Bodies Come Crashing to the Ground

Drawing human anatomy can be an adventure if you take it to the limits. Artist and draftsman Leah Yerpe certainly does. Her large- and small-scale drawings feature figures freefalling, tumbling, and twisting as they swoop across the page.

For instance, in the body drawing Pleiades, the artist shows a commanding understanding of the diverse movements of the body's core. The barrel of the torso is shown as it folds over itself; it expands through the rib cage when the figure arches her back; and her hips tilt to follow the backward movement of the legs.

Yerpe also has an anatomical sensitivity when rendering what I like to think of as the exclamation points of the body--the hands and feet. These may not be the first thing you pay attention to when viewing her drawings, but they are the culmination of all the bodily tension and power she is showing. If an arm is bent and cocked back, chances are the hand is drawn in accord with the movement--fingers clenched into a fist and the tendons in the wrist slightly bulge.

Human anatomy for artists can be a gateway for incredibly dynamic and unprecedented figural works, allowing you to explore the body's full range of motion. For drawing anatomy, seek anatomy drawing guides that will allow you to see the action of the body in real time and explore how to artistically express all the movement and power inherent in our bodies. Enjoy!

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Bodies Come Crashing to the Ground