#427 In the studio: Bird anatomy, con't . . .

Please start this bird anatomy series with post #403, March 10.

Understanding the bird's anatomy takes the mystery out of drawing and modeling.  

The skeleton influences the surface appearance even though the bird is covered with feathers.
Identifying the bird's wrist establishes a point of reference . . . a landmark or waypoint . . . 

a unit of measure to determine wing shapes and proportions.  

All birds fall into a semblance of four basic wing shapes - see post 423, May 5, 2013.  

Identifying the wrist helps the artist establish proportion and pose.   

No waypoint is more important than the bird's wrist when modeling the folded or partially folded wing.  

By locating this boney waypoint, the sculptor can easily determine where the secondaries and primaries originate.  

Harbinger of Light

15"H 20"W 16"D

All sculpture and drawings - copyright Sandy Scott