How to draw muscles
How to draw muscles
Learn to Draw Arms, Once and for All!
The arm is one of the more difficult areas of the body to draw. It contains many separate muscle groups, and often most have to be indicated for a drawing of a believable arm. This makes for a complex problem: how do we learn to draw the arm well, in the quickest way possible?
My answer on how to draw the arm is to 1) use simplified anatomy 2) understand the function of major groups of muscles, 3) use drawing construction process that starts with the brachioradialis muscle and 4) practice drawing the arms a lot from reference.
Your drawings of the arm will depend on how thorough your knowledge of anatomy is and on how much time you spent on practice.
This article is anatomy heavy. You need to know the bones and the major muscle groups and how they move to draw the arm well. There is no way around it. With that said, we will simplify anatomy by grouping many muscles together to make it easier to understand.
The problem with the process of learning the bones, muscles and their function is that it is a technical and tedious process, and it gets confusing fast. This is where this arms drawing tutorial comes in, it is here not just to provide you with the anatomy of the arms (although we will go over it), but to give you real guidance on what to think about, what to focus on when drawing the arms.
How to draw the arm – major forms of the arm
Let’s start then with the above drawing of simplified forms of the arm that I drew using an artist manikin.
In this illustration, we have the hand and the wrist, the forearm and the elbow, the upper arm (biceps and triceps) and the shoulder muscle (in blue). The upper arm consists of one bone, and the forearm of two. They connect forming the elbow. The pointy end of the elbow is actually a bone of the forearm moving on a hinge joint. This is the set up we are working with. Below let’s get into actual anatomy of the arm.
When discussing anatomy, each muscle has an origin and an insertion. You can think of it as the begining of the muscle and the end. These have an extra meaning though: when a muscle contracts, the origin pulls the insertion closer. The origin is the attachment site that doesn’t move during contraction, and the insertion does.
Anatomy of the Upper Arm
The bone of the upper arm – Humerus
Muscles of the upper arm – Brachialis, Biceps, Triceps
Biceps (short and long head)
Triceps, medial head
Remember that all three heads of the triceps find their insertion at the elbow end of the ulna bone.
How to Draw Muscles and Body Structure
Introduction: How to Draw Muscles and Body Structure
Muscles are what makes up the body and give it definition. Drawing muscles can be challenging like the hands and the facial expressions because of all the details of the muscles and the hands. Therefore, I’m going to teach you how to draw the body structure and muscles of the human male whether you’re a novice or an expert at drawing.
The supplies and materials that you will need are a pencil, pen, eraser, and obviously paper.
Here are the steps to draw it:
Attachments
Step 1: Draw a Circle
Step 1: draw a circle to create the head
Step 2: Draw a Vertical Line
Step 2. Draw a vertical line from top to bottom in the middle of the head. The line at the bottom should pass the circle for the neck
Step 3: Add 2 Horizontal Lines in the Middle of the Head
Step 3: add 2 horizontal lines in the middle of the head
Step 4: Draw a Small Circle on the Bottom of the Vertical Line
Step 4: draw a small circle on the bottom of the vertical line
Step 5: Draw a Larger Oval Around the Small One Circle
Step 5: draw a larger oval around the small one circle
Step 6: Draw Triangle Shapes to Create the Trapezius Muscle
Step 6: draw triangle shapes to create the trapezius muscle
Step 7: Draw an Large Oval to Form the Chest Structure
Step 7: draw an large oval to form the chest structure
Step 8: Draw 2 Smaller Circles That Fit Into the Large Oval to Create the Pectoral Muscle
Step 8: draw 2 smaller circles that fit into the large oval to create the pectoral muscle
Step 9: Add 2 Horizontal Lines in the Middle of the Pectoral Muscles to Add Definition to the Chest
Sept 9: add 2 horizontal lines in the middle of the pectoral muscles to add definition to the chest
Step 10: Create the Abdominal Muscle, Known As the 6 Pack
Step 10: next, going to create the abdominal muscle, known as the 6 pack. Draw a vertical line and add 3 horizontal lines.
Step 11: Creating a “V” Shape to Create the Body Structure
Step 11: draw a large rectangle around the abdominal muscle creating a “V” shape to create the body structure.
Step 12: Create the Oblique Muscle
Step 12: To create the oblique muscle draw a teardrop on both sides of the body
Step 13: Draw a Circle to Make the Deltoid Muscle
Step 13: To create the arm, draw a circle to make the deltoid muscle, 2 long ovals to create the muscle in the forearm.
Step 14: Make a Triangle in Between the Deltoid and Forearm to Make the Tricep
Step 14: Make a triangle in between the deltoid and forearm to make the tricep
Step 15: Draw the Upper Leg Draw 2 Long Ovals to Create the Structure of the Thigh
Step 15: To draw the upper leg draw 2 long ovals to create the structure of the thigh, then fill in muscle with light lines going down the thigh, finally, add inner ovals for the quadriceps.
Step 16: Draw the Calf
Step 16: Last part is to draw the calf, draw an upside down raindrop and 2 smaller ovals to create the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Put 2 lines in the middle of the 2 calf muscles.
Step 17: Tips
Make sure you do it with pencil lightly then you can either use pencil or pen just make sure it’s dark.
You want to shade some parts of the body to show the muscles’ shadow.
Step 18: Conclusion
By learning with my step-by-step instructions, you will have a better understanding on how to draw the body’s structure and muscles of the human male. Usually, you will encounter problems like shadowing too light or too dark that the body looks disfigured. Some people won’t follow the directions and even skip steps. Some people might not use the right supplies. So with my guide, hopefully it will help you draw the male’s muscles of the body with the best of your ability.
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Muscles of the Human Body
A helpful and detailed muscle manual by artist Eridey. The major muscles of the torso, arms and legs are explained in this easy-to-understand guide complete with color-coded diagrams showing how muscles change depending on the angle and movement.
Muscles have the amazing characteristics of being able to bend, stretch and relax. Each of them perform a specific function depending on where they are in the body. But in general, they are in charge of transforming the energy sent from the nervous system into movement.
I have taken the opportunity to study them all – where they are placed, their functions, their shapes. However, with so many muscles in the human body, I have decided to only focus on the most important ones for when we draw.
The learning process may be a bit confusing at times, so I recommend using your own separate sketchbook to take notes in your own time. There is no better way to learn!
The Muscles of the Torso
The trapezius is located on the back. This is the muscle that extends across the upper part of the trunk, and it helps to move the scapula.
The latissimus dorsi (dorsal) muscle is located in the lower part of the trunk. It is wide and flat, covering a large part of the spine all the way to the sacrum.
The trapezius enters the spine of the shoulder blade and the collarbones (or clavicles). When viewing from the front, this muscle draws the outline between the neck and the clavicles – to remember them, think of them as a couple of triangles!
In the cervical area, you will usually see a small indentation. It becomes visible when you squeeze your shoulder blades together (A). When the muscle is relaxed, you may see some of the bones in the spine sticking out (B).
On the other hand, the dorsal muscle enters the humerus below the armpits, allowing the arms to extend and contract. It’s a flat muscle which isn’t easily visible from the front, except for a small part under the arms.
The serratus anterior is pulled from the nine upper ribs into the scapula, providing stability and mobility to the bone. This muscle is shaped like a fan, but we can only see a part since it is overlapped by the pectorals, the obliques and dorsals.
The pectorals are framed between the collarbones and the breastbone, the ends are attached to the humerus to allow the arms to rotate (one of its purposes).
The infraclavicular fossa is the space between the pectorals and the deltoids. It is a very small detail, but nonetheless quite useful to identify the gap between the muscles.
In the female body, the pectoral muscles are found behind the mammary glands. The breasts do not start immediately from the collarbones (a common mistake). The chest is flat at the top, but the breasts start from more or less the middle of the pectorals, as you can see in the following examples:
The muscles of the abdomen are in charge of bending, tilting and rotating the trunk.
The linea alba (or white line) divides these muscles into two parts:
In the center, we can find the rectus abdominis muscle, below the arch of the ribs all the way to the pubis. It has 3 intersections that separate the muscle into 4 areas on each side.
The obliques are located to the sides and above the hip bones.
This side view shows how the muscles (dorsal, obliques and serratus anterior) intertwine to create a zig-zag line (A).
The Muscles of the Arms and Legs
The deltoids cover the shoulder joints. These are thick muscles and are shaped like upside-down triangles. The base is planted in the collarbone and inserts itself into the humerus.
Following the tip of the deltoid, we find the brachialis muscle. This muscle is pretty deep down – I like to think of it as a divider between the biceps (located in the front), and the triceps (in the back).
To simplify the biceps, draw a stretched oval. You can think of the thicker part of the triceps as a horseshoe shape… or a croissant, or a crescent! The flat part of the triceps (the tendon) is connected to the elbow.
The muscles of the forearm provide mobility to the hand and fingers. They are very similar to each other: very elongated, thin, and flat shapes; so drawing them can be a bit confusing.
There are many, many ways to interpret muscles, and it is OK to use any method that is easy for you to understand. In the end, it all depends on observation and practice to be able to draw with precision. For example, we can delineate the silhouette of the forearm with a couple of ovals. Due to the asymmetry of the forearm, this oval on the same side as the thumb is slightly smaller, and it is located slightly above the other oval shape.
You will find a similar situation in the legs. Even though leg muscles are large and distinguishable, there is no need to draw each one of them in detail – many of them can be grouped together and drawn as a simple figure. Carefully observe the outlines and shapes that the muscles create in the body to simplify them properly.
The sartorius muscle divides the leg with a diagonal line. Starting at the sacrum all the way to the inner side of the shin (slightly below the knee), this is the longest muscle in the human body.
The inner thigh is made up of several adductors, but you can group them all together and treat them simply as a triangle.
The quadriceps consist of four individual muscles (one of them is not visible because it is located deep in the thigh) which all come together and join at the same tendon inside the knee. As a whole, they are shaped like a teardrop.
The shape of the calf is mostly defined by the two calf muscles, which are on the back of the leg and go into the heel. The front and sides of the leg are made up of other muscles and tendons that allow the toes to move.
I have grouped together the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus as a single shape along the thigh. This shape is divided in two, leaving a diamond shaped pit in the back of the knee.
When drawing, shading will help you mark the muscles without the need to use lots and lots of lines to mark them out. Ideally, try to highlight the muscle that exerts the most strength in each pose, not all of them at once. Otherwise, the drawing will look exaggerated. Unless that’s what you’re going for!
Take a good look at your references, try to imitate the poses you see to get a better understanding of them. Which body part is bending? Which part is stretching?
I hope this guide was helpful to you. If you like, you can visit me on social media and check out my portfolio to see more of my work:
Thank you for reading!
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How to Draw the Torso Easier, an Illustrated Guide
If you are struggling with drawing the torso, I am willing to bet big on the fact that your torso drawings will improve as soon as you are done with this illustrated guide!
This is because I also strangled with it, and below I provide exactly the steps I took to improve.
To draw the human torso, understand the shape of the torso, and learn the major muscle groups, their origin and insertion points, then practice as much as possible from reference to reinforce what you learned.
In this tutorial on drawing the torso then, we will do just that, we will first look at the overall shape of the torso, we will then look at the bones and muscles that comprise it, and finally, we will discuss best ways to practice learning to draw.
Here is what we will cover:
1. Understand the Shape to Draw the Torso
What is the shape of the torso?
Let’s look at some studies I did spending a few seconds on each:
The shape of the torso is always simplified in artistic instructions. You can view the simplified version as boxes, or spheres, or a bean, or a box and a ball. It is a long list of various shape simplifications.
The truth is, if you are drawing a realistic torso, it’s shape is not exactly like any of those things. However, simplifying helps get the base elements right, and then the shape can be corrected and built up to your liking.
Another benefit of simplifying a complex shape, is that you can chose whatever building blocks you like that work for you. For now, I like simplifying with the drawing of the torso with boxy shapes. I’ll explain why below.
Here are some studies with the hips represented as a cuboid, and the upper body as a ball.
You can also view the torso as a bean shape, with two oval shapes of the upper and lower torso joining together. The bean-shape strategy has not worked very well for me in the past, and what is working better now is representing the torso with boxy shapes with curved edges. Like the above.
I like simplification to a box because each side is clearly indicated, and it forces me to think in perspectives and angles. In this way, I found it to be much easier to situate the torso properly in perspective and motion, and ultimately to draw in the detail of the torso on top.
Before we go over the bones and muscles we need to draw the torso. Let’s look at where we want to end up:
Gvaat’s study painted in Procreate
To draw the torso effectively, we want to end up being able to identify all of the muscles you see in the picture above, and have a good idea about where they attach on the skeleton.
Note that there are many more muscles underneath that we will not discuss. We are focusing solely on muscles we absolutely need to know to draw the torso well.
Also note, there are three muscles on the diagram above that are covered in previous posts, so I do not go over them here. Teres major and latissimus dorsi are covered in my back drawing tutorial here, and coracobrachialis is covered in the arms drawing tutorial here.
How to Draw Muscles
Learn how to draw a great looking Muscles with easy, step-by-step drawing instructions, and video tutorial. You can now easily create a beautiful Muscles drawing.
If you’re aiming to become a good artist, an integral step is becoming skilled at drawing the human form. The placement of muscles, or musculature, is vital, whether you’re drawing a comic book character or a realistic sketch.
This drawing guide pictures a heavily muscled figure to help you get a good idea of where the muscles are and how they fit together. Can you identify major muscle groups, such as the biceps, abs, pectoral muscles, or calves? These visible muscles are known as skeletal muscles because they are supported by bones.
Scroll down for a downloadable PDF of this tutorial.
You can use this drawing guide as a blank slate to draw your favorite character or create your own. You could draw a real-life bodybuilder, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger or a famous wrestler. Or, you could draw cartoon superheroes and villains, like Superman, the Hulk, and Doomsday.
Would you like to draw a cartoon muscle man? This easy, step-by-step cartoon drawing guide is here to show you how. All you will need is a pen, pencil, or marker and a sheet of paper.
If you liked this tutorial, see also the following drawing guides: Person Running, Woman’s Face, and Body Outline.
Step-by-Step Instructions for Drawing Muscles
1. Begin by drawing two overlapping curved lines to enclose an irregular shape. The top of the shape should be larger than the bottom. Then, draw a line across the shape. This form’s the figure’s head. You can use our people drawing guides to fill in the details of the face.
4. Use curved lines to sketch the sides of the hand, thumb, and fingers.
MORE DRAWING TUTORIALS:
How to Draw Abs
How to Draw a Biceps
How to Draw a Person Running
5. Draw curved lines across the shoulders, outlining the top of the pectoral muscle, pectoralis major. Outline the pecs themselves using «C» shaped lines. Then, use a long, curved line to outline the torso and pelvis.
6. Use curved lines to outline the muscles of the remaining arm and to sketch the palm and fingers of the clenched fist.
