Figure Drawing #14: Supination and Pronation

Have not been too well but here's some stuff. Art is one thing keeping my sanity these days but it feels very hard concentrating. For me art requires a great deal of focus that I have in less amounts these days. 

Supination and pronation are odd but I feel that I'm slowly getting the hang of it. Well we'll see.

Figure Drawing #13: Some studies

Some stuff from this month. Below are from imagination.

Below are from photos.

I should do more ladies haha and non muscular bodies. Eventually...eventually... After I get down muscle placement.

Figure Drawing #12: Muscles of the Lower Arm

These are some very confusing muscles. There are a lot of them so it's best to simplify them in to general forms as detailed in Hampton's book.

I've been sitting on these for a while but well I'll just post them already.

Figure Drawing #11: The Muscles of the Upper Arm

 Here are some things I copied from Anatomy for Sculptors. I felt I needed to consult it since Hampton's Figure Drawing book doesn't go in depth with origins and insertions of the arm muscles. The section on arms is kind of a quick overview compared to how Hampton walked you through each muscle in the torso section. I wish it was more in depth but maybe that means origins/insertions doesn't matter too much. (I think they do though) It also shows that having an anatomy atlas as supplement to a figure drawing book is useful if you want more detail.

The arm is one of those things that's better to imagine it as boxes to arrange all the muscles in their correct places. It's pretty confusing.

Figure Drawing #10.34585464: Crazy

Have been without internet for a while but I'm back. Haha the thing about internet is that it helps me stay motivated even I go on for an hour a day. Without it I feel less inspired to work which is ...an interesting thing to find out about myself. There are other things that have gotten in the way as well that demotivated me with drawing the last week but it's ok. I just gotta keep trucking. I did draw a lot, sometimes five pages a day of bad doodles. Not many were any good. I still have a lot of aspects that mystify me regarding art. I have to push through and figure them out.

I have to start taking on more art responsibilities and get back into the habit of making more finished work...

I'll try to resume looking at muscles independently in my posts.

Figure Drawing #9: Latissumus Dorsi and Scapula Muscles

 Some studies from Hamilton and photos and imagination. I think it's time to pause and do some figure drawing. Currently I'm trying to make sense of the muscles of the arm and it's frustrating. I think also my patience for art could use some work.

Watercolor Month: Part 1

Some watercolors from the last few days while in the backyard. I don't work in watercolor often so I haven't really gotten better I think but I did finally understand the power of wet on wet painting so there's that. Washes are still a mystery to me. Also I'm doing these in my sketchbook which likely doesn't have good paper but I'm surprised how well it holds up to my soaking it with water. Doesn't bleed to the next page. (well only sometimes). Also trying to actively think about composition.

I got Gurney's Color and Light book and it's definitely eye candy. It makes me want to bust out my ancient oils and do some studies but I think I have enough on my plate right now.

It's funny, I came by a page in Gurney's book about how ugly the color green is to people historically. And I sure can feel that in these pics. He gave some tips on how do remedy its unattractive intensity (adding more grey, or red) so hopefully my future paintings will be less ...verdant.

Figure Drawing #8: Even More Muscles; Rectus Abdominus, Obliques, Serratus Anterior, Erector Spinae

Stuff from the last few days. I am starting to understand the muscles now and the human body is becoming less mysterious. I guess after muscles looking at fat deposits may be useful as well. Also I'm interested in the squash and stretch,,. I think I need to do more figure studies and draw my own figures from imagination side by side.

notes 4 later: thinkin abt what instructional art book i should buy next... ive been hearing things abt gurney's color/light book. thinkin abt composition&lookin at molly bang's book... mayb it's good 2 research graphic design/abstract art/film 2 see how they handle it

Figure Drawing #7: More Muscles; Trapezius + Deltoid

I take it back, I think Hampton will occupy me for a while. Today there was swimming on tv which was great. Got to see the muscles on those people in action with new Hampton taught eyes. They make much more sense than before. Really neat. Got motivated to draw some cool gestures too. My aim is to study at least 2 muscles a day from Hampton. If I can do more, great. If not, no problem. There's always tomorrow.

Also did a portrait study. Inspired to work harder by beautiful portrait studies in permanoobs forum sketchbook section. I still have a long way to go. It took about 45 minutes hmm. I'm sure if it was color it would have taken more. Really trying to understand the planes of the face. Though I don't want to focus too much on rendering at this point. I'll render as a tool to understand the structure and form of something.

You know what's embarrassing? Up until a few days ago I thought edges were the boundaries of a form. I didn't realize it was the soft versus hard edged shading of forms. Well... You learn as you go I guess. I've been having a lot of these mini epiphanies regarding art in the last year. I mean, in a way I was thinking not too far from the right idea but there's more to edges I think. Using a variety of edges tends to add visual interest.

So my aim now is to get through Hampton and then use other figure drawing resources to supplement my knowledge of the body such as Anatomy for Sculptors and Loomis. One idea I had was make posts for each muscle and examine it in great detail. Also do figure studies of all sorts, keep referring back to Hampton and other notes for help.

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Under the cut are some reference materials

Figure Drawing #6: Muscle; Pectoralis Major + Sternocleidomastoid

More studies from reading Hampton. It's actually worrying me how quickly I'm going through all of these pages. Hampton's book seems to be an overview of simplified anatomy. He did write that himself. I should have a look at Loomis and other artists after this? I think going through Anatomy for Sculptors may be good as well. I should think about what resources the local library has.

I like having a physical book in my hands because I like studying outside in the backyard (Which is why my drawings have backyard doodles). I get distracted by everything else on the computer when studying in my room. Maybe I should find a way to bring my computer out there. The garage might have some power? Not sure. I need light distraction to focus on work.

July is world watercolor month isn't it? I'd like to try doing more watercolors even if it's not running and see how my paintings stand up to last year's. I'd like to work on my compositions through that.

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Under the cut are some parts of anatomy for sculptors that may be good ref material for the muscles in this post