07-11-2017, 01:39 PM
Hi there! Hmm, about the figure construction, I am also not a pro, I actually just began seriously drawing bodies last month but I think I can give a small tip here or there that might help out :D
Might be a long post!
Recommended book for this: Steve Huston's figure drawing book is good starting point. Like you I also had flipped through every anatomy book, all of them are valuable. You don't have to copy their style, only take what you can gain from it. Loomis has great stuff on landmarks and what bones show up on skin, while Bridgman helps you see the forms. And Hogarth is also awesome and real clear on anatomy because he is exaggerating so you can later also see those muscles underneath the human form. Vilppu is good at gesture, someone I should probably look at more often because my figures are really stiff!
Ok. one tip that is really going to help you out is proportion. We all know the 8 heads model but it's hard to count head by head by head when doing figure drawing (at least for me haha). So what I noticed is that the proportions actually can be simplified from the 3 major masses: the head, torso, and pelvis.
Here's a procedure I took on for a while to help me improve proportions:
1) Head determines everything, draw head shape first
2) Then draw a rectangular form for the torso, the space between neck and head can be studied or until it looks/feels right. Usually two by four heads are in that form.
3) Then from the top of the rectangular box or pit of the neck, double that distance to get the bottom of the pelvis or crotch. Two by one heads which is why you can later take this into a "pillow" body with two equal halves.
3) To draw arms, elbows touch at the 10th rib and then double distance to add forearm + hand
4) To draw legs, similar procedure, only duplicate length of ribcage, or about 2 heads for femur and knee and foreleg + foot. Leg bone come out of 1/2 of pelvis box because of the greater trocanter of the femur, it's a bony landmark
Another tip: Bony landmarks! They help both in guiding your proportions and later in placing muscles.
Here's kinda of a visual sketch up I did that I am talking about it's not perfect but I hope I am able to help in some way.
Keep drawing! :D
Might be a long post!
Recommended book for this: Steve Huston's figure drawing book is good starting point. Like you I also had flipped through every anatomy book, all of them are valuable. You don't have to copy their style, only take what you can gain from it. Loomis has great stuff on landmarks and what bones show up on skin, while Bridgman helps you see the forms. And Hogarth is also awesome and real clear on anatomy because he is exaggerating so you can later also see those muscles underneath the human form. Vilppu is good at gesture, someone I should probably look at more often because my figures are really stiff!
Ok. one tip that is really going to help you out is proportion. We all know the 8 heads model but it's hard to count head by head by head when doing figure drawing (at least for me haha). So what I noticed is that the proportions actually can be simplified from the 3 major masses: the head, torso, and pelvis.
Here's a procedure I took on for a while to help me improve proportions:
1) Head determines everything, draw head shape first
2) Then draw a rectangular form for the torso, the space between neck and head can be studied or until it looks/feels right. Usually two by four heads are in that form.
3) Then from the top of the rectangular box or pit of the neck, double that distance to get the bottom of the pelvis or crotch. Two by one heads which is why you can later take this into a "pillow" body with two equal halves.
3) To draw arms, elbows touch at the 10th rib and then double distance to add forearm + hand
4) To draw legs, similar procedure, only duplicate length of ribcage, or about 2 heads for femur and knee and foreleg + foot. Leg bone come out of 1/2 of pelvis box because of the greater trocanter of the femur, it's a bony landmark
Another tip: Bony landmarks! They help both in guiding your proportions and later in placing muscles.
Here's kinda of a visual sketch up I did that I am talking about it's not perfect but I hope I am able to help in some way.
Keep drawing! :D