Anatomy for Artists: Foundation Course

Vitruvian Man, Leonardo da Vinci. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

What you will cover

1. 01

   Module 1: Proportion and measurement

   Measure the figure in head units and check proportions with a pencil.

   • The proportion canon (figure heights in heads)
   • Age and body ratios
   • Measuring with a pencil: sight-size and comparative measuring
   • Practice: measured standing figure

2. 02

   Module 2: The skeleton that shows

   The bones that shape the surface, and the three main forms of the body.

   • Landmarks you can see on the surface
   • Skull, ribcage and pelvis as three main forms
   • Practice: skeleton landmark map

3. 03

   Module 3: Bones and joints in depth

   How the skeleton is organised and how each kind of joint moves.

   • Axial and appendicular skeleton
   • The five joint types and what each allows
   • Practice: joint-type sketchbook page

4. 04

   Module 4: Simplifying into masses

   Turn the skeleton into simple solids you can draw from any angle.

   • Solid vocabulary (box, cylinder, sphere, wedge)
   • Building the figure from masses
   • Practice: five-minute mass figures

5. 05

   Module 5: The torso

   Weight, tilt and twist in the ribcage and pelvis.

   • Contrapposto and the tilt lines
   • Torso twist and weight
   • Back muscles and what they change on the surface
   • Practice: torso constructions

6. 06

   Module 6: Muscles in depth

   The main muscle masses of the arm and leg, drawn on isolated limbs.

   • Arm masses
   • Leg masses
   • Practice: limb muscle map

7. 07

   Module 7: Limbs and joints

   Arms and legs built over the bone chain, and how they move.

   • Arm and leg construction
   • Shoulder, elbow, hip and knee in motion
   • Practice: figure in action

8. 08

   Module 8: Head, hands and feet

   Simple constructions for the head, hands and feet.

   • Head construction (basic)
   • Hand construction
   • Foot construction
   • Practice: hand and foot studies

9. 09

   Module 9: Final render

   Take your best construction to a finished, framable drawing.

   • Choosing your best construction
   • Value and light on form
   • Final Full-Body Sketch (assessment)

10. 10

    Module 10: Gesture drawing: capturing movement

    Quick, flowing sketches that capture a pose's energy before any detail is added.