Figure Drawing - Figure Anatomy

Understanding human anatomy will help you achieve greater expressive ability in figure drawing. By understanding the many different aspects of the human form, you can better grasp how the figure works as a whole. For example, if you feel along the bone on the lower part of your jaw, you will notice that there is a small indentation about halfway between the chin and the back of the jaw. This indentation is to allow a blood vessel to pass under the jaw. The indentation helps to protect the vessel. The significance of this little indentation is that it affects the...
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Figure Drawing - Figure AnatomyC H A P T E R 3 ✎ Figure AnatomyU nderstanding human anatomy will help you achieve greater expressive ability in figure drawing. By understanding the many dif- ferent aspects of the human form, you can better grasp how the fig-ure works as a whole. For example, if you feel along the bone on the lowerpart of your jaw, you will notice that there is a small indentation abouthalfway between the chin and the back of the jaw. This indentation is to allowa blood vessel to pass under the jaw. The indentation helps to protect the ves-sel. The significance of this little indentation is that it affects the curvature ofthe jaw. The jawbone is actually concave here, rather than convex. A slenderperson who has little fat around the jaw will show this distinct feature of thejaw more clearly than a heavy person will. Knowing this little aspect of thefigure can help the artist who wishes to express a thin person.In a way, the study of anatomy increases your figure drawing arsenal. Bystudying the underlying structure, you can develop a greater feel for the sur-face, expanding creative possibilities. In essence, the human form is made upof soft and hard tissue held together by tendons and ligaments. The bonesform the underlying structure of the body and in some cases act as protectionfor delicate internal organs. Around and over the bones are muscles that areused to drive movement. The whole system is controlled by an extensivenervous system.The human form is capable of extreme movement and flexibility. The musclesthat power body movement expand and contract, causing surface changes toappear. Take a look at your arm. Hold it out in front of you with the palmdown. Now twist your arm so the palm is facing up. Notice how the musclebeneath the skin move as the arm rotates. As the arm rotates, some muscles inthe forearm will expand and twist, while others will contract to cause the 33Figure Drawing with Virtual Modelsmovement. Now bend your arm The human skeleton contains more bone on the lower partup at the elbow. The muscles of than 200 individual bones. of the head. It is hingedthe upper arm will bunch to pull Although it might not be essential to the rest of the skullthe arm up. These muscles are for you to learn the names of all up near the ears. It isthe biceps, so named because 200 bones, you should become important to notethere are two muscles. familiar with some of the major where the bone is bones listed here. hinged because thatDrawing from life, an artist is controls the boneoften confronted with a number ✎ Skull. The skull is the movement. bony framework uponof organic surfaces. It is helpful if which the head is built. ✎ Clavicle. The clavicle isthe artist understands not only located on the upper It is composed of eightwhy the surface changes in front of the chest near cranial and 14 facialmovement, but also what the the neck. It is a very bones. The cranialunderlying structure is doing pronounced bone near bones are the dome-during those changes. This will shaped bones that the surface, connectinghelp the artist to recognize the the arms to the chest. cover the top of yoursubtle aspects of the figure that There are two clavicle head. They are verymight go unnoticed if the artist bones—one on each near the surface. If youdidn’t have the proper instruc- side of the body. The press on the top oftion in anatomy. clavicle’s flexible move- ...