Draw the Skeleton to Learn about Proportions!

This is because all forms of figures are derived from the simple skeleton. Of course, this is not to mean that you will have to know every bone in the skeleton.

On the contrary, what you need to know are just the basic important shapes that compose the human body. This way, you have an understanding of the wireframe that the body is built upon.

So, we will begin with simple proportional sketches.

1. Understanding the proportions

One thing you need to know is that figure proportions are not necessarily as important as you think as you draw the skeleton. The reason is that it is rare that people will have the ideal proportions.

Most artists learn about the head as the best form of measurement and that the most ideal proportion fits within the eight head measurement. Although we are going to use the eight head figure, I want you to understand that you’re not tied down to this measurement.

It’s actually alright to use various different proportional sizes because an average person is 7.5 heads rather than a perfect 8. Also, the human body can reach heights of nine heads or more!

To get these other proportions, you just need to extend the areas around the middle section and the legs.

2. Building the grid lines

Since we are dealing with digital art as our main medium, I will get you to fire up your digital art program of choice. This lesson will not only teach you proportions, but how to use any grid functions.

The first thing is to locate the grid. For example, I can go to View > Show > Grid to get my grid up in Photoshop. Another option is View > Snap to > Grid, where I can snap the lines to any grid point.

With any tools available, create eight separations.

Once you have the grid set up, the next thing is to draw your guide lines and make the snap to the grid.

3. Draw the skeleton

So, from your digital program, select your digital brush and begin to draw the skeleton.

During the drawing session, pay attention when certain parts of the skeleton crosses the guide lines outlined.

Make sure the head is the main unit of measurement. That means putting the head in the first separation of the guide lines. After that, begin your measurements.

Key points of measurements is that the wrist fits exactly in the center, the shoulders are almost midway near the second and third division, and that the knees in the middle between the wrists and the heels.

Drawing the skeleton is very important for the next part of your learning: creating your anatomical mannequin.

4. The artist mannequin

Once you have the skeleton burned into your brain, the next order of business is to make it more manageable when you actually start your digital painting.

To save time rather than redo the entire skeleton, most artists use a mannequin to help them out. Basically, a mannequin is a sub-frame that fits between the skeleton and the actual figure.

The advantage is that it saves times while giving out the right measurements. For your learning, you will need to come out with a mannequin sub-frame of your own.

There is no real method to figuring out your own artistic mannequin. It is as unique as your own style. Some like their mannequins complicated while other prefer a more subtle and simple approach.

In time, you will use your mannequin to figure out your characters’ positions without real life references. Of course, you will also build upon mannequin such as muscles, light and shadows, and other forms of depth.

It’s like how illustrated dinosaurs are created just from using the fossils!

The choice is up to you and it all begins with learning how to draw the skeleton!

Return from Draw the Skeleton to Paint Human Anatomies.
Return from Draw the Skeleton to the 2d Digital Art Guide.