In this tutorial, we’ll begin to “flesh out” the schematic figure that you learned to create in Tutorials 01-03 by adding the muscles of the torso as they appear from a front, eye-level view. For ease of learning, the muscles will also be in the form of schematic shapes, though in future tutorials we’ll make them–and the figure as a whole–look more organic and natural.
Tutorial 04: A Schematic Drawing of the Torso Muscles from a Front, Eye-Level View
Because we are focusing only on the muscles of the torso (including the neck and shoulders) in this tutorial, I’m using a schematic drawing of the axial figure rather than the whole figure. However, if you completed the schematic drawing of the whole figure in Tutorial 03, you should use that drawing as the basis for this one. We’ll be adding the muscles of the arms and legs to it in the next two tutorials, so it’s best to have a framework for the whole figure.
In the images that follow, I’m using a blue pencil for the various proportional lines and plumb lines. The schematic figure from the previous lessons is rendered in gray, and the shapes of the muscles and the outer contours of the body are drawn in reddish brown. There are 8 steps in this tutorial.
Fig. 1. The neck is about 1/2 of a head length wide, with the shoulder lines emerging on each side at the level of the chin. The shoulder lines angle downwards toward the outer points of the collar bones.
Step 1: The Neck and Shoulder Line
Begin by drawing the outer contours of the neck. The neck is about 1/2 of a head length wide in a typical male, so each contour should be 1/4 of a head length to the left and right of the core axis. Each side should be drawn as vertical lines from the underside of the jaw down to the collar bones (fig. 1).
The shoulder lines intersect the sides of the neck around the level of the chin (assuming the figure is looking straight ahead). They descend from the sides of the neck toward the outer points of the collar bones, about 2/3 of a head length to each side of the core axis. Note that in an eye-level view, the ends of the collar bones should slightly overlap the shoulder lines (anatomical feature 1).
Fig. 2. The slope of the shoulder lines is nearly identical to the angles on a wire coat hanger.
Fig. 3. The sternomastoid muscles make up the outer thirds of the neck, with the inner edge of each muscle angling steeply toward the pit of the neck.
Step 2: The Muscles of the Neck
The muscles that are most distinct in a front view of the neck are the sternomastoids, which wrap around the neck from behind each ear and connect to the breastbone between the collar bones (anatomical feature 2, fig. 3). Because the sides of the neck in a front view are defined by the sternomastoids, you have already drawn the outer edges of these muscles.
Draw the inner edges of the sternomastoids as two diagonal lines that converge on the core axis, just below the horizontal line running through the pit of the neck. Where these lines cross the top of the rib cage, they divide the width of the neck into three equal parts.
Fig. 4. The inside angles of the trapezius are continuous with the inside angles of the deltoids, and cross the axes of the upper arms at the bottom of the second head unit.
Step 3: The Shoulders
The shoulder lines that you drew in Step 1 are defined by the trapezius, a large muscle that wraps from behind the neck to attach to the outer third of the collar bones (anatomical feature 3, fig. 4).
Draw the inside edges of the trapezius as diagonal lines that descend outward from the neck, almost at the level of the chin. These lines should point directly toward the axes of the upper arms, where the arms cross the bottom of the second head unit. Below the collar bones, however, these diagonal lines are no longer the edges of the trapezius, but the inner edges of the shoulder muscles, or deltoids (feature 4).
Fig. 5. The outside of the deltoids slope downward from each acromion process, reaching their widest point about 3/4 of the way down the second head unit. They should reach almost one head length to each side of the core axis at this level, before curving inward to join the axes of the upper arms.
Fig. 6. The lower edges of the pectoral muscles curve upward from the nipples, and cross the bottom of the second head unit in the same place as the outer edges of the rib cage.
Step 4: The Chest
Draw the inside edges of the chest muscles, or pectorals, where they connect to the breast bone, or sternum (anatomical feature 5, fig. 6). These connections are just to the outside of the core axis.
The nipples lie just below the bottom of the second head unit, 1/2 of a head length to each side of the core axis. The lower contours of the pectorals curve upwards from the outside of the nipples, crossing the bottom of the second head unit in the same place as the edges of the rib cage (fig. 6). Below the pectorals, follow the sides of the rib cage with two lines that descend through the upper half of the third head unit.
Fig. 7. The outer edges of the torso break away from the contours of the rib cage about halfway down the third head unit. The narrowest part of the waist lies about halfway between the bottom of the thoracic arch and the level of the navel.
Step 5: The External Obliques
About halfway down the third head unit, allow the lines running along the outsides of the rib cage to break away and descend steeply toward the waist (fig. 7). The narrowest point of the waist is on the same level as the elbows, about halfway between the bottom of the thoracic arch and the level of the navel.
Below the narrow point of the waist, the outer contours flare outward to about the width of the chest, then curve back in to join to the top of the hip bones. The outsides of the torso, from the chest down to the pelvis, are defined by the muscles called the external obliques (anatomical feature 6). The widest point of these muscles, known as the flank pads (feature 7), are common locations for fatty deposits in men, and so can vary in width depending on body type.
Fig. 8. The abdominal muscles begin just above the top of the thoracic arch, and extend about 1/3 of a head length to each side of the core axis.
Step 6: The Abdominals
Before drawing the individual muscles of the abdomen, draw the general shape of this muscle group. The abdominals begin just below the level of the nipples and above the top of the thoracic arch (anatomical feature 8, fig. 8). From the core axis, draw two lines that descend outward at a gentle slope.
The width of the abdominals should extend about 1/3 of a head length to each side of the core axis. At the outside of the abdominals, draw two vertical lines down to the level of the ASIS points on the pelvis.
Fig. 9. Three pairs of abdominal muscles lie above the navel, and one pair–twice as high as the others–lies below. The angle between each pair of muscles increases moving up through the abdomen.
Fig. 10. The serratus muscles lie just to the inside of the contours of the rib cage, along a line curving downward from the nipple. The latissimus dorsi muscles lie outside the serratus muscles, extending about 2/3 of a head length to each side of the core axis.
Step 8: The Serratus Muscles and the Latissimus Dorsi
In the upper half of the third head unit, a group of muscles known as the serratus lie just to the inside of the contours of the rib cage (anatomical feature 10, fig. 10). For now, just draw the overall shapes of these muscle groups, which have inner lines that curves downward from each nipple, reaching the edges of the rib cage 1/2 of a head length down the third head unit.
From the same locations where the lines of the serratus muscles curve inward from the rib cage, draw two lines curving outward from the rib cage, extending about 2/3 of a head length to each side of the core axis. The narrow shapes between these lines and the sides of the rib cage are the outsides of a muscle called the latissimus dorsi (feature 11), which is mostly visible on the back of the figure. In the front view, the latissimus dorsi appears as just a narrow sliver, especially when the arms are at the sides.
And that completes the schematic muscle drawing of the torso, from a front, eye-level view. In the next tutorial, we’ll add the muscles of the legs, so check back soon!
I was wondering what classes would I take to help me learn the figure overall? I have had some trouble with the overall figure, while my drawings look correct they don’t look realistic. Would you recommend a anatomy class? Seeing that you are now teaching about the muscles would that be helpful to learn? While reading through the tutorial I really enjoy how you explain the step by step processes, maybe a video would help for visual learners also. I was also wondering what classes or books have you read to help you learn about drawing the figure?
Hey, Vinny…when you say your figure drawings look correct but not realistic, that suggests that you have the proportions and general anatomy correct, but that there are some artificial qualities or excessive stylizing going on. If realism is what you’re after, your best solution is to draw from the live model, whether it’s in classes, community groups, or just drawing from yourself in the mirror. I might also recommend longer drawings–naturalistic drawing takes time, and many classes are limited in the time that’s available.
You might look into atelier-based courses, too, which emphasize classical drawing instruction. These have become increasingly popular, and there are even schools that offer online training. Anatomy is important, but only at a certain stage of learning. I’m going to be writing about the necessity and the dangers of anatomy for artists in a future post.
I don’t know where to begin with your last question. I’ve learned from many teachers and have studied most of the notable books on figure drawing, along with many videos and other resources. Naturally, some teachers, books, and videos have influenced me more than others, but I’ve learned something from every one of them. There is no one figure drawing teacher or other resource that can teach you everything about this complex art, so you have to approach it from multiple angles. The most important thing is to just start drawing and keep at it. If the material on this site can make the process a little more efficient for you, then I’ll feel like I’ve contributed in some way.
Drake,
This is a very helpful approach to drawing the imagined male figure. I am curious to see how it would translate for the female figure. This may be a generalization, but it seems that there is a wider range of shape in the female frame. For example, there is the “hourglass”, “pear shape”, “rectangle”, etc. Will this be visible is the skeletal structure or is it more of a surface feature?
Jessica, outer body types are, to some degree, determined by skeletal structure, but the skeleton is only part of the issue. Muscle mass and fat deposits also affect the outer appearance of the body, in both men and women.
Whether there is a wider range of shapes in the female frame is questionable. Males, in general, have a greater ability to gain muscle mass than females, so in terms of muscle alone, I would suspect there is a greater range among men. And while fat accumulates in different places on men than on women, both sexes have the capacity to gain fat to a similar degree. I’m not an expert on this, but I would think that the range of body types among men and women are ultimately pretty similar.
Traditionally, body types of both sexes have been classified as endomorphic (high body fat), ectomorphic (thin and lean), and mesomorphic (thick and muscular). Of course, people’s bodies can change over time. An ectomorph with a small skeletal frame can gain muscle through exercise and take on some of the qualities of a mesomorph, but that person will still retain a small frame. Likewise, a mesomorph can take on fat, but the thick frame and muscles will probably still be evident. If I’m not mistaken, more accurate systems (allegedly) for categorizing body types have been developed, but I’m not sure they’ve ever caught on.
This is a test.