Ape Skulls and Skeletons Assignment

inDrawing Dynamic Creatures

516

Assignments 118

Downloads 2

Ape Skulls and Skeletons Assignment

Lesson by

in Drawing Dynamic Creatures

516

Assignments 118

Downloads 2

Now that you’ve watched me demo the skeleton and skulls of apes. It's time to draw them yourself using the 3d models and photos provided.

Focus on obtaining the fundamental knowledge of these sources. The more you understand the source material, the more believable your imaginative work will be.

Do multiple sketches from different angles and try not to do the same angles I covered in the demo.

Once you're done sketching from different angles, try some memory sketching. Take the concepts you just practiced and try to sketch them again from memory only. This will help you find the areas you are exceeding and lacking in.

Aden Watson

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5mo

I drew the Chimpanzee a bunch and then a few skulls and the skeletal layout from memory. Then I moved on to the Gorilla which was observation only.

Valerio Capriati

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1yr

here are some of my updates , i feel ready for the new chapter actually . I really want to draw muscles , i have been drawing skeleton and skulls for 12 daya straight ahahaha what do you think about this?

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1yr

I think you did a great job with the skeletons and I love your enthusiasm. Looking forward to seeing your muscle studies!

Valerio Capriati

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1yr

Hi everyone, these are my results of 7 days of training in drawing, I notice clear improvements every day I think I did something better, from the third day onwards the sketches are all fantasy, the last exercise concerns the drawing of patterned heads in a maximum of 2 minutes, what do you think? I think one of my biggest problems is the view from bottom to top of the skeleton, do you have any advice on this? I stopped to draw a bit before moving on to the muscles, I think that without a solid base I can't move forward.

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1yr

I think your doing very well. You said you are struggling with the view from bottom to top. How I would go about it: I would do a few quick studys of that angle where you are just focused on getting the most simplified volumes right. Do these long bendy lines for the spine and appendages and than put some extremely simplified volumes on top of it. Do a few of such studies until you get it right than you can go a bit more detailed again, and test your understanding by drawing that angle from imagination. Additionaly I think you should try to invent some poses for the skeleton from imagination, it might be hard (it certainly was for me) but dont worry to much about it you will improve your poses in the drawing from life/video section. " I think that without a solid base I can't move forward." I agree with that to some extend, its true that the chapters are kind of building on top of the previous chapter. However its also true that all of the chapter benefit each other. You shouldnt try to completely master one chapter before moving on. Spent some time on one chapter before moving (maybe one or two weeks, but it really depends on how much you practice and how your feelling about it) to the next chapter. But dont consider a chapter finished but revisit old chapters from time to time to keep improving them. Hope that helps. Looking forward to seeing your future studies:)

@ircaleonius

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1yr

I love the content very though but very empowering when things clicks ! I still have a lot to work on ^^

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1yr

I like really like your skeletons. I think you should try to do some different poses from imagination. For the skull studies I think you should basically continue doing them and focus on beeing loose and considering all the volumes. Draw all the unseen parts for some time. And try to draw all of the planes of of the parts of the skull. And do some from imagination from time to time Hope this is helpful. Just keep going!

@korsola

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1yr

I drew many skulls in differnet angles but I still confused of being loose. I guess I should focus on gestures and rhythm more.

@korsola

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1yr

Trial to think about rhythm.

@deadrian

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1yr

Did my best with drawing the skeleton and skulls in different angles. The proportions may be a little off. I was trying to see how far I came from when I started while trying to understand the structure without trying to go into too much detail with these drawings.

Tiger

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2yr

Finally found the time to get back to drawing the assignments.. Don't you just hate when life gets in the way of learning? Here're my ape skull studies.

Thieum

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2yr

Very nice skull studies!

@nickmesics

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2yr

First I tried to be loose using gestural lines. Then I studies the form and proprotion differnces between the three skulls. Then finally I drew some from imagination.

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2yr

GREAT work.. nice study of me LOL. Overall solid draftsmanship. I do feel you could loosen up even more, get some energy here and draw through the form. Let us see through the volumes as if transparent and then any forms , lines or edges that are closest to viewer you can lock in with harder definitive line

@nickmesics

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2yr

And here are the skeleton studies

Jamus Zeppeli

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2yr

Skull Studies with an Orangutan & Gorilla one from imagination

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2yr

Fantastic work.... loose but with volume.. however some of the planes are getting wonky. the down shots and 3/4 angles are losing structure. ITs okay- cant be perfect every time - just something to watch

Mariusz Stefanowski

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2yr

Beginner getting started late on the course :) really felt the need to at least know what the heck is happening in pelvis and arm area before starting so Ill continue on skeleton and heads today. I really appreciate loose approach, spent so much time recently on being accurate and exact in beginners course that this feel really freeing. Seems like its really great way to learn about subject.

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2yr

Wonderful to hear youre breaking out of your mold and how yourre finding a way to make this challenging subject work for you

Mariusz Stefanowski

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2yr

Ballpoint 3. Somehow loose is synonim of speed for me, probably personal workaround. Cannot overthink if going over my speed limit.

Mariusz Stefanowski

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2yr

Ballpoint 2

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2yr

Today i was at a local museum to draw their orang utan skeleton. I have drawn in public before but im still not completly used to it. Im fine with strangers walking by and looking at my drawings but of course i want them like my drawings too. I especially felt that today because i tried to focus on learning instead of making a pretty copy. I really liked the overall experience though, to see an actual skeleton and to compare an orang utan skelton to the chimpmodel (they are very similar but still a little different). They also had some stuffed monkeys, i drew some on the third page.

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2yr

Additional skull studies. The first from reference and the second from memory.

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2yr

Nice silhouettes but it appears youre not drawing through the forms thoroughly resulting in a flatness and loss of volume. Get messy..dont be so concerned with making a pretty drawing. Pretty drawings come later when each line represents the knowledge you learn but drawing through the form

Eve A. Bear

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2yr

I tried to do the exercise from my imagination and found that I couldn't remember anything, so I studied the references a bit more and it was easier to do. I tried to go back and forth between imagination and reference. It helps me I think. The messy thing in the fourth image is that I'm trying to go more gestural... I don't know if I'm on the right track?

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2yr

You draw quite nicely. I think youre being too hard on yourself . Gestural is the way to go for flow of bones... I like that page- then build the volumes on top of that. Do about an hour of studies, then close the reference and draw from your imagination. Draw through the form more, less of contour perfection.

Ian Gregory

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2yr

Here's some chimpanzee, gorilla, and orangutan skulls in different angles, along with doing more skeletons. I also tried to do the one while standing up, turned out to be a whole new challenge. For these attempts I try not to use too much erasing and see how it will look like after putting down the overall form and then the details. Feedback is very much appreciated.

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2yr

GREAT approach. I love your challenging yourself. I would like to see more objective volumes on the skulls, drawing through the forms. Also try to introduce more boxy forms especially with bones

Michael Gutierrez

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2yr

Here’s some rough sketches.

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2yr

fantastic looseness now draw through the forms with objective volumes... What is going on the other side of the skull.. LEts see it because it will force you to think about the subject in full 3dimensions

Bernard

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2yr

Proportionally correct, proper structure. I the next thing to do is, while drawing, to imagine this ape to be a character of its own, envision him as part of a story - I guess the drawings will then come more alive to the viewer.

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2yr

Attached are some quick skeleton studies from imagination. Feedback is appreciated

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2yr

SUPER fun!!! in due time the poses will become more earnest. But I like youre pushing the envelope

•

2yr

Great poses, they are very entertaining! Anatomicaly the only thing i can think of would be to maybe add the shoulderblade if you want to go a bit more realistic. Otherwise i think the thing you could try to challenge yourself would be to try some more difficult cameraangles.

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2yr

Additional skull studies from reference

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2yr

These are very beautiful. And good job with showing the volumes. I think you should do some from memory/imagination in some poses to find out how much you remember and can access easily.

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2yr

Here are some of my newer skullstudies. As suggested i tried to be more loose and to think a lot more about the volumes, and tried to chase the rabbit. The pages with a ref are with reference and the pages with an m are from memory. I think i will focus on the muscles now but im going to continue to study the skulls and skeleton whenever i find time. Any kind of feedback on what i would need focus on in future skullstudies or in general would be as always very much appreciated.

Bernard

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2yr

Nice skull drawings, each with a character of their own. Sometimes you tend shape them too narrow, I’d suggest to start with the eye socket part (which will always attract the most attention), the zygomatic arch below it and proceed from that.

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2yr

Attached are some skeletons and skulls I have recently been working on from reference. It’s not where I want it and I will keep working at it. I didn’t want to post it but it would be helpful to get some feedback

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2yr

I really like these drawings. I think you did a great job at simpifiying the skeletons volumes first and than getting more complex. I think you should also try drawing some skeleton poses. Starting with the gesture, something that lmight look like a thin wire mannequin and than adding the ribcage and bones. I think for the skulls it might help you to focus on some of the connectionpoints of the parts and some volumes. Some examples: how the browridge and the frontal bone flow into each other. Also the the zygomatic bone and zygomatic arch often seem disconnected to me. And maybe also define the mandibles as volumes more often. Hope that it helps.

Bernard

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2yr

Nice skulls, pretty hatching technique. The body in the lower right corner is by far the best, good proportions.

Mathias Ragnarsson

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2yr

Hello again @David Colman, here’s my assignment on skulls and skeletons. When I drew the skulls I tried to identify unique traits between the three, so it would be easier to distinguish them when I draw them from memory. In my eyes the Orangutan and Chimpanzee were the most similar, with the Orangutan being a bit more round overall but flat around the eyes. Even though I thought I had a good grasp on them, drawing them from memory later proved to be a challenge! It was difficult to really push the unique details when my only source was a foggy memory. I also had in mind your last feedback, that I should try and draw some ape skeletons in various poses, so they’re included here as well. I limited myself to not spend too long on these and also allow myself to be more loose. Maybe a bit small and too messy? I tried to focus more on the overall pose and character, while also showing the skeletal base of them. As always, any feedback is very much appreciated. I’m really enjoying this so far!

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2yr

These are great! Thanks for sharing. For some feedback I would suggest doing looser and quicker studies so that more can be explored at a quicker rate. Less concern for the final drawing. The from imagination drawings are fun! For further feedback I would say they look too closely to humans. The chimp pelvis is really distinguished and the forearms have bone that bulge out and really separate. I look forward to seeing more!