Week 3

This week was spent working on the rib cage. We spent a lot of time on the skeletal structure of the ribs and their placement on the body. I thought it was interesting to learn about the various landmarks on the body such as the pit of the neck and the pit of the stomach. Keeping those points in mind will help me to see the placement of the ribcage on the model and translate it more accurately in my drawings. It is also important because this is the area from which a majority of the body's movements begin. The spine allows for all movement in the body and the ribcage is directly related. Understanding the way movement channels through the torso and upper body will be an important concept in understanding the human form.

We spent some time drawing only the spinal column and the ribcage. We were taught to imagine the ribcage as an egg, which made it easier to envision something that I had never actually seen before. It was interesting to see how a very subtle difference in angle of either could change the movement and pose so drastically.

We also spent some time doing longer poses which included the whole figure. We were still instructed to draw the spinal column and the rib cage first, then add the rest of the figure around them. It was amazing to see the difference in how my figures were structured when I drew them this way, rather than starting with the head as I normally would. I believe this way of drawing allows for more accuracy in the finished form, as well as helps describe the pose the model was in. It is also true that if the spine and ribcage aren't in the correct placement, the rest of the figure will be incorrect as well, so drawing those first will allow the rest of the figure to fall into place with a little more ease. It will be important for me to keep this thought in mind when doing my drawings.