Introduction to Tutorial
Tutorial 06: Adding the Arms to the Schematic Figure from a Front, Eye-Level View
There are 7 steps in this tutorial.
Fig. 1.
Step 1
Begin by drawing the inner contours of the upper arms, which are the edges of the biceps muscles. When the arms are relaxed at the sides, the upper parts of these muscles press against the sides of the body. In the drawing, that means these contours will overlap the upper part of the latissimus dorsi muscle on each side (anatomical feature 1, fig. 1), which you drew at the end of Tutorial 04.
The contour of the biceps angles slightly away from the torso. At the level of the bottom of the thoracic arch, the contour bends more sharply outward, ending at the level of the navel.
Fig. 2.
Step 2
Draw the outside contours of the upper arms, which are the edges of the triceps muscles on the back of each arm (fig. 2). These contours emerge from behind the deltoids, angling outward slightly more than the widest point of the deltoids.
About one head length from each side of the core axis, the contour of each triceps drops straight down toward the elbow. In the drawing, you may continue this vertical line into the lower arm, about halfway down the fourth head unit.
Fig. 3.
Step 3
Draw the inner contours of the lower arms, beginning about 1/3 of a head length above the bottom of the biceps (fig. 3). These contours descend very steeply toward the torso, then change direction around the level of the elbow to angle back outwards.
About 1/2 to 3/4 of the way down the fourth head unit, the inner contours of the lower arms should intersect the outsides of the hips. At the point where these contours intersect the hips, they may drop straight down to the insides of the wrists, about 2/3 of a head length to each side of the core axis. The inside of the wrists should therefore overlap the hips.
Fig. 4.
Step 4
Within the arm, the outer edges of the biceps descend from the lower points of the deltoids and run along the axes of the upper arms (fig. 4).
About 1/3 of a head length below the deltoids, these contours turn inward to point toward the bottoms of the inner edges of the biceps, at the level of the navel.
These lines may then continue past the bottom of the biceps until they intersect the inner contour of the lower arms, at about the level of the ASIS points. The lower part of this angle is no longer the outer edge of the biceps, but the inner edge of a group of muscles, the most prominent of which is the brachioradialis (sometimes called supinator longus).
Fig. 5.
Step 5
The outer edge of the same muscle group angles across the lower arm, beginning at the level of the ASIS points on the outside and crossing to the level of the wrist on the inside (fig. 5). Notice that this angle may continue into the hand just above the thumb.
Fig. 6.
Step 6
About halfway down the fourth head unit, the outer edges of the lower arm should curve or stair-step inward slightly, while mostly continuing straight downward toward the wrist (fig. 6).
Fig. 7.
Step 7
Finally, wrap the outer contour of the lower arm around the bony protrusion at the outside of the wrist, stepping the contour inward to meet the back edge of the hand (fig. 7). For now, the hand may remain as the simple shape you drew in for the appendicular figure in Tutorial 03.
Leave a Reply