Learning about the muscular system thus opens a creative door to many possible artistic options, whether you pursue an exacting anatomical realism, exaggerate bodily forms to create interesting visual dynamics, or explore a more expressive interpretation of the human form. Their knowledge of anatomy never overpowered their personal style or aesthetics-it only enhanced their work. When you view figurative works by painters and sculptors such as Michelangelo, Artemesia Gentileschi, Auguste Rodin, Peter Paul Rubens, and others, it’s evident that these artists were well aware of anatomical forms and utilized that information to serve their artistic vision.
DOES ESSENTIAL ANATOMY 3 HAVE MUSCLE ACTIONS SKIN
Understanding the basic placement of muscles and how they stretch and compress in different movements will give you, as an artist, the advantage of knowing what occurs beneath the skin (and how that) influences what you see on the surface.įigurative artists from centuries past up to the present have known the value of studying the human muscular system. One of the many challenges in drawing the figure is to depict surface forms changing in various poses. Muscles, along with the subcutaneous layer of adipose (fatty) tissue, define the overall shape of the figure, “fleshing out” its structure and giving substance and character to the body. This basic information will be elaborated on in the following chapters on the muscle groups of different regions of the body.
Tendons are also introduced, with a focus on their characteristics and how they influence the surface form. We will also look at how muscles change shape in different movements. In this chapter, we introduce the basic traits of the skeletal muscles, their positions in the body, how they attach to bones, and how they maneuver the joints when they contract. Classic Human Anatomy in Motion: The Artist's Guide to the Dynamics of Figure Drawing Chapter 3.