Anatomy foundation, how to study

Boban · Mar 2014

So, Any advice of starting to learn anatomy from 0? I have no idea how to start. Also, i already accept the facts that i have to draw, and will do it.
But i also want to learn Zbrush, at least something. But what to sculpt in Zbrush?

Should i draw first skulls/heads,to study about heads what i can, and then to try and sculpt in Zbrush?

How someone can develop as character artist or to have something anatomy knowledge and to be able to sculpt characters in Zbrush, in 3 years?

SuperFranky · Mar 2014

Buy/find every anatomy book you can lay your hands on. Every anatomy video tutorial/workshop/youtube timelapses you can find. Everything you can think of. Then study it all. Then apply your knowledge in your form of choice, be it zbrush or photoshop. Start with heads, arms, legs and other parts. Use base meshes to get you started, because it can be very overwhelming working with dynamesh spheres or stuff like that. I walked this road last year, and I nearly gave up. Find some friends to guide you through it and offer mental support. For me, starting all that was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. If you have any questions, send me a message (twitter: @AlexOshep, g+ : darkconsoles@ gmail.com, skype: superfranky22). I'll be happy to help.

EmAr · Mar 2014

In addition to books, it would be awesome if you could find a way to draw from a live model regularly. Both long poses and short poses(30 second gesture drawings, lots of them).

If you can't find a model etc. posemaniacs.com is good for gesture drawings but I wouldn't use their images as anatomical reference in longer studies. Photographs would be needed for that.

EDIT: If you can afford, Scott Eaton's courses are awesome as well.

Swizzle · Mar 2014

The importance of studying from real people in poses cannot be overstated. While anatomy books will do a fine job of teaching you where all the little bits go, you won't gain an understanding of how muscles interact with each other and behave under stress unless you look at a live model or pictures and video of people in various poses.

To answer your questions directly, though:

But what to sculpt in Zbrush?

Anatomy studies. Select a region of the body and start sculpting it. You'll screw it up and it won't look right for a long time, but that's okay. With more practice, you'll start to understand how to represent certain forms.

Should i draw first skulls/heads,to study about heads what i can, and then to try and sculpt in Zbrush?

Do both. If you take some art courses or talk to some fine art people, some of them will tell you that learning to draw teaches you "how to see." That sounds like a load of bullshit at first, but what it really means is that drawing teaches your brain how to analyze and represent simplified versions of three-dimensional forms that you see in the real world. That translates into an understanding of how to draw those things without them looking weird.

How someone can develop as character artist or to have something anatomy knowledge and to be able to sculpt characters in Zbrush, in 3 years?

It just takes lots of hard work. That hard work consists of practice, research, and actually applying the skills you're learning by practicing even more.

Joao Sapiro · Mar 2014

stay away from zbrush when you start, i see lots of people doing that , they "study" anatomy on zbrush and it turns into mushy crap , just play with polygons, use as little as you can to define the shapes, like old school lowpoly models , be sure to study low frequency details ( main shapes of mass of muscle and bones ) than high frequency details ( wrinkles etc )

Boban · Mar 2014

I do play with polygons in Maya. But i model anything, but no characters. I want to learn how to make characters with Zbrush.

So to gather every book/video out there, and Start to draw heads and then use Zbrush?

firestarter · Mar 2014

http://illustrationage.com/2013/04/02/free-andrew-loomis-art-instruction-downloads/

'Figure drawing for all it's worth', learn the planes of the figure in polygons (as Joao stated just there), then after that expand.

tarickTDS · Mar 2014

I really struggle reproducing correct proportions in anything, Anatomy is defs one of my lowest skill areas. however i find that pure repetition and reference of any kind always reveals the results im looking for.

Its so tedious to look at something and sketch it over and over again until it looks right but unfortunately thats how i have to do it. Im not sure ill ever get around this personally, as ive done lots of life drawing, studied anatomy, sketched adn sketched and sketched. Im now of the opinion that some people are just really good at reproducing proportions etc.

That being said, there is no doubt practice helps alot, by practive i mean, taking for instance an ear, and sketching it over and over until it looks right. If you drew a body part 30 times a day for a month straight, im pretty sure you could sketch up a human with pretty good proportions without any reference at all.

Its a tough realisation for me, but without alot of hard work, ill never even be close to some artists who have got it down "naturally" or "inertly".

so if you suck, get working.

Should be taking my own advice

Boban · Mar 2014

I think that many people who started with 2D, are more better than someone. And they started from early age. I am 25, and seems i do not have that passion for Drawing.

SuperFranky · Mar 2014

You don't really need to draw to be a character artist. Drawing skills don't make you better all of a sudden in sculpting and other stuff, but they can certainly help. There's also no such thing as "too old" for this stuff, everybody starts somewhere.

Wendy de Boer · Mar 2014

I also recommend you learn the names of bones and muscles. This may seem kind of excessive and unnecessary from an artistic point of view, but you'll be amazed at how much better you will understand books and lectures on artistic anatomy.

MagicSugar · Mar 2014

DemonPrincess wrote: »

I also recommend you learn the names of bones and muscles. This may seem kind of excessive and unnecessary from an artistic point of view, but you'll be amazed at how much better you will understand books and lectures on artistic anatomy.

100% agree. But don't bother memorizing names by rote 'cuz it could be boring and counterproductive for you.

Better to use google images to understand the pertinent muscles (important to your sculpt) in isolation. Because muscles overlap and attached to different bones. In my self teaching experience, it's easier to digest $:\$ the data this way versus just relying on an anatomy book.

Good to identify by name:

- to help you identify what to add or missing in your sculpt/ model
- help identify details in a photo ref
- help you critique another artist's work without being vague (you can just give them muscle name and they can research it themselves further)

Still spending time studying myself and just realizing today I might have to include studying veins and arteries in the future.

This mornings "muscle-of-the-day": brachialis

Boban · Mar 2014

Thanks. Should i start to study the skeleton first, starting from the skull. Then to learn muscles also with the head and neck, then chest, arms, legs etc?

It will be not be a problem to memorize the names of the muscles and bones too.

But I'm not sure about the process of studding. I already have every possible book out there. But there a bit to complex for me to understand.

Edit:
I think i have to many books. and i am confused which one to follow and stick with it.

Anatomy foundation, how to study

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