The face, head and neck ... anatomy 101

 March 16, 2021

This is where it takes time.

I always build the figure first, then I add the clothes. That way they hang right. Because there is so much of the head and neck area exposed, I need to make sure that the anatomy is correct.

First the skeleton, then the muscles over that then the skin over that.  I remember back in my college days (1968-72) we had to memorize skeletal anatomy and the muscles just like the Docs, from the Gray's Anatomy Book. Then we had to draw it all and sculpt it. Four and a half years of anatomy and figure drawing. 

As a "Painter", I learned enough to pass the tests. After I graduated I did not keep up. Why does a landscape painter need to remember the human anatomy? Ah the wisdom of youth.

Fast forward to 2002 and now I am sculpting the human figure and casting them in bronze for art galleries to sell. Wow, talk about a fast refresher course. I pulled out my old anatomy books, Gray's, Bridgman's, and a few more I can't recall and drew and sculpted like a fiend. I also had to remember that the proportions in the books were wrong for artists. The human figure is about 7and 1/2 heads tall. Artists usually use the 8 head high proportions, four heads from top of head to the crotch, two heads to the the knees and two more heads to the floor. I won't bore you with the rest, suffice to say the names and connections and actions of the bones and muscles are the same just slightly different in size.

I work first by adding the basic muscle shapes to the face and neck area, then I work different from most artists, I detail the left side of the face and neck only, then when I get what I want I do the right side. I know, bass ackwards and it makes no sense, but that is how I work. The wisdom of age.