How to Draw Triceps – Anatomy for Artists

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How to Draw Triceps – Anatomy for Artists

191K
Mark as Completed

Assignment

As with the previous few lessons, your assignment is to do quicksketch drawings of the arms, focusing on the gesture and then adding the forms of the triceps. Pay attention to asymmetry of the triceps, and clearly identify the 3 heads and the tendon. I like to design the triceps using angular lines, trying to create dynamic interesting shapes. Since you’ve already mastered the biceps, brachialis, and deltoid, identify and design those too.

Newest
Giorgi Karkuzashvili
Still mixing up the heads, watching the demonstrations and critique will finally help!
Ezra
5mo
This one was hard to get my head around with the different angles. I’m confused as to what the section in #4 is (shaded in yellow)?
Melanie Scearce
#4 is the Coracobrachialis. It's not often seen unless the model is super buff or skinny. Great studies, btw!
Camellito
6mo
Here are some of my quick-sketches. Hope to get some critiques.
Melanie Scearce
Stunning work! You did a great job defining the comma shape of the tricep and tendon in #2.
@syodraws
6mo
Here are all six quick-sketches. I would greatly appreciate critique on whether I captured the forms and gestures of the poses correctly and effectively, as well as on other things you might notice. Thank you.
Rachel Dawn Owens
These are great! Looks like you understand the triceps.
Madelyn Kuipers
Triceps assignment - Please let me know what I can improve on - feedback and critiques welcome and appreciated!
@syodraws
6mo
On sketch 2, the deltoid is too short. It should be about half the length of the humerus. On sketch 3, the posterior deltoid appears to connect to the acromion process when it actually should come from the spine of the scapula. As such, the trapezius may slightly overlap it. I'd also recommend giving a little more attention to the shapes in your drawings. Try to emphasize the force of the muscles by using curved and sharp lines--"curves and straights." That way, the forms may feel more solid. (Contour lines may also be useful for showing the form of the muscles.) Overall good job.
@angiespice
first go, alot more studies to go
Benjamin Green
This kind of reminds me of some Dave Finch or Jim Lee where they describe roughing in muscles like little footballs.
Lenserd martell
Phattara Groodpan
Jesper Axelsson
Hi @Phattara Groodpan, nice studies! The accuracy of the anatomy looks pretty good. You seem to have included all the imprtant info. - I would try to strenghten the underdrawing, focusing on gesture and form. These feel a little stiff, and the major forms could be placed more strongly. You might want to follow this process: 1. Draw the flow (as if there was a river flowing through the body) 2. Flesh out the flow with simple forms 3. Draw the larger muscle groups; thinking of it kinda like chunks of clay on a sculpture, following the major forms and the flow. 4. Draw individual muscles. Same as the previous step but at a more detailded level. Hope this helps :)
Samuel Parker
Triceps exercise
Margaret Langston
Wow. I've just been so confused through this assignment, but I've decided I'll be OK with it for the moment. Here's the rest of my Tricips assignment
Margaret Langston
Triceps Assignment 2
Margaret Langston
I've slowed down now. I think I'm finally really studying. It took me 45 minutes to do this. The quick sketch was quick and the rest was just looking, looking, looking, referring back to ALL my references, looking, looking, looking. I am now going to look at Prof P's example as a reward because this was f-ing hard.
@younchen
2yr
James Paris
Jesper Axelsson
Really nice studies! - I think the gesture got a little stiff. This easily happens when doing anatomy studies. Find the gesture in your lay-in, then try to use the anatomy to strengthen the gesture. You might appreciate this video How Asymmetry and Anatomy Go Hand in Hand, though I don't think shape design is the problem. In image 2 for example, the shapes are really nice, it's just that the arm is straight and lacking that overall s-curve. - When drawing the lateral head I think it's a good idea to clearly show the two parts of the comma shape; bulging belly and thin tail, like you've done in image 2 & 4. - I like to look for the split in the long head. It adds a nice nuance. You have it in image 2. See if you can find it in the other ones as well. (Looking closely at your drawings, I see what could be hints of it. If you've already considered the split in the long head, feel free to ignore this point. Just wanted to make you aware in case you weren't.) Hope this helps :)
@abrahan13
2yr
any feedback is appreciated
Jesper Axelsson
Hi @abrahan13, nice studies! - I think you would benefit from testing yourself and see if you can draw the muscle from imagination. I find this important in my anatomy studying and when drawing from life. It helps me notice what it is that I don't know about the muscle and it helps me place the muscle even when it's not clearly visible on the surface when working from life. The things you seem to be unsure of are: - The layering and form of the muscles in an inside view of the arm (2nd image, drawing to the right) - The lateral head's insertion to the tendon; upper 2 thirds (In image 2-4 you seem to be attaching it all the way down to the olecranon. It stops higher up, and the bulge you see going to the olecranon, is the medial head). - The overlapping with the teres major/minor and infraspinatus. -Maybe the origin points. Hope this helps :) Keep up the good work!
Luke Ng
2yr
My tricep assignment studies. Struggled with identifying the medial head, especially on the medial side where it kind of blends with the brachialis muscle. Any tips on this or general feedback are greatly appreciated. Thank you
John Harper
Excellent Luke.
Guanhao Cheng
Gorgeous study work!
Shelvs Fleurima
Nice work, may I ask you where you got those reference pictures I want to buy them for myself. Thank you in advance
@viny
2yr
triceps exercises ready. Still very confused on how to draw and where to place the "baby bear"
@viny
2yr
a quick study 8 months later
Jesper Axelsson
Hi @viny, nice studies! Yeah, the medial head is a bit tricky since it isn't outlined clearly on the surface; parts of it can be seen, though it is mostly hidden. But it is important since it supports with its volume. If you're struggling with placing it and how to draw it, you might need to practice drawing it from imagination more. With a muslce that isn't visible you have to rely much on your imagination and knowledge about the muscles. Apart from doing the exercises in the course I like to do drawings from imagination and studies to really acquaint myself with the muscles; how they attach and how they interact with other muscles and bones. The first image shows that you might benefit from such studies; In the top image I don't feel you directioning the medial head to it's origin on the lower 2/3 on the humerus. You're aiming it more to the armpit. In the bottom drawing you're aiming the long head to the head of the humerus rather than to the infraglenoid tubercle as it should. Hope this helps :)
@xander
2yr
My drawings for the triceps assignment. Any feedback is appreciated. Cheers.
@kugeltisch
Hey! I would highly recommend to study a little more about the fundamentals. Right now, I can tell from looking at your work that you learned a lot about the triceps and its individual muscles. But the proportions of the overall figure are quite off here and there. Also, your linequality would benefit a lot from more and focused practice. Maybe take a break from anatomy and do those things first :) But keep in mind: no matter what you draw, as long as you do it regurlarly and consume good art meanwhile, you will improve!
Ria Kumo
2yr
Hello! All critiques welcomed as always! I had marked in blue areas I wasn't sure of.
@hiflow
2yr
I really don't understand what's going on with the triceps in the last three examples. Is it normal to have "empty space" between the muscles? This was much harder than the biceps exercise.
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Founder of Proko, artist and teacher of drawing, painting, and anatomy. I try to make my lessons fun and ultra packed with information.
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