The Main Bones of the Human Figure of the vertebral column (including the sacrum and coccyx), bones include

sacrum and coccyx), bones include the humerus, ulna, and radius of the upper tendons, ligaments, and fatty tissue, or hard surface forms,
and the rib cage. limbs; the femur, tibia, and fibula of the lower limbs; the bones which are places where evidence of the skeleton can be seen on
The human skeleton consists of two basic parts—the axial The appendicular skeleton is the group of bones forming the of the hands and feet; the scapula and clavicle; and the two the surface of the body. Hard surface forms are also known as
skeleton and the appendicular skeleton. The axial skeleton is appendages of the body (upper and lower limbs), including hip bones (os coxae) of the pelvis. bony landmarks—parts of bones (ridges, bumps, depressions)
the group of bones that forms the central axis of the body; its the shoulder girdle and pelvic girdle. The primary functions The two drawings opposite show the basic bones and their that are positioned close to the skin, creating visual landmarks
primary function is to support and protect the internal organs. of the appendicular skeleton are to support and move the axial locations, as seen from both anterior (front) and posterior on the surface form.
The bones of the axial skeleton include the cranium, the bones skeleton and to allow movement of the limbs. Appendicular (back) views of the figure. Learning the placement of the The drawings below provide a general guide to where the
bones will help you identify the bony landmarks you may main bony landmarks are, as seen from both the anterior
see as a live model takes various poses. and posterior views. Whether you can see these skeletal
BASIC BONES OF THE SKELETON, ANTERIOR VIEW BASIC BONES OF THE SKELETON, POSTERIOR VIEW
clues on a live model will depend on both the pose and
ULNA ULNA the model’s body type. On some figures, fatty tissue may
CRANIUM
Bony Landmarks obscure much of the evidence of the bones, while on leaner
CRANIUM
When drawing the human figure, artists look for various sur- figures it will be easier to see bone definition at several
RADIUS face landmarks. These can be soft surface forms, such as muscles, places on their bodies.
HUMERUS RADIUS
HUMERUS
CERVICAL VERTEBRAE CERVICAL VERTEBRAE
BONY LANDMARKS OF THE SKELETON, ANTERIOR VIEW BONY LANDMARKS OF THE SKELETON, POSTERIOR VIEW
CLAVICLE
CLAVICLE
SCAPULA
SCAPULA
FRONTAL BONE
STERNUM (FOREHEAD) CRANIUM MASS
ZYGOMATIC (IF THERE IS NO HAIR)
RIB CAGE HUMERUS ARCH/BONE
THORACIC (CHEEKBONES)
VERTEBRAE ZYGOMATIC ARCH/BONE
MANDIBLE NASAL BONE (CHEEKBONES)
HUMERUS (LOWER JAW)
CLAVICLE (COLLARBONE) MANDIBLE (LOWER JAW) SEVENTH CERVICAL VERTEBRA
ACROMION (NECK VERTEBRA)
PROCESS (TIP OF ACROMION PROCESS
ULNA SPINE OF SCAPULA
LUMBAR VERTEBRAE SHOULDER) (TIP OF SHOULDER)
STERNUM (BREASTBONE)
LUMBAR VERTEBRAE VERTEBRAL BORDER
GREATER TUBERCLE OF SCAPULA
THORACIC ARCH
RADIUS OF HUMERUS (INNER EDGE OF
ULNA (RIB CAGE ARCH) SPINOUS PROCESSES
SACRUM SHOULDER BLADE)
MEDIAL (INNER) OF VERTEBRAE
PELVIS LATERAL (OUTER)
EPICONDYLE OF MEDIAL (INNER)
EPICONDYLE OF LATERAL (OUTER) EPICONDYLE OF
HUMERUS HUMERUS
CARPALS RADIUS PELVIS EPICONDYLE HUMERUS
LATERAL (OUTER) OF HUMERUS
MEDIAL (INNER) OLECRANON
EPICONDYLE OF EPICONDYLE OF POSTERIOR PROCESS
HUMERUS HUMERUS ILIAC
CARPALS ILIAC BORDER OF ULNA (ELBOW)
CREST
STYLOID CREST OF ULNA
STYLOID STYLOID PROCESS
PROCESS OF OF PELVIS PROCESS OF PSIS
METACARPALS HEAD OF OF RADIUS
RADIUS ASIS RADIUS ULNA SACRUM
CARPAL BONES
METACARPALS METACARPAL
FEMUR PHALANGES METACARPAL (WRIST BONES)
OF THUMB BONES
PHALANGES
FEMUR METACARPALS
HEAD GREATER
OF ULNA METACARPAL PHALANGES TROCHANTER METACARPAL
GREATER OF THUMB OF FINGERS HEADS
TROCHANTER (FINGER BONES) (KNUCKLES)
PATELLA
OF FEMUR PHALANGES
OF FINGERS
LATERAL CONDYLE OF FEMUR (FINGER BONES)
MEDIAL CONDYLE OF FEMUR PATELLA (KNEECAP) HEAD OF FIBULA

HEAD OF FIBULA LATERAL AND MEDIAL

TIBIA
TIBIAL TUBEROSITY CONDYLE OF FEMUR
MEDIAL MALLEOLUS
TIBIA (INNER ANKLE) ANTERIOR BORDER LATERAL MALLEOLUS MEDIAL CONDYLE
FIBULA OF TIBIA (OUTER ANKLE) OF TIBIA
LATERAL MALLEOLUS
(OUTER ANKLE)
MEDIAL MALLEOLUS
FIBULA (INNER ANKLE)
TARSALS
TALUS CALCANEUS (HEEL BONE)
FIRST METATARSAL BASE (TUBEROSITY)
METATARSALS CALCANEUS OF FIFTH METATARSAL
(HEEL BONE)
PHALANGES

6 Classic Human Anatomy in Motion Bones and Surface Landmarks 7

 PORTRAIT STUDY OF CLAUDIO, WITH HEAD TURNED STUDY OF A HAND, SHOWING TENDONS STUDY OF FEET

TENDONS OF EXTENSOR DIGITORUM MUSCLE

ACHILLES TENDON

LATERAL
MALLEOLUS
PIP JOINTS (OUTER ANKLE
BONE)

CALCANEUS
(HEEL)

HEAD OF ULNA

MCP JOINTS
(KNUCKLES)

LATERAL MUSCULAR
RIDGE OF FOOT

Sanguine and brown pastel pencils, charcoal, Graphite pencil, ballpoint pen, colored pencil,
and white chalk on toned paper. and white chalk on toned paper.

STUDY OF A TIGHTLY CLENCHED FIST STUDY OF THE BACK OF THE LEGS

MCP JOINTS (KNUCKLES)

STERNOCLEIDOMASTOID
PIP JOINTS
TENDON OF
BICEPS FEMORIS

THYROID CARTILAGE HAMSTRING MUSCLE

(ADAM’S APPLE) GROUP
(SEMITENDINOSUS,
SEMIMEMBRANOSUS,
POSTERIOR TRIANGLE BICEPS FEMORIS)

TENDON OF
BICEPS FEMORIS

TENDONS OF POPLITEAL
SEMITENDINOSUS FOSSA
AND FAT PAD
THENAR SEMIMEMBRANOSUS
MUSCLE GROUP
GASTROCNEMIUS

POPLITEAL
FOSSA
HOLLOW
TRAPEZIUS
HYPOTHENAR
MUSCLE GROUP

CLAVICLE
ACHILLES TENDON

TENDONS OF
FLEXOR MUSCLES
OF LOWER ARM

TENDONS OF STERNAL HEAD (STERNOCLEIDOMASTOID)

Sanguine and brown pastel pencils, charcoal, Charcoal pencil, sanguine and brown pastel pencils,
Sanguine and brown pastel pencils and white chalk on toned paper. and white chalk on toned paper. and white chalk on toned paper.

74 Classic Human Anatomy in Motion Muscle and Tendon Characteristics 75

 Method #4: The Organic
Line Approach
Poses of 1 to 2 minutes
In the organic line approach to gesture drawing, you lay down
your lines in a flowing, loose manner, but more selectively
than in the searching line approach. If you wish, you can
use different values (light and dark lines) to accentuate the pencils are all suitable for this approach, as are calligraphy look for any interesting tilting or twisting action within the
rhythm of forms, to convey tension, or to show that forms pens that can produce both thick and thin strokes. pose that you can exaggerate to create greater dynamic ten-
are advancing or receding—though in a highly edited way. The organic line approach is great for relatively short sion. You may emphasize certain anatomical forms, but draw
Very often, the lines in an organic-line gesture drawing have poses—1 to 2 minutes. When doing an organic line study, them rapidly because of the time constraint.
a calligraphic quality, changing from thick to thin or dark to
light in a single stroke. You can also add tones to your draw-
ing. Charcoal, Conté crayons, graphite pencils, and colored

GESTURE DRAWING OF A FIGURE GESTURE STUDY OF TWO MALE

2-MINUTE STUDIES OF ACTION POSES
IN A CONTRAPPOSTO POSE FIGURES IN DANCE POSES
Organic line approach
Organic line approach Organic line approach

Black crayon on newsprint. Black Conté crayon on newsprint. Black Conté crayon on newsprint.

224 Classic Human Anatomy in Motion Gesture and Action Drawing 225
 When beginning to study the gait cycle, it’s easier to focus
on just one leg. The drawing below emphasizes the stance
and swing phases of the right leg—referred to, technically,
as the right stance phase and the right swing phase. The small
footprints show where on the sole of the foot the weight of the
body is concentrated during the heel strike and toe-off.
As the right leg moves through the gait cycle, so does
the left leg, with the phases in reverse order. At one point
during the stride, both feet are touching the ground—a
stage known as double support. (This does not occur in the
running gait cycle.)
GAIT CYCLE—WALKING
HEEL STRIKE FOOT FLAT MID-STANCE
Stance phase
STUDY OF A WALKING GAIT CYCLE
HEEL STRIKE FOOT FLAT MID-STANCE HEEL-OFF
Focusing on the right leg
270 Classic Human Anatomy in Motion
The arms tend to swing in opposition to the swing of the The Running Gait Cycle are trained to flex the knee so far that the heel almost hits
legs: When the right leg swings forward, the right arm moves the glutes (“heel to butt”), while other runners do not lift the
Like the walking gait cycle, the running gait cycle has two
back, and when the left leg swings forward, the left arm moves foot nearly so dramatically. A runner’s foot usually lands on
phases: stance phase and swing phase. One big difference from
back. In ordinary walking, arms are generally held in a relaxed the ball of the foot or the mid-foot, although some runners
the walking cycle, however, occurs in the swing phase of the
position; in a “power walk,” however, the arms are intention- land on the heel. Strides also vary in length, depending on
running cycle when at one point both feet are off the ground—
ally bent at the elbow and pump like pistons during the stride. the individual and the speed of the run: Some runners have
the flight phase (a subphase within the swing phase).
The drawing at bottom is a simple study of a basic walking strides so long they look like leaps, while others have shorter,
To practice depicting running, you can study videos of
movement. I based this study on a video, pressing the pause but- more compact strides.
people on treadmills or running along a track and freeze
ton at sequential stages and drawing the figure from these key I have purposely kept the running movements depicted here
various frames to sketch the basic positions. As you study,
frames. I roughed in the figures using a basic manikin structure, very simple. They’re just your first step toward understand-
you will see subtle differences between different runners.
then replayed the video, adding more visual information. ing the principles of running—how the figure’s weight shifts
Some people run with their torsos upright, some lean slightly
during the running gait, how the legs and arms alternate,
forward, and others—especially sprinters—have a strong
and so on. The drawing below shows a simple breakdown of a
diagonal tilt. Runners’ arms generally move like pumping
manikin figure running one complete gait cycle; the right leg
pistons, with the elbows held close to the torso, though some
is emphasized. The stance and swing phases are identified, as
people keep their arms more relaxed and loose. Joggers’
are the foot strike, foot flat, mid-stance, toe-off (acceleration),
hands are usually relaxed and slightly cupped, but sprinters
flight, mid-swing, and foot descent (deceleration) stages.
generally clench their hands into fists. Some runner-athletes
GAIT CYCLE—RUNNING
TOE-OFF MID-SWING HEEL STRIKE
Swing phase
FOOT STRIKE FOOT FLAT MID-STANCE TOE-OFF (ACCELERATION) FLIGHT PHASE
Stance phase Swing phase
TOE-OFF EARLY SWING MID-SWING LATE SWING MID-SWING FLIGHT PHASE FOOT DESCENT (DECELERATION)
(ACCELERATION) (DECELERATION)
Sequential Movement 271
CLASSI
CHUMANANATOMYI
NMOTI
ON