ArrtUnitFive's anatomy studies.

ArtUnitFive

Hi everyone.

I need to brush up on my anatomy skills and also advance my Zbrush skills from their current introductory level to something more professional, so I thought I'd try and kill two birds with one stone (though I wonder if I bit off rather more than I could chew)

I'll start posting stuff here for criticism and feedback from you guys.

First I did a skull a month or so ago, it was my first time using Zbrush in a very long time.





Secondly this is what I'm currently working on. It's a full study on human musculature. One of the biggest barriers I'm coming up against is using Zbrush's tool-set to get the muscles to overlap and wrap around each other realistically, so any help anyone can give me in that regard would be wonderful.







All comments and crits are welcome and encouraged, thanks guys.

*edit* also I'm not a pirate arrrr

ArtUnitFive

Back again. I spent some time on the proportions and detail. I also had a bash at painting in Zbrush which is something I am unfamiliar with and utterly amateurish at, but practise makes perfect right?

I also intended this to be an exercise rather than a finish game asset so with that in mind I feel I should move on to something else but before I definitively do so I know there are a lot of areas I could improve and I'd like to have some feedback.

So; thoughts and/or crits?

LANKUS MAXIMUS

I'd spend some more time on the proportions before doing any detail. The arms and legs look very short.

You using any reference?

ArtUnitFive

Yeah several different sources, the over all body was based on a body builders physique but I gradually tried to bring the bulging muscles in a little, though it would seem in doing so I neglected to re-proportion the body accordingly.

Thanks for the feedback.

stevston89

Ok stop focusing on muscles until you have the proportions correct. Study muscles helps, but not if you don't work to get proper proportions first. Here is a quick paint over to get you in the right direction ( it's not prefect, but it should help):

ArtUnitFive

thanks guys, I went away and arranged the arms and legs to pull them away from the dwarfish physique, I really have a blind spot for proportion at the moment, something to work on.

Sakey

Ok looking good, quick break down from top to bottom of the general construction Anatomy improvements to keep you going. I'll use the proper names so you can google it instead of my usual description of "head-neck-strappy-thing" which is no use to anyone.

Neck - The sternocleidomastoid is made up of two parts, connecting into the back of the clavicle and the Manubrium. You only seem to have the Clavicular section. Also I think the 7th vertical vertebrae should be higher up on the back of the neck.

Chest Area- The clavicle is missing the S bend, they look to straight and they are too close at the pit of the neck I think. The abs seem too regular, adding some variation to the striations will make them less like an exoskeleton suit. I also believe the top two that sit on the ribcage should be smaller almost a half pack unlike the set of 4 below the ribcage.

Back - he doesn't appear to have a scapular which is key to the makeup of the back muscles as more a their position determines the shapes on the back and muscle locations. Do some research into this as there is a lot going on there. The Lats should connect to the highest point on the illiac arch, yours look to be a little bit far back.

The fibula should have a bend in it to the ankle ideally with the muscle at the front of the shin (the name alludes me) should go over it towards the inside of the foot.


Proportions wise, try using the transpose line in Zbrush to measure things. You can set it in the UI. This will help your proportions as this is something I struggle with all the time..... Me and my Short arm syndrome.

Anyhow looking good and I Hope that helps was a very quick glance.

ArtUnitFive

Hi Sakey, Thanks for the feedback, very insightful and helped me out a lot.

Here is the sculpt with your suggest improvements.

stevston89

Really stop working on muscle structures until you have your proportions right. The torso/ shoulder are way too wide and a bit short, the legs are too short, the legs are too thick ( especially the calf), the feet are to small, and the head is a bit too big.

Even if you are going for body builder proportions it is off. Body builders don't have wider or short skeletons just bigger muscles. Here is an image of Arnold back when he was a body builder. You will notice that his upper torso muscles and thigh muscles are much larger, but other than that he is pretty normal proportionally.



If you want to learn anatomy don't start with something completely distorted like a body builder. You want to start with a normal base line so that you can understand what is happening when things get distorted.

ArtUnitFive

Thanks Stevson. spent some time re-proportioning, I did do some based on your previous reply before too so I haven't been ignoring you

I actually studied anatomy intensely for a few years whilst I was at Uni and this was originally purely an exercise in reminding myself of muscle placement and structure, hence I went for a more "developed" physique but it's astonishing (and somewhat painful) to realise just how rusty I've become in all areas in my last few years of laxness on personal development.

feedback like this is exactly what will help me rediscover those skills though so I just need to work and practise more and hoping you guys will keep on helping.

stevston89

Your proportions barely changed. Here is a quick paintover gif to show you. First image is your old proportions, second one is you new, third is my suggested proportions.

ArtUnitFive

I grant you I changed them not to the extent you suggested, I felt I disagreed with some of your assertions as they seemed to preclude stockier builds, both your paint-overs (which I grant you are rough) seem to push the proportions more towards that of an ectomorph which I don't feel are de facto "correct" anatomy.

Looking at your latest paint-over though I think I can see a problem with my character concerning to height to head ratio, so I think that's going to be my next port of call, thanks again.

LRoy

As counter intuitive as it seems, you will learn more about anatomy by not doing a muscle guy. Muscles are only one part of it and it kind of teaches you to focus on the wrong things. The results will be better if you focus on normal people and the overall forms.



See how the muscles are there, but they're not really the focus?

Dimfist

LRoy has a huge point. Study the muscle groups and how they insert, learn the names if you can, and use natural ref when you can.
I thought I was looking at a buff 'little person' when I first looked. Steveston did a great paint over for you to get you on track!
Cheers mate.

ArtUnitFive

Yeah I think you guys are right, doing this exercise has really brought into focus just how far out of practise I am, I need to go an revisit the basics and also drag my arse back to life drawing more regularly, thanks guys.

PolyDom

Hey there, I just wanted to stop by and say keep it up! I too am a student of anatomy and sometimes its just a bitch. But good practice + polycount can really get you perfected. I just wanted to recommend starting over completely and try a different approach.

Try and recreate these images, once I did I swear it was like everything was beginning to click






I don't know who the artist of these are, they're not mine I wish I knew cause they have helped me out A LOT

Have fun and good luck!