One Of The Best Ways To Improve Your Anatomy Drawing

Let me show you how you can, with a bit of practice, take your anatomy drawing to the next level. Whether it's horse or human, large cat or dog, this time-tested technique will separate you from the pack and give you skills you never thought possible.
Buy my original sketches at my Gumroad store: sastudio.gumroad.com/
3D Total Anatomy Figures: store.3dtotal.com/collections...
I have no affiliation with, and I make no commission from this link if you choose to buy. I give you the link because it's a product that I use and have found valuable to my development as a western fine artist.
Music: Montana by Kevin Graham. Use granted through Artlist.io

[@Angels-3xist]

In many larger art productions different types of artists use other artists work to inform their own. If you create 3D models or sculptures, you may reference drawings or if you create drawings or animations you may reference the models based off of initial drawings. I don’t think there’s a wrong way for one form to inform another. With anatomical form part of it is about memory and building it in your head enough times so that it stays there. Building a system that works for you, so you can even use medical texts and videos or any kind of reference to build your knowledge and memory. The more we learn about any form and how it works, the more we can play with that as artists. Even if you have no idea where to start you can start with your own hands, or face or someone elses or maybe if you can’t afford expensive models, go out looking for something cheaper that you’d like to take home and copy. Ideally in future there will be apps that allow us to learn animal anatomy of all types cheaply with flexible models. Even just studying medical textbooks and videos is a good method and hey, you’ve probably learned something about your own body or medicinal skills and got your memory going. Helpful vid, thank you so much.

[@SteveAtkinsonFineArt]

Great comment and spot on. This is why I love reading the comments section. Any form of learning is helpful, as long as the place you're learning from is accurate in it's portrayal of anatomy. I know many artists who started sculpting the horse because it helps them to learn and create their own reference that they then can light however they want. I'm sure 3D is just another form of doing this and once the program like Zbrush is learned, it can be very helpful... but man, that learning curve can be steep. Thanks for furthering the conversation!!

[@davidu6398]

You got to be the first left-handed artist that I ever knew in my life

[@personalDM]

This is pure gold, a dirty job? yes it is! but if serious artists don´t do it, they´d never get to the next level!! Thanks Steve!!! 💯

[@SteveAtkinsonFineArt]

So so true personalDM! Draw on!!

[@TheSteelpony]

Excellent video, all respect. The only thing I would add (as a lifelong artist of equines) is the importance of also referring to photos and videos of the living subject. (As you know, your own sketches obtained from a real horse are best! But photos are much easier.) If one is to exclusively copy others' artwork, one is likely to perpetuate/exaggerate their errors, and realism will suffer. For example, note that in an actual horse, the back of the forearm should not be cut-in above the front knee; at most it should be a subtle curve where the tendons, under tension, join the bones. It is good to study anatomy books and the conformation ideals for the breed you aim to depict. Highly agree that practice is critical; it will build that muscle memory for best accuracy, or in whatever direction your goal lies--some artists do lean more towards cartoon or caricature. Horses are quite maddening to draw well...a lifetime of challenge there. *Love the Young Frankenstein quote.* Apologies if this is excessive blah blah blah....

[@SteveAtkinsonFineArt]

Spot on comment and I completely agree. I've taken a horse painting class where we painted the live horse. It's the best way to learn, especially if you are being taught by a master. Unfortunately, unless you own horses and can set them up regularly to draw or paint from, the ecorche is the next best thing... in some ways it's much better than painting from life because the muscles are plainly visible, whereas with a live horse, you paint what you see, but not what you know. Thanks for watching and for the excellent thoughtful comment. Happy painting!

[@elizabethsuttoncollection]

You have great videos and content! Your art is absolutely beautiful!❤️

[@pinkangel2393]

Thank you for this ❤

[@pavanpatel4590]

Hey Steve - happy new year! Was waiting for the next video, hope you were doing well. Thanks for making this video, love it!

[@SteveAtkinsonFineArt]

Hi Pavan, I appreciate that! This year I'm trying to make my videos shorter and more to the point. Thanks for checking in and happy 2022!

[@johncollado1151]

Happy New Year Steve.... as usual, very nice work and I agree with you completely, studying in this fashion is a big help down the road. Stay safe and hope the year is a prosperous one for you.

[@SteveAtkinsonFineArt]

Thanks John and happy New year! Hope you're doing great! Here's to a healthy 2022.

[@lindalou2372]

So happy that I found your site! I've been struggling with painting horses and this will help me so much!

[@SteveAtkinsonFineArt]

So glad this is helpful Linda. Happy painting!!

[@susanw6203]

Nice job, Steve! Appreciate the tips!

[@SteveAtkinsonFineArt]

Thank you Susan and you're welcome!

[@karenjohnson6487]

Hey Steve. Happy New Year Good to hear your voice and see your art. Definitely a good and interesting practice idea.

[@SteveAtkinsonFineArt]

Hi Karen, thanks for stopping by and it's always great to hear from you! I know these exercises have helped a great deal.

[@darranthompson6464]

That was cool

[@sujanithtottempudi2991]

Excellent narration...thank you

[@SteveAtkinsonFineArt]

You're very welcome Sujanith!

[@charlottehenderson1927]

You are Amazing! WHAT ELSE CAN I SAY !!!🤔

[@fuzzydragons]

i really need on of these models, should 3D print one 😀

[@malakbaruni6493]

I Appreciate ur work

[@SteveAtkinsonFineArt]

Thank you Malak, I appreciate you stopping in!

[@jaxfishn0]

Steve, great video! Very informative! Watching this video did bring several questions to mind, however. Are these models moveable? Can you bend the legs, turn, the head, etc? Are there ecoches for other animals, like cattle, or elephants, or even dinosaurs perhaps? Lastly, while I see the benefit of learning musculature from these models, I also know that your paintings contain lots of scenes of horses in motion, galloping, turning, etc and I wanted to know how you get those poses from the horse, where it is in full motion, and often with a rider as well. Those "action" poses would seem to be difficult to get from this model. Are those done by photographs or other types of reference materials?

[@majeddraws5104]

I did not expect you had taken Aaron Blaze's class! :)

[@SteveAtkinsonFineArt]

An excellent artist and teacher. I recommend all of his classes. Most good artists I know continue to take classes their whole lives. IMO, so many artists who teach should not be teaching, but take classes to improve instead.

[@miguelsuarez8010]

Hello Steve, as always, I appreciate very much your videos. Question: you said that the horse model is a 3d print? What is the source? Pdf file? In that case, is there a site where it can be downloaded?

[@SteveAtkinsonFineArt]

Hi Miquel, I'm sorry, I must not have been clear. The horse model is sold as a stand-alone sculpture and not as a 3D file that you could download and print on your own. They have not only the horse but also a large cat, a large dog, and many human models of varying kinds. I've put a link for their website in the video description area.

[@kallak9676]

❤

[@patknight12]

Where do you find those escorchette?

[@SteveAtkinsonFineArt]

Here you go: store.3dtotal.com/collections/anatomy-figures-animal