Week 8: Anatomy

A directed study page of a series of 5 minute charcoal sketches. This is an anatomy study of the hand in various poses, and showing varying degrees of relaxation and tensing of the muscles. The two sketches at the bottom are quite relaxed poses, shown mostly through the openness of the pose, and the way the fingers are spread. By contrast, the pose to the right and in the top centre are quite tensed, shown through the opposite.

The pose on the left is also relaxed, as while the fingers are not straight, they are in a natural position, as the muscles are relaxed. There is also foreshortening in this pose, shown through the shadows created by the fingers, and also the curvature of the nails.

The flesh of the hands is given structure and weight by the tonal values and ways in which the tones have been made. The smudging of the charcoal suggests the curvature, which aids the viewer's understanding. These shadows are also focused on areas in which it is more necessary, such as the shadows of the fingers in the top left. This shows that time has not been wasted adding information where it is not necessary.