The Forms of the Neck
-. , t . . Tinste. HHR Ri MmEr Origin from the upper eck vertebrae Origin from the upper eck vertebrae The artist first sees form in terms of simple mass before going onto smaller forms and detail. The neck is essentially a cylinderlike mass, Michelangelo never failed to emphasize the cylindrical quality of the neck, which Is wider at the base than at the top, The neck assumes a cylindrical shape because the first two ribs, which form the base of the neck, are circular The higher level of the...
The Muscles of the Jaw
The two muscles of mastication extend downward from the Immovable skull to the movable lower jaw On the back part of the cheek Is the masseter muscle A , which extends downward dnd bdckwdrd from the zygomatic drch of the skull to the angle of the lower jaw. By being aware of the position of this muscle, you can understand Its function, which is that of raising the lower jaw. This powerful muscle can be felt by clenching the lower jaw, lis thick front border creates a shallow depression on the...
The Muscles of Expression
STUDY FOR THE HEAD OF THE DONI MADONNA 1503-4, red chalk 7W x 6Vi 20 x 17.15cmJ The dominating form of the head isthe skull The ability to draw the hedd well Is based on an understanding of the shape of the skull. There are a few very thin muscles of the face that fill outthe bony structure of the skull. These are the muscles of expression. Additionally there are two muscles on the head, which move the lower jaw, or mandible, and are used for chewing food, The muscles of expression are...
The Nose and Mouth
The lighting scheme employed here was a favorite of Michelangelo's, a single light source from the left toward the front and above the figure. Lines as well as light and shdde In Michelangelo's drawings are always based on the artisfs profound understanding of form. The values can be thought of as thin layers of skin placed on the solid sculptural forms of the figure. As in the drawings seen earlier, eyelid lines are carefully drawn here to convey a sense of the mass of the eyeball. Artists...
The Relationship of Value to Line
I f you can apply light and shade to a cylin-Ider, you can draw the neck of a model, Often the head casts a shadow on the neck, Michelangelo knew that such dark spots could spoil the subtle effect of light. It is interesting to note that at times, he omitted or just barely suggested such cast shadows A , There are few extremely dark tones in the eye socket area B , and the cast shadow from the nose C is also quite subtle. As a rule, Michelangelo was extremely careful dbout cast shadows and...
The Bones of the Knee
The knee is one of the areas of the body where the bone is close to the surface and strongly influences its form. Although the knee has many components, they all make sense In terms of its function as a compound joint. The lower end of the femur widens into two projections of bone the inner condyle A and the outer condyle B . These condyles rest on the top or platform, of the tibia C , The patella, or kneecap D , has already been described as a small, roughly triangular bone with a convex...
Positioning the Rib Cage in Space 1
The thrust and angle of the rib cage can be visualized more readily when conceived as a large blocklike mass. The thrust and angle of the rib cage can be visualized more readily when conceived as a large blocklike mass. This is a remarkable drawing showing a powerful forward thrust of the rib cage. The 1wo clavicles extend from the top of the sternum A to the summit of the shoulders B and C . Notice the S-shape of the clavicle and see that together they form a shape not unlike Cupid's bow. It...
Man The Upright Animal
Before adding the details of muscle mosses and profuberanees of bone, the thigh should first be conceived as a long cylindrical shape. Drawing the legs of the human figure is not that different from drawing the arms. The triceps mass on the front of the thigh resembles the triceps on the back of the arm. One muscle group opens the elbow and straightens the forearm to align with the upper arm and the other group of muscles opens the knee to straighten the lower leg and align it with the thigh....
Simplifying the Forms of the Back
As has been shown, Michelangelo had on extraordinary ability to see complex forms of the body In terms of very simple masses. Note the two large egglike masses that are created by the rib cage. The head of the flying figure Is merely Indicated at this stage of the drawing. Michelangelo obviously wanted to establish the symmetry and mass of the forso without the interruption of the smaller form of the head. The muscles around the back and side of the rib cage are also drawn as small, egglike...
Placing the Large Masses of the Body
Any form that the artist draws will obviously have a certain position and direction relative to the space that surrounds it. The position is determined by the location of the object In space the direction is determined by which ,vay the object is facing. Imagine an axis placed vertically through the center of the object. Now Imagine that the object rotates around this axis. The degree of rotation is of course the object's direction. The questions an artist asks before drawing a figure are What...
The Front of the Thigh
On the front of the thigh is a large mass of extensor muscles called the quadriceps femoris. It is made up of four muscles the rectus femoris, the vastus extemus, the vastus internus, and the vastus intermedius. The rectus femoris A occupies the middle portion of the mass. It originates as a strong tendon from the lower iliac spine of the pelvis and terminates a short distance above the knee into the top of the common tendon of the quadriceps femoris which is common to all the muscles of this...
Overlapping Forms of the Torso
Insertion the digitations pass under the scapula to Its vertebral border Insertion the digitations pass under the scapula to Its vertebral border Here Is yet another grand drawing of the figure that is unsurpassed In its representation of a solid form in space. Michelangelo wanted the figure's left shoulder and arm to advance and the right knee to advance. To pull some forms of the body forward while pushing others back, the artist first correctly draws the forms In space. Here he drewthe rib...
The Skeletal Framework
STUDIES FOR THE THREE CROSSES 1520-21, black and red chalk 13 x 9' 33.02 x 22.86 cm STUDIES FOR THE THREE CROSSES 1520-21, black and red chalk 13 x 9' 33.02 x 22.86 cm In the drawing at left, you can see how Michelangelo built fleshy forms on top of the skeletal structure. The rib cage A and the pelvis B are huge bony structures on which to bose the entire pose and gesture. Landmarks of the flesh vary greatly from one individual to another On some models the nipples ore low on others they are...
The External Oblique
This is a most interesting drawing of the figure in which you can observe a rib cage that is distinctly tipped to one side, The fieshy mass of the external oblique muscle, or obliq-uus externus abdominus A , extends from the last eight ribs of the rib cage and inserts Into the top of the pelvis, or Iliac crest. The shape of the external oblique looks like a teardrop from many angles. In this pose, however, the external oblique appears as a rounqed block. When the two oblique muscles...
Deep Muscles of the Back
Origin the back of the ilium and sacrum Insertion fibers pass upward attaching to the vertebra and ribs up to the lower neck vertebrae Origin the back of the ilium and sacrum Insertion fibers pass upward attaching to the vertebra and ribs up to the lower neck vertebrae Drawing the back is a great challenge because three layers of muscles influence Its appearance. The deepest layer consists of the erector spinae muscles, which originate at the sacrum and the back of the pelvis, or Ilium, extend...
Muscles of the Calf
Origin the bock of the condyles of the femur Insertion the top of Achilles tendon Insertion the calcaneus heel bone Origin the bock of the condyles of the femur Insertion the top of Achilles tendon Insertion the calcaneus heel bone underneath the gastrocnemius, from the upper portion of the back of the tibia and the fibula lower than gastrocnemius. Into the sides of Achilles tendon underneath the gastrocnemius, from the upper portion of the back of the tibia and the fibula lower than...
Massing the Rib Cage
Cartilages joining ribs to the sternum cartilages joining ribs to the sternum Knowing how to depict accurately the mass of the rib cage A Is the key to capturing the overall form of the upper torso. Accurately rendering the rib cage will also make it possible to record correctly the details on the surface of the torso. The rib cage is the largest and most important form of the upper torso area. It is the mass on which all other smaller surface forms rest. The shape of the rib cage is not unlike...
The Relationship of the Forms of the Arm to the Scapula
STUDIES FOR LEFT ARM AND SHOULDER OF DAY 1520-51, black chalk J5W x ' 40.01 x 22.86 cm The position of the scapula as it would appear under the various muscle masses. The position of the scapula as it would appear under the various muscle masses. Here is another magnificent study of the relationship between the muscles on the back of the arm and on the scapula, The small egglike mass on the lower end of the scapula Is the teres major muscle A , The mass above It at B Is made up of the...
Defining the Features with Light and Shade
It is not altogether clear whether this is the need of a man or a woman Michelangelo frequently jsed male models for drawings of .vomeri The artists initial sketch lines are visible in mis drawing, There are very few straight nes here. Michelangelo was concerned with creating a solid head on a flat piece of paper, which is best accomplished by using curved lines. The lines of the hat A and B help clarify the roundness of the head, The lines of the sternocleidomastoid muscle C help to define the...
He Forms of the Chest
STUDY FOR ST. BARTHOLOMEW 1534-35, black Chalk 15W x 10 39.69 x 25.40 cm Damaged Here is a magnificent drawing of the torso, The breast muscles, the two great pectorals, pectoralis major A and 8 , extend outward from the sides of the sternum and the internal half of the lower border of the clavicle to Insert Into the arm under the shoulder muscle, or deltoid C , The fibers twist as they near the insertion point. The two great pectoral muscles are similar In shape to flat blocks, which wrap...
Lafissimus Dorsi
nsertior the bfcipitai groove on the front of the humerus Origin the dorsal spines of lower six thoracic vertebrae, all of the lumbar vertebrae, the sacrum, and the back part of the iliac crest The upper border holds down the lower end of the scapula The upper border holds down the lower end of the scapula nsertior the bfcipitai groove on the front of the humerus Origin the dorsal spines of lower six thoracic vertebrae, all of the lumbar vertebrae, the sacrum, and the back part of the iliac...
The iones and Muscles of the Leg
1511, red chalk 16 x 8W 4Q.64 x 20.96 cm Just as there are two bones in the forearm, there are fwo'bones in the tower leg the larger tibia, located on the inside of the leg, and the smaller fibula, located on the outside. The inner surface of the shaft of the tibia and the sharp anterior crest are entirely on the surface. The curve of the tibia from the bottom of the knee A down to the projection on the inside of the ankle known as the internal malleolus B is clearly visible, The projection on...
Massing the Head
This is a detail of the drawing that appears on page 131, The oldest massing concept sed by artists for the head Is thai of the bail and the oval. Try to see through details of the head as if they did not exist and note that the oraincase, or cranium, is a sphere A , and the mass of the face, when the features are disregarded, appears to be an oval B , it is extremely Important to understand the size of me ball of the head in relationship to the size of the oval of the face. The bail of the...
The Torso in Profile
Some of the forms that have been discussed as seen from the front and back may also be examined as they appear from the side. In profile, such muscles as the rectus abdominis A have to be thought of as forms that are receding into space. Imagine what happens if you turn the front side of a cube toward the left or right. The changes in Its shape are consistent with the change In appearance of the rectus abdominis as the body turns from front view to profile. The large mass of the latlssimus...
Proportions Used by Renaissance Arfisfs
By understanding the relationships between forms in a standing figure, you will have a better Idea of what to expect when you encounter figures in seated or reclining positions, Artists of the Renaissance were fond of using the length of the head as a unit of measure, The length of the head multiplied seven and one half times equals the total height of an average figure the head length multiplied by eight equals the height of a tali person and the head length multiplied roughly by seven equals...
The Fold of the Groin
STUDIES FOR ADAM IN THE CREATION OF ADAM 1511. red chalk 7W x 14' 19.37 x 35.88 cm In this mighty drawing of Adam, note the teardrop shape of the external oblique muscle A . The bottom of the rib cage, from which it extends, is clearly indicated here at B. The lower border of the external oblique rests on the front half of the iliac crest. The iliac crest extends from the sacrum, a bony structure at the posterior part of the pelvis, to the front of the body, where it terminates in a small...
The Foot The Bony Arch
You con learn a great deat about the anatomy of the foot from studying Michelangelo's drawings, The forms of the foot are determined more by skeletal structure than by any other factor On the dorsum of the foot there is only one small muscle, the short extensor of the toes, and the tendons of the long extensor of the toes and other muscles that are located on the front of the leg. The ankle, the arch, and the heel of the foot are formed by the seven tarsal bones the calcaneus, the astragalus,...
The Scapula and Its Muscles
The rhornboideus muscles, which rest on the deep erector spinae muscles, form iwo prominent masses A and B between the two scapulae. The origin of these muscles is the seventh, or last, neck vertebra and the first five thoracic vertebrae. The fibers of the muscles travel downward and outward to attach to the Inner, or vertebral, border of the scapulae C , The rhornboideus muscles pull the scapulae together, that is, toward the backbone. If a model's shoulders are thus puiled back, the mass of...
Massing the Forearm
Here is a wonderful page full of studies of the arm in various positions. As has been noted earlier, the upper half of the forearm is often rendered as a rounded form the lower half is more blocklike. In the lower drawing, notice that the shaft of the ulna, which shows in its entirety on the surface of the forearm, extends upward from the point of the elbow A to a projection on the wrist, the hepd of the ulna B . The shaft of the ulna C separates the extensor mass D and the flexor mass E . In...
Proportional Systems Facial Features
. The first things you might notice In this draw- I ing of a head are the beautiful and complex details, butthe details are not what make this drawing great, What is important to notice Is that the smaller forms are drawn so that they appear to.rest gracefully on top of the larger mass of the head Itself. Heads drawn by Michelangelo always give the Illusion of being a solid mass In space. When deciding on the placement of the features, if is helpful to divide the face into thirds. You might...
The Shoulder Girdle
I n this strong drawing, which is less finished I than the preceding drawing, the rib cage is dramatically tipped forward. It Is clear that Michelangelo drew the figure while bearing In mind the top, or superior, view of that form. The shoulder girdle, which rests on top of the rib cage, consists of the two clavicles A and B and of the two shoulder blades, or scapulae. The scapulae are both covered In this pose by the two masses of the trapezius muscle C and D . The shoulder girdle Is attached...
The Muscles of the Upper Arm
3n this handsome drawing the forms of the neck, shoulder, and arm are distinctly articulated, A small portion of the large trapezius muscle A of the back is visible between the neck and shoulder The meeting of the outer end of the clavicle B with the acromion process of the scapula is a clearly indicated A landmark at the summit of the shoulder, The ball-shaped upper part of the deltoid muscle B C is beautifully modeled the lower fibers of the muscle are Indicated at D. The upper portion of the...
The Trapezius Muscle
The two halves of the trapezius muscle A and B are entirely superficial, This form is located on the Pack of the neck, shoulder and upper Pack region, Its inner Porder exTends from the bock of the skull to the last or twelfth, rib vertebra C . The trapezius has tendinous sheet areas on it which appear as slight depressions on the surface of the body The extent of these depressions depends on the extent of muscular development of the model. One area of tendon sheet Is located around the twelfth...
The Forms of the Knee
N ecause the knee is wider in back than in D front, some forms of the back of the knee are apparent in this drawing of the front view The outer hamstring tendon A is visible on the outside of the knee, This tendon Inserts into the head of the fibula B ,The spiral mass C , which Is made up of the medial hamstring tendon and the tendons of the sartorius and gracilis muscles, sweeps around the inside of the knee, where it terminates on the shaft of the tibia, This spiral mass of tendons curves...
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,...
