The deltoid is a large triangular muscle connecting the upper arm to the shoulder. Noting the particular “stacking order” of form, and representing it with overlaps in the contour, is a simple way to convey 3-dimensionality in a line drawing.Ī clear example of this can be found on the upper arm. Depending on your angle of view, particular volumes will eclipse others, which in turn eclipse still others. The human body is a 3-dimensional entity. This diagonal relationship between a muscle form and the larger stucture on which it sits can be seen everywhere on the body. The biceps starts near the inside of the arm at the shoulder (medial), and passes toward the outside of the arm at the elbow (lateral) – it’s at a diagonal relative to the long axis of the arm itself.

On its path from end to end, the muscle itself is oriented at a slight angle relative to the long bone of the upper arm – the humerus. The Law of the DiagonalĮvery muscle on the body crosses at least one joint. The biceps, for example, crosses two joints on the arm: the shoulder (long head) and the elbow. We can see them at work globally throughout the figure.īelow is an accounting of Martha’s Laws, at least to the best of my recollection. They qualify as “Laws” because they’re universal – they apply roughly equally to every individual, and every part of every individual.

These “Laws” aren’t about the names of bones and muscles, but are instead general principles governing the arrangement and expression of structures on the body. The important stuff is largely the same from one person to the next, and she gave us 5 “Laws” that helped us to draw figures that looked convincing. She taught us that basic human anatomy isn’t really a matter for interpretation. Her singular strength as an instructor was her insistence on absolutes. Knowing what we can expect to see, and why we can expect to see it, can lead to more astute observations and better decisions while drawing.Ī good teacher can give you these principles. For me, such a teacher was the late Martha Mayer Erlebacher at the New York Academy of Art. Even if x isn’t “always true”, it’s good to know if it’s often true. There’s an exception to every rule, so it seems that whenever I tell a student that x is “always true”, there ends up being some damn reason why it’s actually not true in the particular case at hand – and then I have to backpedal.īut still, principles can be helpful when you’re learning to draw and paint. I’m not a big fan of “laws” in drawing and painting.

Figure drawing for beginners