#655 Animals in motion

It's important for the artist to understand that one of the main anatomical difference between upright humans and quadruped mammals on all fours is the shape and position of the shoulder blades as outlined in the previous 3 blogs. 


Below, is the clay model of a sculpture in progress depicting running horses.

   


Unlike humans, a quadruped does not have the skeletal support of a clavicle attached to the scapula and humerus. . .

there is no collarbone [clavicle] attachment to the scapula [shoulder blades] and the scapula is not attached to the ribcage.

The weight of the front end of a quadruped is supported by sliding scapulas and the muscles that surround them.
Birds like mammals are vertebrates, they stand upright like humans, and they have a clavicle.

While the shoulder blades are not attached to the ribcage, the hips are. 

   The artist should know how the animal's skeleton is structured and how it is designed to function.

The artist must sense when to exaggerate or diminish proportions to achieve the illusion of movement.

It's the subject's gesture or movement that the artist must capture.

Don't be afraid to "stretch" a proportion to trick the viewer's eye into seeing what you want them to see!

Caliper restricted and exact measurements can result in the creation of a specimen and leave the realm of art.

Calipers and measuring devices are useful for depicting poses of the animal at ease, for blocking in the start-up,
 and especially for those times when you simply stop seeing the work . . . you know something is wrong, but what?
Measuring can get you back on track but don't forget your first impression of the animal's gesture and action . . .
 refer to your drawings or take a picture of the existing work before making too many adjustments and changes.

Note:  A great book and resource for the artist is "Animals in Motion" by Eadweard Muybridge; published by Dover.

Remember, if you know what to look for and where to expect to find it, your art immediately becomes more easily accomplished.  Since the bones of a specific species are fixed as to length and restricted as to range of movement,

they can only assume positions that are governed by the laws of mechanics. 

The first thing to be aware of is the position of the skeleton.  All of this becomes evident if you know

where to locate the scapula (shoulder blade), the humerus, elbow, wrist, pelvis, femur, knee, and the ankle.  

Go to the BLOG INDEX and Reference Page for more information.  See post #616

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

Below, is a link to a credit list of references and resources used for preparing visual images of skeletal anatomy, and structural data for the instructional portion of this blog.  This material is meant to be used for teaching information and studio reference.  Not included in the link is "Zoobooks" which is an excellent artist's resource. Additional sources will be noted when used in upcoming blogs.

Link to post #616

#654 Plantigrades, Digitigrades, and Unguligrades . . . land animals

Please see the previous two posts for more information about this subject.

The focus of this blog is four basic types of land animals which are:
Plantigrades, Digitigrades, and Unguligrades . . . both odd-toed and even-toed.

1.  Plantigrades are slow land animals such as bears, raccoons, squirrels, etc. and the paws
 function similar to human hands.  The drawings below are from one of my journals and sketchbook.

2.  Digitigrades are intermediate speed land animals such as dogs, cats, birds, and most mammals.
Surprisingly, elephants are included in this group . . . much more about elephant anatomy in an upcoming blog.
Also, birds - who stand upright like humans -  are included in this group.
Digitigrades walk on the pad of the foot and hand as shown in the drawings below.

3.  Even-toed Unguligrades are faster land animals such as deer, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, antelope, giraffe, etc.
  I can find no info on why they are called "toed" instead of "fingered".
Below is a drawing of a cow that shows hand and foot basics followed by that of a deer.

4. Odd-toed Unguligrades are fast land animals such as rhinos and horses.
The lower leg and arm is the foot and hand region and the animal walks and runs on the toe and finger.
Below, a drawing of a horse shows hand [thoracic limb] and foot [pelvic limb] basics.

                                                                                            

Go to the BLOG INDEX and Reference Page for more information.  See post #616 and #655

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#653 Locomotive anatomy . . . deer

Please see the previous post for more information about this blog.

The focus of this post is anatomical considerations of the deer in motion.

Every artist knows that it's difficult to sketch a jumping or running animal.  Studying skeletons, muscles, and proportions of a species and understanding "nature's one pattern" and waypoints - see blog #644 thru #648 - is invaluable knowledge
for the sculptor and will initiate an understanding of all quadruped locomotive anatomy . . . deer included.

Drawing action gestures and lines in the field, will help you catch the spirit of the pose and will  prevent becoming
involved in the details before you have established proportions and character of the pose.
The legs of a running or jumping deer are moved one after the other in rotation . . . a horse moves the legs diagonally.
Shown below, are quick sketches created afield.

In the field, you will observe that at the beginning of a deer's leap or jump, the head and neck are extended.
As the deer lands, the head is drawn back.  Below, are additional drawings depicting the deer's anatomical structure.
Remember . . . drawing in the field is about curiosity; not the final product.
Look for the big picture . . . don't get mired in details.

Photography is an invaluable tool for the artist in the field.  This little Mule Deer fawn didn't see me crouching behind a bush and ran right toward me before veering off!  All four legs were off the ground and it was demonstrating a maneuver
peculiar to Mule Deer called "stotting".  White-tailed Deer don't do it but some African antelope do.

Shown below, is a recent sculpture of a White-tailed Deer in motion entitled, "Swamp Buck".

Shown below, is another sculpture of a White-tailed Deer in motion entitled, "Whitetail".

                                                                                            

Go to the BLOG INDEX and Reference Page for more information.  See post #616 and #655

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

# 652 Locomotive anatomy . . . muscle bunching, stretching and more

I've been a journal keeper for many years and my spiral binder journals are filled with notes, sketches, and lots of information that I've deemed worthy of writing down . . . many of my blogs originate from these old journals.  

Recently, I came across an entry that I hope is informative and interesting to you about quadruped anatomy.  

The focus of this post is quadruped locomotive anatomy . . . muscle bunching, stretching, and more.

Below, is an image from an old journal entry depicting locomotive anatomy; bunching and stretching.

Locomotive anatomy, or how the muscles bunch and stretch, must be understood by the artist.
An animal's body compresses, or bunches and extends, or stretches when in motion.
Below, are two images of a sculpture depicting muscle bunching entitled, "Coyote Clipper".

Below, is an image of a sculpture depicting muscle stretching entitled, "Stealth".
Note the stretching of the skin over the muscles from joint to joint.
An understanding of skeletal structure is a necessity . . . see "nature's one pattern" in blog #644
through #648 for more information about quadruped anatomy.

Below, is another image of "Stealth" depicting muscle bunching.

                                                                                           

Go to the BLOG INDEX and Reference Page for more information.  See Post #616 and #655

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#616 In the studio: Quadruped anatomy reference for the artist

Several days ago I received an email from a student who had taken one of my bird sculpture and anatomy workshops asking where to find quadruped anatomy reference for the artist.  I only teach workshops about bird sculpture but a large portion of my portfolio depicts a wide range of  quadruped species and over the years, 

I've collected many books about the subject which I use in conjunction with online data. 

Quadrupeds - animals with four legs - as well as humans all have the same general skeleton design. 

All mammals, including horses, dogs, cats, deer, humans, etc. evolved from the same prehistoric source and it's logical that their skeletons are fundamentally the same.  Keep in mind, mammals, like human, have two arms and two legs . . . their two front limbs are arms and their two back limbs are legs. 

 Humans have evolved in such a way as to not walk on all fours like quadrupeds.

The spine is the main support or armature for the body, the skull houses the brain, and the ribs form a protective cage around the heart and lungs.  Quadrupeds come in different sizes and shapes depending on how they evolved and were designed by nature according  to their surroundings and way of life.  Despite the diversity of design, the same main bones such as humerus, femur, etc. are in each creature.  The artist who understands this can easily interpolate known functional data about specific species such as a horse, dog, or cat to other species in the wild which are difficult to study from life.

It's easier to pick up your dog and note how the joints articulate than to attempt handling a wolf or grizzly! 

I have posted two previous blogs about this subject which gives much more information:

Blog #448,  Nature's one pattern  -  posted July 31, 2013   www.Blog #448

 Blog #450,  Comparative anatomy  -  posted August 7, 2013   www.Blog #450

Below, are eight anatomy books that are directed toward the artist.  I continue to use them all and they are the source,
along with "Zoobooks" for some of the instructional imagery and information in this blog. . . credit is given when used.  

I've included the publisher's name and to my knowledge, they are still available and in print.

Author: Gottfried Bammes                               Chartwell Books

Oxford University Press

Dover Publications

Dover Publications

Dover Publications

Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers

Dover Publications

Dover Publications

Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information.

The books above have been used as a source of information and imagery for some of the instructional posts
 in this blog and are individually noted.  This material is meant for learning and to be used
as a reference source for artists and students in the studio.


Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#603 Paris: comparative anatomy museum at the Jardin des Plantes

Please see the previous blog for more information about this post.

The comparative anatomy museum in Paris - Galerie de Paleontologie
et d'Anatomie Comparee - consists of two floors in an enormous building in the Jardin de Plantes, and is unlike any natural history museum

 I've ever visited . . . I could spend weeks there and I will return.

I've never been so overwhelmed entering a room . . . there were hundreds of skeletons identified by hand-written cards from the 1800s.  There were skeletons everywhere in the huge atrium . . .  a dizzying array of skeletons of every shape and size.   The academic ambiance was perfect for a figurative sculptor and collector of bones
and skeletons such as myself.  Osteology has long been
an interest and passion . . . I was in heaven!

Every imaginable species could be seen . . . including dinosaurs.  Glass cases and cabinets
filled with an astonishing array of bird skeletons and more.  I took hundreds of pictures and made
many sketches with notes.  Only a few students were there on the day we attended and as the image
shows below, I was able to sit on the floor and get great photographic angles of the specimens.

The collections derive from the great expeditions of naturalists of the 18th and 19th centuries as well as specimens

 from the zoo (menagerie) on the grounds of the Jardin des Plantes which we had visited the day before. 

 Barye, Bugatti, and Fremiet had worked in not only the zoo, but in the vast room we were standing in.

 I'm concluding every blog about our trip to Paris last month with a glimpse of life in the beautiful city.

The first photo depicts Sacre Coure on the bluff of Montmarte, looking north from the Musee d'Orsay on a rainy day.
We stayed in Montmarte . . . our hotel room overlooked Sacre Coure and the next photo, shows the view from our room.
 Our mornings started with coffee, croissant, and fruit in the room . . . the day's adventure before us.

Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information.

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish

#573 The studio in Canada: Cody quick-draw . . . planning

Last month I modeled a "quick-draw" sculpture depicting a domestic bull at the Buffalo Bill Art Show in Cody, Wyoming.  

For more information about the event and the creation of
the work, go to blog #567, posted on September 21, 2014.

The focus of this blog is my method of
planning and executing a "quick-draw".

  

PLANNING AND EXECUTING A "QUICK-DRAW" SCULPTURE

Quick-draw paintings and sculptures are popular with collectors at art shows . . . prospective buyers love
seeing artists under pressure to create a "work of art" in an hour.  To prevent your creation from being
a dubious achievement and to make the "quick-draw" experience interesting and rewarding for
both you and the collector, your success ratio dramatically improves with sufficient planning.

I've participated in many "quick-draws" over the years and my most successful efforts have been achieved
by modeling subjects that I am very familiar with or of subjects I had recently worked with.

While a live model can be beneficial, with only an hour to work . . . many times they are simply a distraction
unless there's a handler and several artists are working from the same model.  Also, the animal rarely strikes the
gesture or pose you wish to present . . .  especially birds.   I've found that a live model works best for painters.

A drawing or even a few lines such as shown below will keep you focused.

Below is an image of the "quick-draw" in progress.

When planning your creation, keep the design simple 

and present a strong silhouette of the figure.  I try to 

squint down on my work, eliminate unimportant detail, 

and strive to make the species of the animal recognizable 

from a distance.  This is especially important when 

the clay model is shown to the auction audience and a strong impression must be made from he stage and from a distance. 

Earlier this year I modeled another domestic bull and 

cast it for the Cody show.  The anatomy and overall 

"feel" of the subject had already been researched and 

addressed so it was logical for me to create another 

design of the animal at the "quick-draw".  

Although smaller, I used a similar pose, gesture, 

and overall dynamic of the original design.

Shown below, is the catalogue entry created earlier this year that 

was sold in this year's Cody show entitled, "Taurus Rex".

Taurus Rex
19"H 16"W 8"D
6,300

After the "quick-draw," painters sign their work and the winning bidder takes their treasure home.

Sculptors must return to the studio with their creation, make a mold and cast the clay model in bronze.
Multiple castings are available to sell at the auction which typically makes it a cost-effective proposition for the sculptor.

Below, are images of the "quick-draw" clay model ready to mold at the Canadian island studio last week.
I have repaired damage and dings to the soft clay model that occurred during transport from Wyoming.

To learn more about the subjects go to the links below.

For a complete list of the blog index go to the Index Page and

type the subject in the Search This Blog link on the upper right.

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish