Skull Studies

[tally]

I feel so lost with anatomy sometimes.  I decided to start skull studies as a new exercise to hopefully understand how to better capture the human head/face.

I constantly feel like I'm missing something with regards to anatomy, though, like I don't understand the underlying shapes of the human form, and I don't know how to get there.  If anyone has tips, I'll take them!

Comments

Thoughts

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> I decided to start skull studies as a new exercise to hopefully understand how to better capture the human head/face.<<

That's a good idea. They are recognizable skulls with pretty clear anatomy already. Go you!

>> I constantly feel like I'm missing something with regards to anatomy, though, like I don't understand the underlying shapes of the human form, and I don't know how to get there. If anyone has tips, I'll take them! <<

Often it just takes practice; repetition builds familiarity.

Some people find that studying the individual bones and how they fit together is helpful. Others find it useful to compare the skeletons of different animals -- all tetrapods have a very similar structure, but the proportions and uses of bones can be totally different.

Another approach is breaking down complex objects into simpler shapes. A skull is basically a sphere on top of a smaller boxy shape.

If you like working with your hands, try feeling a skull or other model, maybe even try shaping a copy in clay.

I learned a lot about anatomy in the kitchen, but that's not to everyone's taste. If you like cooking and you're not squeamish, though, a whole chicken can be very educational -- you can see how the bones and joints and muscles fit together.

There are also materials online that talk about the mechanics of anatomy, how bones support weight, how big they have to be, and so on. Some people find that helpful for proportions and poses. Similarly, you could compare different human body shapes, where the skeleton has the same pattern but the flesh varies.

Try different things until you find some you like. There are lots of options with art.

[mekare]

Hey these are looking really good!