The Planes of the Torso
These simple drawings were done as preliminary sketches to determine the large planes of the torso from the front, back, and three-quarter's views. Consider what portions of the various parts of the figure you are looking at in this drawing. Do you see the top front, side, or all of these These are the planes of a form. Disregarding details for a moment, think of the torso as a large block created by the front plane A and the side plane B , The side planes of the torso are at a slight obtuse...
Gluteus Maxlmus
The gluteus rnaxlmus A , the largest and thickest muscle of the body, forms the buttock. it arises from the back fourth of the iliac crest, the sacrum, and the coccyx, Some of its fibers terminate in sheets of fibers, or fascia, on the thigh others insert into the back of the shaft of the femur just below the greater trochanter B , a large, square projection of the femur located just below its head and neck, Depending on the contraction or expansion of the gluteal muscles around it, the greater...
The Hamstring Muscles
TWO STUDIES OF A STRAIGHT LEG, FROM THE INSIDE AND THE BACK 11 x 8 27.94 x 20.32cm TWO STUDIES OF A STRAIGHT LEG, FROM THE INSIDE AND THE BACK 11 x 8 27.94 x 20.32cm On the back of the thigh is the hamstring mass, or posterior femoral muscles, A in the right-hand drawing, which is made up of three muscles the biceps femoris, the semi-tendinosus, and the semimembranosus, This mass of flexor muscles originates on the back of the pelvis, or the heel of the ischium, beneath the gluteus maximus 8 ....
Modeling the Back with Light and Shade
STUDIES FOR THE BACK AND LEFT ARM OF DAY 1520-21, black chalk 7W x 10W 19.69 x 25.72 cm The two large superficial musclesthat cover rrosT cf the back, latisslrnus dorsl and trapezes, are relatively thin rather like a o onset and are therefore influenced by me forms of the deeper, underlying muscles, n this drawing the mass of the back A above the spine of the scapula is formed by the trapezius and the underlying supraspinatus. The two masses between the scapulae 8 and C are formed by the...
The Sternocleidomastoid Muscle
The two sternocleidomastoid muscles rest on, and are partially embedded In, the cylinder mass of the neck. They are ropelike muscles that extend from the top of the sternum up to the head behind the ear They insert Into the mastoid process A of the skull. Each muscle is at Its widest about halfway down the neck. At Its lower end it branches off into two fendons one tendon is attached to the top of the sternum B , and the other is attached to the clavicle C , These two tendons create a small...
Simplifying Complex Form
These swirling lines demonstrate the way various figures relate to sach other within the context of a single drowing. This is a fascinating sketch involving many figures and much dynamic action, it is valuable because it shows how Michelangelo thought about and drew complicated clusters of interacting figures, These figures ore drawn as simple forms, but the drawing is in no way vague. The separation of one muscle mass from another on these small bodies is clearly defined by line and short,...
The Pelvic Girdle Balancing the Body
There are two skeletal girdles on the body, the shoulder girdle and the pelvic girdle, The function of the shoulder girdle Is mobility Only slightly attached to the rest of the skeleton, It affords the upper limbs freedom of movement, The function of the pelvic girdle is stability as well as locomotion of the lower limbs. The two large halves of the pelvis meaning basin are firmly attached in back to the sacrum, and in front the two pubic bones are firmly connected to each other. The pelvis,...