Studying the general workings of an artistic subject is important for any artist. By knowing what your subject is, what it looks like, and how it works, one can gain a much better understanding of the drawing principles of that item. For example, in order to draw a vase well, one must know first of all what a vase looks like in real life, and furthermore understand how to depict it as a three dimensional shape with curved and rounded areas. The drawing of animals also uses this basic idea of knowing your subject matter. To draw any living thing well, one must understand how that being functions. How does it stand? How does it move about? How is its weight distributed while in action? All of the answers to questions such as these should be known prior to picking up a pencil. By doing the proper research beforehand, your artwork will turn out far more detailed, accurate, and appealing to the eye.
In this section, you will learn about the anatomy of a skeleton. You will begin to understand how some animals’ skeletons function and why this is so. In addition, you will learn what to look for on a skeleton when choosing an animal of your own to draw. This section will also explain exactly how knowing your animals inner workings will improve your art and please both you and your audience. You will be provided with examples throughout the book to help illustrate these principles. Use them as a guide and reference for your own work. Any reference images you may choose can be substituted for the ones provided here so that you may apply them to your own art. We will begin with the very basics: how a skeleton works.
Skeletons are, for the vast majority of more complex beings, the framework for their bodies. They give shape to the body by supporting muscles and tendons, and protect the internal organs. The skeleton in art serves much the same purposes. It gives a framework for the body by mapping out the shapes with which the body will be formed. Not to mention that it gives an accurate layout for all other pieces of the anatomical puzzle. When drawing creatures, you should know what the skeleton looks like. Where the bones are positioned in relation to one another, what their range of motion is, and the relative shape of the bones is good to know and study. The distance from shoulder to hip bone, for example, helps to determine how long the spine should be between the two. In addition, knowing how the bones attach to one another and how they move in tandem is key.
While much of the skeletal system can be guessed, another large portion can come as a surprise. For this example, we will be observing a cat skeleton. Of course, it has a skull and spine and pelvis. Such bones exist in many creatures and thus are easy to identify. Chances are you would not need to see a skeleton in order to know that these bones exist. It isn’t, however, the bones themselves that must be learned. Rather, it is the variation of bones between species that must be learned. After all, knowing what a human pelvis looks like will not teach you about a cat’s pelvis. Nor will it teach you about any creature’s that you choose to study, save for the human itself. *
Let’s look at the shoulder bones. Specifically, we will be examining the scapulae and humerus’ of both the human and the cat. In a human, the scapula would lie flat against the ribs, extending about a third of the way down the back. Further upwards, they would attach to the humerus and clavicle to form the top of the shoulder. In a cat, the scapulae are positioned much more to the sides of the cat, nearly parallel to each other, versus being mirrored as with humans. They still form a joint with the clavicle and humerus, though this joint is closer to the throat. These differences are key in deciding how your subject will look in all positions and actions. Following these guidelines will allow your art to look far more appealing to your audience. Even in “cartoony” or “semi-realistic” styles, anatomy serves as a strong reference point from which an understanding of the art itself can be drawn.
When drawing an animal, it is important to know what to look for in the anatomical structure. You should pay attention to all details that may differ from what you are familiar with. If you normally draw dogs, and are now moving on to horses, focus on the skeletal differences. What differences are there in the structure of the muzzle? The teeth and tail-bones? The legs and paws? Seek out the obvious visual differences, such as paws versus hooves and study how the feet of both animals differ in structure and function. When you move on to sketching a skeleton for practice, try your best to match your reference exactly. Every little dip and spike in the skeleton serves a purpose and supports some part of the body. They cannot be omitted or changed, else your art when it is finished will look awkward and be inaccurate. Even an inexperienced eye will know when something is anatomically incorrect. The art will certainly look “off” to the eyes of an audience.
