Week 8

Shoulder Blade & Collar Bone-

The scapula and clavicle make up the shoulder girdle.  The two key points to keep in mind for drawing this section are the 1)medial border of the scapula, which runs along the angle of the ribs, almost parallel to the backbone in resting position, but also moves in regards to the arm. 2)spine of the scapula- spiral along the top of the blade.  The shoulder blade is actually larger than we assume it to be, it is half the length of the ribs, from the 2nd rib to the 7th rib.  The summit of the shoulder is the high point where the clavicle and scapula meet, also known as the acromion process.

We did some short 30 second drawings in class and then did a one hour pose.  I feel like the shorter ones helped us quick grasp the angle of the medial border of the scapula in relationship to where the arm was placed.  Seeing different poses over and over gave us an overall understanding of the movement.  Sometimes, such as in the longer pose it is very subtle and more difficult to see where the shoulder bone is located.  Since it was a somewhat normal position we knew where they were by referencing a skeleton.  I learned that we have to keep in mind the egg shape when drawing the shoulder blade and it almost cups around it.  It also helped to see the effect the spinal erectors have on the positioning of the shoulder blade.  Another thing I initially did wrong in some of my shorter drawings was draw the clavicle in reverse.  It is tricky to see the curve, even in simpler poses. I am excited to put these muscles on my maniken to even further understand this section of the body, hope it doesn't need too much clay though because I definitely feel like I am getting to the end of my pile!