How to Draw a Body From Behind

If I can teach yous one matter about how to draw the back of a person, information technology's that information technology'southward admittedly crucial to understand the position of the scapula basic (shoulder blades) as they sit down on the rib cage and glide around it.

Particularly when reaching out with your arms, the scapula could slide equally far as the side of the rib muzzle – commonly a lot further than the beginning artist would suspect.

To draw the human being back, identify the bending of the spine, and indicate it on canvas, then find the spines of the scapulas from which to connect and construct all the muscles of the upper back.

(For the beginner artist: note that the spine of the scapula is a landmark on the scapula bones, carve up from the spine itself – I provide detailed images below for reference).

In this tutorial, nosotros will go over the basic and major muscle groups you will demand to know to draw the back well. We will then expect at a few examples of how to construct a drawing of the homo back that has the proper anatomical features.

Before we get into the tutorial, I want to quickly become over my method of drawing the dorsum to give you some thought of what we will hash out.

Construction example:

In footstep i, we will place the overall shape of the back. Information technology can change afterward, but we need it to get us oriented. It starts with identifying the line of the spine, and creating a frame around it.

In steps 2 through 6, nosotros construct all of the anatomy and conform the shape of the frame nosotros created in step i. Calculation muscle groups step by step – detailed at the end of this tutorial.

Once the construction of the back is complete, I can add together shadows and highlights to create three-dimensional grade of the dorsum in my drawing.

Go along in mind, on the back – depending on figure and pose – sometimes the muscles volition stand up out and sometimes the skeletal structure (the scapulas). Inner portions of the scapula – closest to the spine often come out and stand out in less muscular figures.

In this guide on how to depict the man back, I volition cover simplified anatomy for the starting time – intermediate artists. We will go over the bones, and the general muscle groups of the back, and and then draw the human back from scratch through a pace-past-step construction. Some muscle groups of the dorsum are intentionally omitted.

Why is it so hard to describe the dorsum? How do we learn to depict the back?

Okay, so you tried to draw the back and looked at pictures for references, only it seems like information technology is not working or that the back keeps irresolute or that yous are not cartoon the right thing?

Why is information technology so hard to depict the back? Thankfully in that location is a simple answer.

The scapula bones on the back move and rotate around on meridian of the rib cage, and there are lots of muscles roofing them. Depending on the movement, (and the build of a person you lot are drawing), more os or more musculus will bear witness up. So not but does the scapula move nether the surface, sometimes it is covered by muscles, and sometimes it stands out (especially when the arm is pulled back), thereby changing the shapes y'all see completely).

The basic are under the muscles and sometimes push them outward, creating shapes that are hard to recognize.

How practice we learn to overcome this problem of drawing the back?

Nosotros accept to (one) know basic anatomy, the bones and muscles. (two) Place landmarks to which we can keep our drawing answerable. And of course, accept a fleck of patience every bit we practise.

So then, how does learning to describe the back look like, even if it is simplified. Information technology looks like the following steps, exactly the steps we will have in this tutorial:

Outline, an set on plan to learn to draw the back:

Learning the basic (simplified)
Learning the muscles (simplified) + and identifying landmarks
Step-by-footstep construction

Learning the Basic of the Back for Drawing

I need to cover only four bone sets to cover the back:

Rib cage to draw the dorsum

At that place is a lot of particular on this anatomical study of the back I did for practice. However, all you really accept to remember here is the shape of the rib muzzle.
The other thing to call up is that some of the lower ribs of the back will stand up out from below the muscles slightly when the effigy is curled up or arching.

Scapula to draw the back

Scapula basic, back view. Hither they are, the scapula bones. Remember their location and triangular shape. Remember that they motion back, slide to the side as the arm reaches out, and pivot with the lesser edge moving outward and up as the arm is raised.
Wow that is a lot to know Gvaat – yes, it is quite a bit, nonetheless but remember that when you will look for it in reference, wait at what the effigy is doing, then think about where the scapula bone should be, then try to find it on reference.

Scapula bones on the back, front view. Gvaat's anatomy study.

Scapula – the scapula is the most important for our construction of the back. Remember the post-obit: it is a triangular shape. It is non visible on all people in every unmarried pose, information technology is most visible on skinny people that practice not take very developed upper dorsum muscles. It is visible on all people during pulling movements. Upper and inner side are the ones that are normally virtually visible.

One of the best means to larn to draw the dorsum is to learn anatomy and so look and pictures and try to identify the muscle groups yous see.

The biggest landmark that nosotros will expect for is the spine of the scapula to it at the peak of the trapezius attaches as it overflows the scapula down the spine. Here information technology is for reference:

Spines of the scapula indicated on a drawing – sketch by Gvaat

Attaching at the other side of the spine of the scapula is the rear deltoid.

Finding the spine of the scapula and existence able to split up the muscles around it is the key to constructing the dorsum.

To describe the back then first nosotros volition block in the overall shape, and so scapula bones every bit they sit on the rib cage with special attending paid to the rhythms of the spine of the scapulas. Information technology's a cantankerous between the spines of the scapula and the spine itself that makes up the construction of the upper dorsum.

All other muscles of the dorsum can be synthetic from having this knowledge.

Humerus bone to draw the dorsum

This is the bone of the upper arm. Nosotros need to cover it considering the shoulder sits on its peak and because muscles of the back attach to it. Muscles achieve from the scapula and constrict in nether the armpit and attach to the humorous os. We will cover these muscles in the musculus diagrams below.

Curious about the anatomy of the arm? Bank check out my arm drawing tutorial here.

The clavicle os to describe the back

Front view.
The clavicle is the bone at the bottom of the cervix, that on the outer edges connects to the scapula and then drives into to the center of the peak of the chest. We are covering this bone because the trapezius musculus curves around from the back and attaches to the section of information technology.

Clavicle bones – dorsum view. study by Gvaat.

2 important reasons why we should know this bone to learn to draw the human being back:

The trapezius – a major muscle of the upper back partially wraps around the neck and attached to the clavicle. And, the clavicle connects to the acromion procedure of the scapula, creating the acromioclavicular joint, a major landmark.

The crash-land you run across between the traps and the shoulders in a standing figure at ease is the acromioclavicular joint.

Learning to draw the dorsum – the major muscles of the back

The trapezius

Trapezius musculus. (Anatomy written report past Gvaat – back view).

Trapezius muscle, (or traps) assist rotate the scapula upwards to lift upwardly the arm. Traps as well attach to the clavicle bone at the front end. Traps adhere at the spine of the scapula – like shooting fish in a barrel to see on a muscular person. – a C curve you see on backs with well-developed muscle is the trapezius attaching effectually the scapula.

Notice the trapezius encompass some of the bone of the scapula – specifically, the upper inner edge. This is important to remember because in some poses yous will merely run across the trapezius muscle, in others y'all will see the scapula push out creating a new shape – unless you know that the trapezius covers some of the scapula in this way, it is difficult to recognize and therefore difficult to describe.

Go along in heed that a portion of the traps overlaps some of the scapula as information technology stretches over it.

So the traps at the top attach to the spine of the scapula merely it is important to note that they get around to the forepart of the body and also attach at the highest portion of the clavicle. In this way, the traps create a sort of a tent around the neck.

The rear deltoids

Rear deltoid. (Beefcake study by Gvaat – dorsum view).

For our purposes of drawing the human back, detect how the existent delt attaches to the spine of the scapula, opposite to the trapezius muscle.

The lats – latissimus dorsi

Lats twist around and insert into the humerus bone on the arm. It'south the pull upward musculus, engaged when you do any kind of pulling action with your artillery. It starts at the lower back spinal process, attaches to some of the lower ribs, and covers the back, in some areas as a thin sheet of muscle.

The thin quality of it means that muscles underneath will become visible.

It is a massive sheet of musculus and thin on the back, getting thicker equally it twists around the side of the torso.

Latissimus dorsi muscle, covering external obliques (aka side abs). (Anatomy study by Gvaat – back view).

The Infraspinatus, the Teres Major and the Rhomboid

Rhomboid muscle. (Beefcake written report by Gvaat – dorsum view).

Rhomboids are pulling shoulder blades (scapula) back together, when you lot pull the shoulders dorsum, bringing the scapula closer to the spine on each side. They are under the traps, they become more revealed as the arms stretch and forcefulness the scapula bones to slide to the sides of the back.

Infraspinatus muscle. (Anatomy study by Gvaat – back view).

Infraspinatus muscle and teres major muscle are the ones showing nigh often. Infraspinatus ordinarily sits deeper in than the teres major. The teres major will stick out more, and tuck in under the armpit. It attaches to the front (inductive) of the humorus os, while teres minor attaches to the back (posterior) of it.

Teres small-scale (above) and Teres major muscle. (Anatomy study by Gvaat – back view).

Given that teres major attaches at the humerus anteriorly (at the forepart), we volition see this muscle carried forward nether the arm to the side of the torso.

Here is an of import flake: teres major is partially overlapped by the lat muscle. A bulge in the lat nether the teres major is actually a portion of the teres major covered past the latissimus dorsi. Try looking at some pictures and spotting this yourself.

The serratus inductive

Serratus anterior. (Gvaat's anatomy study – back view). This is the 'comic book muscle' – exaggerated in comic book heroes to give a serrated look to the side of the body of the figure.

The serratus anterior connects between the lats and the external obliques. Unremarkably not visible from the back, information technology becomes visible in iii-quarters view.

The erector spinae

Erector spinae are ii rods running at the lower back towards the glutes. They push upwardly at the lats from below. Although they run up the back as well, for the creative person they are covered by the upper back muscles. Focus more on identifying these at the lower back. While they are covered past a thin canvas of the lats at the lower dorsum, they stand out and are clearly visible separate from the major muscles mass of the lats.

Erector spinae musculus. (Anatomy study by Gvaat – back view).

Erector spinae muscle covered by a thin sheet of latissimus dorsi on the back. External obliques also shows. (Anatomy written report past Gvaat – dorsum view).

The external obliques

External obliques. (Gvaat'southward beefcake written report – back view).

Obliques are the side abs of the torso. Visible when drawing the back in three-quarters view.

All muscles together for cartoon the back

Let's put all the back muscles important for our drawing of the back together:

Tin you identify where the spine of the scapula is? It is where the traps run across rear deltoid muscles.

Here is a reminder! Keep this landmark in mind as nosotros describe the back.

Step-past-step structure of the dorsum

Step i: find the rhythm of the spine and block in the general form. When I say 'rhythm of the spine', I hateful try to place its angles as it runs through the trunk.

Here you meet me sketching effectually and identifying shapes

Step 2: discover the spines of the scapula.

Spines of the scapula indicated for reference with this step

Stride 3: connect the traps. Traps are easiest to identify. We know they run down the middle of the spine in the upper back, we know they cover the dorsum of the neck. We just demand to attach them to the peak of the spine of the scapula.

Traps – back view, for reference with this pace.

Pace iv: connect the rear delts. Connect the rear delts to the bottom side of the spine of the scapula.

Rear delts indicated – notation how they attach on the other side of the scapula's spine – opposing the traps.

Step 5: position the teres major/infraspinatus/rhomboid.

In this epitome, teres major and erector spinae were very visible and hitting by light. In this step I painted in the shadow to start defining course.

Step 6: draw in the lats, erector spinae, external obliques, and serratus anterior if visible.

Stride seven: once the musculus groups are in place, I tin finish rendering the piece, adjusting whatsoever placement of muscle if necessary.

Hither darker tones are added for the darkest darks of the shadows.

Steps to Drawing the Human Back:

Stride one: observe the rhythm of the spine and block in the general class

Step 2: find the spines of the scapula

Step 3: connect the traps

Step iv: connect the rear delts

Step 5: position the teres major/infraspinatus/rhomboid

Step 6: depict in the lats, erector spinae, external obliques, and serratus inductive if visible.

Step 7: once the musculus groups are added, proceed to render with shadows and lights.

Some other example of a back drawing study by Gvaat:

Drawing in the full general shape, the shape can change afterward.

Blocking in muscles after I found the connection betwixt traps and rear delts at the scapula.

I promise this guide helped you study this important topic! Knowing beefcake is super important to accept your figure drawing to the next level. Yep, information technology is a pain, and aye drawing the back can exist hard. Merely we tin can make information technology easier by studying the skeletal construction and all the muscle groups needed to construct the back, and by having a program earlier we set out to draw.

I highly recommend taking the time to study the muscles and know them. Yous only take to do information technology once and then y'all can employ it for all of your drawings.

Download Complimentary Learning Materials

Speaking of improving your cartoon skills. If similar me, you are studying to improve at drawing, I highly recommend joining my newsletter for free:

Bring together Gvaat's free monthly newsletter and download posters, .psd procedure and loftier-quality images from Gvaat's tutorials. You will as well get access to Gvaat's digital downloads library,including the 7 Day Artist Workbook to drastically improve your art skills in a calendar week, and many other goodies. Joining the newsletter is completely and super free. Follow this link to join!

carltonmenth1991.blogspot.com

Source: https://gvaat.com/blog/how-to-draw-the-back-a-step-by-step-construction-guide/