years and I want my youth back.” Panel 2 shows a slightly older and disheveled author sitting in front of a drawing board, looking disappointed as he looks at his graded sketchbook. The caption reads: “At least there was drawing class. I expected after my summer of drawing, I would be good at it and that I would have improved a lot.” Panel 3 is a close-up of his grade on his sketchbook which has a drawing of a hand on it. His drawing is graded a 4/10. The caption reads: “But I still had to be humbled a bit more. Still, the class taught me some beneficial techniques that I was grateful for.” Panel 4 shows the author drawing a long curve and circles in one line. “I learned to reduce the chicken scratch in my drawings…” Panel 5 shows his arm outstretched while drawing as the caption says: “... To use my whole arm for drawing…” Panel 6 shows the author measuring proportions by holding up his pencil to a model of a skeleton in a studio full of other students drawing. The caption reads: “... And how to measure.”

Panel 1 is a close up of a loose drawing of a girl sitting on a table next to a guy. The caption reads: “What they didn’t cover was figure drawing.” Panel 2 is a wide shot of a crowded cafeteria. There’s a girl talking to some guys in the foreground as the author sits in the back drawing and observing. The caption reads: “For that, I had to find my own ways. I would draw people hanging out in the cafeteria.” Panel 3 is a drawing of a man lying down with this legs crossed in meditation pose against the wall. The caption reads: “I even organized a life drawing session with some other students.” Panel 4 is a shot of the author thumbing through his sketchbook, looking a bit sad. The caption reads: “But despite being in an “art” school, there was no opportunity for nude figure study.” Panel 5 is the shot of the author’s sketchbook with nude drawings of a man and a woman, as he taps his pencil on the page. The caption reads: “And I was starting to get curious if anyone knew how you could do that here.”

This page shows the author at different points in his life. In panel 1, he’s in his university years talking to some senior artists on a Google Hangout. The caption reads: “ Over the years, I have asked that question a few times.” The author asks someone on the hangout: “Would you know how artists do figure drawing sessions in Pakistan?” In panel 2, a senior artist responds: “Get a girlfriend lol.” The author looks cartoonishly embarrassed. In panel 3, the author, now on his first job, is told by his boss to “Hire a prostitute.” In panel 4, an older, puzzled author meets an artist drawing on his Ipad, zooming in on heavily rendered breasts, saying: “I get girls to model for me ALL THE TIME. But no fat chicks. I only draw women I’m going to FUCK!” In panel 5, the author breaks fourth wall, talking directly to the reader while slumped over his drawing board: “What I learned is that Pakistani artists of the Gentleman variety are too horny for their own good. And yes, I am aware that the inciting incident of this comic is me seeing someone draw ass that one time. The only pragmatic (not horny) advice I got was move to Berlin.”

In panel 1, we see a whole bunch of Pakistani flags being waved in the air. The caption reads: “Truthfully, I don’t know what the actual source of this attitude is. Is it just the result of being an Islamic Republic? There are Muslim majority countries where people still engage in the practice, so I’m not sure if that can be solely to blame. Maybe it’s because of the wave of Islamization that took place in the 80’s. I know that certainly set the Liberal elements of our culture back, quite a bit. Or perhaps, it’s the remaining influence of our feudal past.” Panel 2 shows a bruised fist hanging ominously in a dark room, where an injured woman holds her head as the shadow of a man covers her. The caption reads: “All I know is that for women, the consequence is usually the same.” Panel 3 shows the girl from earlier in the story, standing distressed with her drawing, as her parents (now in shadow) flank her on either side. The Father says: “No daughter of mine will go to NCA (National College of Arts)!!” while the mother says: “Didn’t you hear the things your cousin did there?! We won’t let you shame us like she did her family! You can study medicine instead. You get to draw in that as well.” The caption reads: “And this repression asserts itself in many ways. But repression demands release.”

In panel 1, a woman takes her shirt off while biting her lip. The caption reads: “Modelling for an artist becomes a form of this release. For some people in the upper and middle classes of Pakistan.” In panel 2, the girl has completely undressed in the foreground, as a boy with big glasses sits in front of her with a sketchbook and pencil, body tightened in anxiety at this moment. “Gulp.” The caption reads: “It is relegated to private, intimate spaces away from prying eyes.” Panel 3 shows an over the shoulder shot of the boy looking at the girl, who’s standing there naked, with her arms crossed, her face showing a mix of excitement and awkwardness. She asks: “So… what should I do now?” to which he responds: “Uh… well maybe you could…”. The caption reads: “It is transformed into a scandalous form of the “Artist/Muse” relationship.” In panel 4, the girl poses in front of the boy as he starts drawing her, with one hand on her hip and one on her head. It is a little awkward. The caption reads: “The practice of figure drawing becomes a fetish. In doing so, it creates a moment of liberation for the muse… and a valuable opportunity for both parties to explore the human body and its intricacies.” In panel 4, the girls arm frames the boy, looking at her in awe. The caption reads: “There are, however, problems with this version of the practice.”

In panel 1, an easel sits in the foregrounds with a half drawn image of a reclining woman, while two people are going at it in a bed in the background, as hearts shoot out from under the sheets. The caption reads: “The first problem of drawing your muse is, well… you tend to forget the drawing part sometimes.” In panel 2, we see a naked female model posing in on a stage, while other models (a grandma, an old salary man and a non-binary student) wait in the wings for their turn. The caption reads: “Also, most artists tend to have a type of muse they gravitate towards, which omits the possibility of exploring many different kinds of body types, genders and personalities. Panel 3 shows the author, in his university days, sitting in a cafeteria corner looking tired and disheveled at night with a cup of coffee. The caption reads: “The third problem with this is one I personally struggled with when I was learning. I had terrible self-esteem and didn’t feel like I was ready or deserving of being in any kind of romantic or physical relationship. Telling me that the only way to practice with a model was to find some form of sexual partner was really demotivating.”

In panel 1, we see a model sitting on a draped sofa. The caption reads: “A traditional figure drawing session, when done right, is predicated on respect, vulnerability and openness. The silly hoops you have to jump through in Pakistan are not present.” In panel 2, we zoom out to show artists in a studio, drawing the model as the caption reads: “All models and artists are welcomed in all their forms. The exploration extends past the purely sexual and is allowed to cover more diverse aspects of the human body.” In panel 3, the instructor reviews the students work with the model, who goes over the drawing in a robe. The caption reads: “Shame, judgement and prejudice are abandoned.” In panel 4, the students, model and instructor talk to each other. The atmosphere is respectful and casual. The caption reads: “It isn’t hidden away in intimate spaces. It is a communal and academic event. It is a pretense to nothing but the human body. It is an openness that would feel alien in Pakistan.”

We now come to an older, more weary version of the author. He’s sitting at his desk, drawing in Panel 1. The caption reads: “The arts always face an uphill battle in Pakistan. Every level of our society suppresses creative expression and authenticity in the favour of security, orthodoxy and mundanity. Most of my peers who took art in A levels did not pursue it as a career. And due to our recent economic and political struggles, a lot of our progressive elements have begun to exit the country. Trying to imagine a proper, respectful culture of figure drawing seems frankly impossible in Pakistan.” Panel 2 is a close up of the author drawing a plus sized, nude man on paper. The caption reads: “But then again, I didn’t think you could depict the nude figure here at all, until I saw that painting in my art exam. Somedays, I wish I could meet the student who made that painting again and thank him. It’s in no small part to his painting that I continued drawing.” Panel 3 is a shot of the older author, smiling while drawing. The caption reads: “He showed me that regardless of who you are or where you’re from, art has no true limits. Even now, when I decide to practice some figure drawing, I get that feeling.” In panel 4, we flashback to the younger version of the author who started figure drawing in the beginning, looking happy in front of his sketchbook as the caption reads: “That same strange rush I got when I first sat down to do it.”

A double page spread of multiple figure drawings collaged across the pages, with the younger version of the author, sitting in front of his computer, drawing through the night. The caption reads: “It’s exciting knowing that there is a world far past where your lines are drawn.”

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figuring it out: figure drawing in pakistan zine

Figuring It Out: Figure Drawing in Pakistan zine

A student's drawing of a naked body makes fellow art student Nabeel ask, "Wait, you can do that here?"

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