How to Draw - Bone and Muscle Structure

Bone and Muscle Structure

To add dimension and accuracy to your subject, make sure to add important bone and muscle features once you've cleaned up your rough sketch. Even though these are under the skin, it's important to add these before putting in further detail.

Important bone structures to note include the hollows at the backs of ankles, and ribs. Showing the leading lines of rib spokes aren't a sign of malnutrition when it comes to animals, it indicates a lean body and good muscle tone. It's also important to put in shoulderblades, lines of back vertebrae, and the hollows of the hips.

Muscles indicate the strength and fitness of your subject. Lions, for example, have very prominent leg muscles on their hind limbs. Dragons have strong forelimb muscles to help them pivot around. Their tail is also very thick and muscular. The closer-up your view is to a subject, the more detail you may want to go into.