Learn about bones, muscles, and how to draw and connect different parts of the male/female body to improve your character illustrations with this anatomy tutorial by Eridey! The key to improving your drawings is to do your best and put your heart into your art. Anatomy is a challenging subject, but I hope that this article can be a quick guide for you and get you in the mood to keep learning. The spine is the body’s support and also allows motion in the torso. Its vertical shape differentiates humans from other species. It is not a straight line, but a curve. Its form makes the pelvis and the rib cage tilt slightly. 2. Dorsal or thoracic spine - supports the ribs. 3. Lumbar spine - a little before the pelvis, connected to the sacrum. In the neck, the cervical spine (1) is located just behind the jaw (2). There are a variety of muscles that operate the movement of the head.

The dorsal spine is the part that connects to the arms. The sternum (2) closes this structure in the front, creating, with the spine, an imaginary line that divides the body into two. Use this as a guide when you draw! The clavicles (3) are like a bicycle handlebar. You can think of them as shoulder support. Every time the arms move, they will change direction. In the back, you will find the scapulae or shoulder blades. They are triangle shaped and help move the arms. The shape of the back changes following the movements of these bones. The pelvis is located at the end of the torso, connected to the lumbar spine from the sacrum (1). On both sides you can see the ilium (2); and the pubis (3) in the front. As these are somewhat irregular bones, I like to simplify them by drawing a pair of discs for the ilium and the sacrum as an inverted triangle. The ilium (1) will guide you to draw the angles of the hip.

Note that female hips are generally wider than male hips - one of the main body shape differences. Limbs can move in many ways, but knowing their anatomy and limitations will save us from drawing unrealistic positions (or bone-breaking poses, ouch!). The humerus is in the upper part of the arm (A), a long and strong bone that connects to the elbow and articulates the forearm (B). In the forearm you will find the radius (1) and the ulna (2). These bones cross to allow the rotation of the wrist. Can you see a tiny lump just behind your wrist? (4) It is part of the ulna. You can use it as a reference point to locate the orientation of the arm in your drawings. The tibia (4) in the calf area. The legs should support the body and give it the balance it needs, but there is a detail that sometimes escapes us: the legs are not a completely vertical line.

To achieve a balance in your drawings, be sure to have rhythm. Notice the slight inclination in the femur from the hip to the knee, Buy Prime Boosts and the curves (fig. B) that create the contour of the leg (side view). Between the