The Structural Skeleton

In the 2nd chapter of Roberto Osti book Basic Human Anatomy an essential visual guide for artists, a Hybrid conceptualization is explored in great detail. What is meant by Hybrid conceptualization is a combination of the Stereometric approach (which involves geometric solids such as cubes, spheres, cylinders, tetrahedrons etc.)

Conceptualization the skeleton according to its basic structures gives us an idea of how it is built, how its parts are joined together, how it moves and how the weight is carried and distributed. 

Hybrid conceptualization offers advantages, its easier and faster to draw and they create a more realistic figure. When studying these proporttions remember that they are generalization, actual proportions will vary somewhat from person to person.

Once you understand the method of analyzing the body you can come up with your own approach.

A few things about the rib cage, the 7th and 8th ribs are the widest point of the ribcage. The 11th and 12th ribs are barely visible from the front, they are referred to as "floating ribs" in this book. 

The female hips will be typically wider especially at the pelvic brim which tends to have a more oval shape. Whereas the male tends to be narrower and have a more heart shape. 

ALL text and Images are taken directly from Roberto Osti Basic Human Anatomy

Basic Human Anatomy

Basic Human Anatomy and essential visual guide for artists by Roberto Osti is as good an anatomy book as you can find in the market. With simple explanations and rich visuals it's a great book for any young artist trying to learn more and sharpen their fundamentals.

The Fundamentals of drawing are very simple, Anatomy and Perspective are certainly in top 5 most valuable skills for improving. Learn some Anatomy and draw better right, sounds simple but the reality is Anatomy alone takes years if not a lifetime to master, that's why it is important to start educating your self as soon as possible and as much as possible, going to your local library and checking out some of their art books is in some ways better then clicking through the endless internet

The Stereometric Method

The Stereometric Method was devised during the Sixteenth century in a period know as the Renaissance, Italian Mannerist painter Luca Cambiaso created many sketches and compositional studies with many levels of schematization. Painter Piero della Francesca, Paolo Uccello, Albrecht Durer, and Leonardo de Vinci all used this method before starting and big work.

"The artist with a good knowledge of Anatomy will be able to create more beautiful and accurate artwork because he or she will have the means to better understand the forms of the body" -Roberto Osti

Stereometric rendering can be used for compositional purposes as well as for studying light and shadow. Because the moving figure is such a challenging subject to draw or paint, it can be of great help to subdivide the figure into various components and then reassemble them. The Stereometric approach employs boxlike shapes, it can be slow and impractical so as you progress more organic forms closer to the human body can be used.

"Once you understand how the segments of the body relate to proportionally and how they are connected you can start to create a variety of poses" -Roberto Osti

ALL text and images are taken from Roberto Osti Basic Human Anatomy