Studying Anatomy from Historical Drawings: The Torso (Patreon)

The torso forms the core of most of the gestures we draw. Because of its large mass, much of the dynamism in a pose can be conveyed with a well-drawn torso. It is split into two sections, the ribcage and the pelvis, connected by the spine, which means they are always moving relative to each other.

On the torso there are a lot of essential landmarks in the skeletal and the muscular systems. These help with proportion, but are also key to linking gesture to a more finished drawing. The visibility of the bones and muscles of the torso depends on body fat, which has to be quite low to see them clearly. However, even when there is more body fat, they still affect the outer forms of the body.

Main Image: Cavaliere d'Arpino - 'Study of a Male Nude'

Gesture and Structure

Knowledge of anatomical landmarks – reliable points on the body that won't flex or bend into a new form -  can help us understand how artists use the body's structure to convey gesture clearly, and push it further. Most landmarks are part of the skeleton, as bones should not change shape.

Because the ribcage and pelvis move relative to each other, it is important we understand how to indicate where these body parts are in space. This links up gesture to three dimensional structure, and this is done by navigating landmarks.

Michaelangelo – 'Standing Male Nude' I have drawn over a simple version of the skeletal structure of the torso, using the landmarks (found comparing this drawing to the human skeleton) to place them. 

1.  Collarbones

2.  Pit of the Neck and Sternum

3.  10th Rib (This is the last 'full' rib at the bottom of the ribcage, but there are a couple more.)

4.  Navel

5.  Iliac Spine (End of the iliac crest.)

6.  Iliac Crest

We can use the collarbones and 10th rib to find the angle of the chest (watch out as the collarbones can lift with the arms), whilst the iliac spine, the little bump on the front of the pelvis, helps us find the angle of the hips. 

Raphael Urbino – 'Figure with an Axe' Here we can see front of the figure is compressed and twisting, stretching out the back and turning the chest away from the hips.

As the spine bends and curves, these angles become offset against one another, leading to 'contrapposto' or counter poses. This is isn't just sideways tilts either; the spine can bend in several different directions, bending the torso forwards, backwards, and twisting it too. We can see in these examples that the tilting of the chest and hips creates a squashed side (blue arrows pointing into each other) and a stretched out side (blue arrows pointing away from each other). The squashed side usually has active muscles that are active, pulling two body parts together and bulging out more. On the stretched side, the muscles are inactive and flattened. 

Jacob Jordaens - 'Female Nude, Seen From The Back' The green lines indicate the tilt of the shoulders and hips relative to each other –  the more dramatic angle adds a sense of activeness to this reclining pose.

Another useful landmark is the centreline (indicated in red), as it will bend with the torso. We can see this fairly clearly; on the ribcage it is indicated by the sternum where there is not much muscle or fat, whilst lower down we can use the navel and the genitalia. The spine creates a clear centreline down the back.

Peter Paul Rubens - 'Perseus and Andromeda'

Look at how artists convey gestures in their figures. It is common to push figures beyond the limits of expected poses and really exaggerate the angles and twists without the viewer being aware of it.

Palma Vecchio – 'A Naked Male Figure Holding a Sword'

Anatomy of the Torso: Muscles

Many of the muscles of the torso look large, but in reality, they are quite flat, which is worth keeping in mind when you think about their volumes. Here I have broadly defined the major surface muscles in a simple way– these affect the anatomy we see most, but remember there are often muscles layered beneath that we don't directly see affecting articulation and volume.

Leonardo da Vinci - 'A Nude Man Standing with his Right Hand on his Hip and Holding a Staff in his Left Hand'

1.  Pectorals

2.  Abdominals

3.  Obliques (These wrap around to the back.) 

4.  Serratus (This wraps around the side under the lattisimus.)

As the torso is symmetrical, the muscles create natural rhythms. The pectoral muscles create a rhythm that connects the armpits, wrapping the volume of the ribcage. The abdominals show the connection between the ribcage and pelvis at the front, whilst the  obliques do this at the sides. The serratus wraps around the ribcage, forming a line to the nipple.

The muscles of the back are a bit more subtle than those of the front of the torso, and also are more layered.

Frank Frazetta – 'Tarzan and the Golden Lion' (cropped)

1.  Trapezius

2.  Erectors (These run up the sides of the spine and are tucked under other muscles, but they add volume around the spine.)

3.  Latissimus dorsi

4.  Obliques (These wrap around to the front.) 

Here we can see how the muscles influence how Frazetta rendered form, as many of his hatching marks follow the direction of the muscle fibres. This is particularly relevant in the back as the surface muscles tend to be thin. At the lower back, the erector muscles can often be seen through the thin latissimus muscle.

Over to You: Torso Studies from Historical Drawings

The below drawings show a variety of different torso poses, with good use of form and anatomy. When studying these drawings, try to focus on where the major landmarks are first, before starting with the muscles. As you locate muscles, be mindful of how they connect together and interlock – there shouldn't be any gaps. 

Again, try to find a good quality diagram for the bones and muscles of the torso – as we go into the figure, you will find it easier to work with reference designed for artists, as it focuses on the visible muscles.

François Boucher- 'Female Nude on a Dolphin'

Cavaliere d'Arpino – 'Study of a Nude Man Running'

Jacob Jordaens -'Study of a Male Nude Seen from Behind'

Frank Frazetta – 'Tarzan'

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This is the second  blog post in Lancelot's 'Studying anatomy from historical drawings' series, commissioned using money raised here on the Draw Patreon. 

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