The Artist’s Guide to HUMAN ANATOMY Gottfried Bammes Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New YorkTranslated from the German by Judith Hayward in association with First Edition Translations Ltd., Cambridge, England. Copyright German-language edition copyright © 1990 by Ravensburger Buchyverlag Otto Maier GmbHt English-language edition copyright © 1994 by Transedition Books, a division of Andromeda Oxford Limited All rights reserved. Bibliographical Note ‘This Dover edition, fist published in 2004, is an unabridged republication of the English translation originally published by Chartwell Books, Inc. Edison, ‘New Jersey, and Transedition Books, Oxford, England, in 1994, The original German edition was Studien zur Gestalt des Menschen, published by Ravensburger Buchverlag Otto Maier GmbH, Wiener Neudorf, Austria, in 1990, Library of Congress Cataloging-in- Publication Data Bammes, Gouied [Studien zur Gestalt des Menschen. English] ‘The anst’s guide to human anatonyy / Gotfied Bammes. pen Originally published: Abingdon, Oxfordshire : Transition Books, 194, Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN 0-886-43641-1 (pbk) 1. Anatomy, Artisti. 2. Drawing Technique. 1. Tile 1NC760,82813 2004 74349-4622 2004052768 Manufactured in the United States of America Dover Publications, In, 31 East 2nd Street, Mineola, N.Y. 11501,List of contents Introduction /7 1, studies of proporion/9 2. studies of sanding and seated poses in repose /20 3. sues of iocomotv and expressive movements /32 , sete ofthe stl and head /36 + Studies ofthe construction, function and plastic behavior of the leg/44 6. suis oftne construction, function and movement of the torso / 55 7 suds of te stleton based on viulzaton/69 8, stuies ofthe construction, functioning and plastic behavior ofthe hand and arm /75 9, seuties othe whole gue /107 List of contentsIntroduction ‘This book presents the reader with almost 20 study drawings which demonstrate that a confident working understanding of anatomy can bean invaluable tool forthe artist. The drawings were produced over a period of four semesters of weekly three hour lessons. Te standard achieved after one year of study was tested by an intermediate three-part exam lasting four hours partly based on visual imagination, and the second year was concluded bya drawing projet, again in three pars and again party based on visualization For the tests a the end of the second semester (rst year), students were allowed a short time with a model to study his or her pose and analyze the constructional skeletal forms, the ‘groups of functional muscles in action and the ving form ofthe leg (see fig, 63) The final exam atthe end ofthe fourth semester (second year) followed the same procedure — extended to the ‘whole figure — with a special bias (see ig, 162) relevant tothe student's area of stud. This book also contains examples of ‘work produced by students attending Bammes intensive courses at Zurich and Salzburg, ‘What training and educational objectives, beyond anatomical knowledge, do the drawings reproduced in this book demonstrate? ‘When faced with a nude model, beginners ~as well as feeling embarrassed — are usualy confused about where to begin. The information about proportion provides important basic guidance suggesting thatthe figure be approached as an articulated entity in which the parts reat to the whole (figs. 1-13). The forms of the human body have varying characteristics and interactions, ‘Values relating to impression and degrees of visual weight are discovered, to do with the main forms andthe subsidiary, {intermediate and transitional forms that accompany them. We ‘work out a hierarchy of forms — not only in the context of studies of proportion — and the connections that exist within it “Anatomy for atts aims to highlight what unites rather than ‘what separates, and itis only to work toward this end that we undertake studies of individual pars Another priority for becoming Nuent in figure drawing is familariy with the way the figure a rest and in motion invariably conforms to certain rules (gs. 17—41). The rules Jeamed when studying proportion can easly be extended and applied to the body t must be realized that a standing or sitting position (igs. 3-16 and 28-34) isnot just a question of ‘mechanics — there is always a psychological aspect a well. The person drawing must always empathize with the model's gestures, sharing in the experience and endurance of tension, and its release. This book provides introductory examples and ‘methods of procedure that are practicable even for beginners IntroductionOfcourse thes fist ife drawings and wha they can achieve in terms of conceptual complexity have their limits, In order to understand how the human body functions, students must also familiarize themselves with te structure of its individual part, Only close studies supported by analytical methods enable students to convey form and function as they interact. If for example, you want to understand the essence of what happens to the form ofthe knee when it bends (gs 57, 59-65), you must have a thorough knowledge ofthe construction ofthe skeleton ofthe knee a5 regard form, components, structure and mechanics. The same is true ofthe torso (gs 83-95), pehis (igs 58-60), ib cage and the mechanics ofthe spinal column, The behavior ofthe soft, Neshy forms can then be inferred. Thus, we have to construct the figure from depth if we want more than a clever but facile result. Tat is why the forms of the human {framework must be simplified as far as possible, and why I always pat greater emphasis on the abstractve skeleton forms than on ‘the musculature (figs 79, 80, 82, 66, 102-109). Of cours, once inlvidual pants ofthe body are known to the student (and can be drawn from a mental image of them), they have to be fited back into the whole. Consequently the sequence of drawings contained in this book demonstrates that all graphic studies of parts ofthe body or the body asa whole ‘must ist be supported by the ability to draw the constructional forms. They area distillation of form, conveying information regarding what sor is not possible in functional and plastic terms. Conveying how the organism responds tothe demands ‘made upon itto perform also becomes the purpose of the drawing Ifyou consider depicting forms of the body to bea kind of structural drawing, then it is even more important to have an architectural understanding of the lve appearance ofthe body in onde to portray it (igs 152, 87, 153-159). Ibis a question of| ‘working out the structural inerpay between supporting and supported forms, between the relatively constant framework forms tat provide tablty and the changeable, pendulous forms ofthe soft pars of the body. This applies not only tothe sirctural processes ofthe gure asa whole, but koto the functional ones. In other words the body conceived asa building must evoke inthe person crawing it the main elements of a building, the solid core shapes and the container shapes, and at the same time it must be possible to see through these so that ‘each individual item i assigned to is proper pace. ‘Constructional form determines appearance and isa component cof essential form, Drawing form constructionally may bea valuable training exercise but there are other prospects and purposes implicit in it, The behavior ofthe sof, fleshy forms i a consequence ofthe behavior ofthe framework. In architectonic form — which Adolf Hildebtand saw as a form of attic nature study — this consequence does not produce showy muscular figures, nor the limp forms of dead matter which always crop up in artists anatomy even today. Anatomy for artists conceived in tis way has promoted an illustrative outer appearance of form, not «essential form, Perceiving form architecturally may be seen as a special way of understanding nature, asa statement about nature. The spirit behind the concept of something constructed also favors this approach (gs 182-184, 78), So, once more, efor is needed ifthe artist isto be free of otal dependency on a model, When | nsist that students must be able to construc a figure purely from their imagination without the presence ofan actual model, they have tobe such masters of their craft that they can draw the figure in is natural, human form (fig, 19). But this does not mean that from then on they can dispense with a model. Only once the fundamental facts have been filly absorbed can the unique form ofeach and every model ~ the head, arm, hand or complete figure —be fully ‘experienced and elaborated. The capacity for personal and subjective interpretation can ‘come into play only once students have a command of the complete repertory of rch practical knowledge and the ability to visualize — combined with the development ofthe inner eye. At that point the wide field of artistic creativity opens up before them, Ofcourse no amount of teaching can succeed in transforming the ‘mortal col’ into a work of art. Everyone must «embark on that journey alone, but we can take the student near to the cross-over point (gs 171,174, 182-185, 194). The naked hhuman body as an ‘object’ of ie study sas great a mystery a8 art itsele. 1 see drawing human forms primarily as an organizational task. Understood in tis way it can capture an important piece of vividness fom our world whichis becoming ever les vii. Creating order through drawing means wresting a smal bit of cour world away from chaos and making itacessble to scrtiny and cerainy. Seeing with understanding and drawing with understanding may at present be regarded with suspicion as having a science- based, therefore indiscret, relationship with the body. The veil covering a great mystery sifted ever so slightlyStudies of proportion ‘The approach we adopt rules out any rigid theory of proportion with set basic measurements (modules) and an established esthetic canon, Instead we use a method that tats with the individual proportions ofeach quite different model, The total height ofthe model is structured by establishing measuring pints and checking the sections marked of by them for Coincidences or similarities. in practical terms this means that we frst establish the overall height of the igure from the soe ofthe foot to the erown ofthe head, draw the middle axis ofthe body 4s. connectng lin and mark off on its horizontal es the lengths measured from the mosel that re alike o similar (height proportioning) The geometric center ofa womans body is certain to coincide with the position ofthe pubic bone, i. the length ofthe upper pat ofthe boxy cortesponds with that of the lower par. ‘After the frst basic proportioning, other reference points ia the upper and lower pars ofthe body are investigated, For example we find the postion ofthe nipples (gs 1-6) litle below the top quarter ofthe body, while the lower edge ofthe ‘kneecap (coinciding with the interartcular space) isin the bottom quarter, which means thatthe length ofthe upper legis equal to that ofthe lower le pls the foot. Height proportioning is further refined as indicated. The height ofthe head (chin to the top ofthe sku, the length ofthe neck, the position ofthe navel and the waist, the length ofthe knee as an intermediary form between the upper and lower leg and the height of the inner ankle are also noted Once thas been established, the head height (is an appropriate measuring unit or module for determining other ‘measurements and assessing how far an individual model conforms tothe canons of proportion. Figs 1-6 show thatthe ‘models used conformed to the 8H canon in proportion. ‘Measurements that ae less than one head height can be expressed a fractions of it: neck-length c. /;—"/H, height of ankle /4H, and so on. As wellas being referred to the H module all measurements should be compared with one another Once the height proportions have been established, a similar process is carried out to ascertain the widths of the hoszontal axes of the body, Typically the widest measurement ina female body is acros the broadest pat ofthe hips, often exactly 2H, while the narrower measurement between the edges ofthe shoulders is often approximately 1/4H. Since the widest body measurement on a woman (across the hips) does not exceed 2H, a rectangle 2H wide by 8H high can be blocked in as a check onthe igure; subsequent freer proportion stuties can then be sketched into provide a broad ‘overall view the widest points ofthe horizontal measurements are joined, a simple proportioned figure consisting of ‘geometrzed forms emerges This simple guide to proportion is not 2 rigid dogma, and can be applied to every model Itis extremely important to work out the rough, broad forms of the sections of the body (e.g, the rectangle of the torso, the ‘trapezoid of te hips, the intermediate shape of the stomach, the ovoid shape of the head, etc): ‘© Simple forms are easy to remember and eye-catching ‘© The fact that simple forms are easy to visualize help you to understand functional processes (figs. 18-22). Only once they have been understood will you be able to convey the bchavior ofthe forms of the soft, eshy pats ofthe body clearly and convincingly, eg. compression and stretching ‘After drawing up the geometrized proportioned figure, two further stages are necessary: (© Making sense of the contours and formal accents by drawing in extremely simpiifed skeleton forms (Big 4, blue lines). ‘These represent the bass for the formal structure of each section ofthe body and for understanding organic and functional processes (igs 17-24). © Fling in characteristic subsidiary forms (e.g, breasts, layers of faton the hips, fanks and knees, igs 3,5) on the outine figure. Iris good idea to master all these stages using broad lines to avoid creating indeterminate images and to achieve precision of form, Only now is it appropriate to undertake three-dimensional studies ofthe body in both front and back views (figs 6,8): ‘Study the spatial gradations and draw inthe forms of the body nearest tothe observer and those around them using denser or lighter shading, ‘Drawings that have an almost pictorial quality (Bigs 9,16) can be achieved by producing 2 composite whole figure (these are not silhouette cut-out}. New problems relating to proportion arise when we come to the profile. As wel as the procedures that have already been covered we have to consider the rhythmic patter of the body (figs 10-15) (© ‘The figure is constructed around the structural line that runs through the opening ofthe ear and the joints ofthe shoulder, cow, hip, knee and ankle ikea plumbline, (The slanting axes formed on the side of the stomach by the volumes represented by the ib cage and pehis create an cbtuse angle (0 there must be no vertical stratification). ‘© The buttocks, front of the thighs and the calves along with the upper body form shapes that project alternately to back and from. Chapter 1 Studies of proportion1. GEOMETRICALLY SIMPLIFIED PROPORTIONED FIGURE This study is executed in red chalk crayon using long unbroken lines so as not o get lost in anatomical details. The procedure for marking off height proportioning can be recognized ftom the lightly drawn horizontal axes Student of stage design, first semester ‘2 GEOMETRIZED PROPORTIONED FIGURE, IN A VARIATION OF THE STANDING POSITION The new directions ofthe limbs and the shapes ofthe intermediate spaces enclose by axes produce useful check points in the drawing ofthe figure. Student of stage design, fist semester 3 DRAWING IN SUBSIDIARY, INTERMEDIATE AND TRANSITIONAL FORMS ON! THE PREUMINARY PROPORTIONED FIGURE This phase uses what has already been learnt to introduce 2 stronger suggestion of individualized ive appearance From the Salzburg intensive course, 1988 4 MAKING SENSE OF THE QUTUNE OF THE FIGURE BY INSERTING SIMPUFIED SKELETON SHAPES ‘The geometrized shapes should not be adopted by the student as schematic forms without any further thought. The ‘comers, or accents, of the outline shape are given a primary anatomical and organic justification. Student of Pinting/graphic at, first semester Chaprer! Tt ‘Studies of proportion6 EXTENDING THE STUDY OF PROPORTION BY EXAMINING THE BODY FROM A THREE. DIMENSIONAL VIEWPOINT ‘The pats ofthe body that protrude farthest are indicated using different ‘weighs of shading, The proportional construction ofthe body is now primary based on estimation. From the Salzburg intensive course, 1988 7 STUDY OF ALTERED PROPORTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS IN BACK VIEW ‘The horizontal axis atthe middle ofthe body is still the basic guideline. The horizontal crease made bythe buttocks is below that level. The line ofthe shoulder ‘bones runs down from the tip ofthe shoulder From the Salaburg intensive course, 1988 ‘5 COMPLETED STUDIES OF THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE OF TWO DIFFERENT MODELS Tis lar from the Rgures that the ‘exile’ method of recording propor tions has nothing to do with stereotyped ‘proportion templates’. Straight and rounded contour lines join up. From the Salzburg intensive course, 1988 8 STUDY OF PROPORTION WITH MORE DIFFERENTIATION, Itis not only extemal forms that are diferentiated; intemal shapes are also perceived three-dimensionally in very subtle gradations relating to spatial rather than anatomical fctors, Light, open areas indicate concavities From the Salzburg intensive course, 1988 Gaperi He ‘Studies of proportion9 PROPORTIONAUITY UNKED WITH SURROUNDING SPACE ‘The two figures sketched inthis study of proportion ar placed in spatial relation to one another (the intervening space) and the surrounding space the foor surface and the patton). The kinetic hatching is no longer ted to the linear sithouette From @ Bammes course atthe Schule fiir Gestaltung, Zurich 44, apreri Studies of proportion