Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently bought together
$13.59
Get it as soon as Wednesday, Apr 3
Only 7 left in stock - order soon.
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the Publisher
Work Space
A work space for drawing can be as simple as a card table with a good light source. If you are right-handed, the light should come from your left, so your hand does not cast a shadow on your work. If you are left-handed, the light should come from the right. Drawing tools should be limited to only those you are using and be kept close to whichever hand you use for drawing.
Place a tablet or smartphone in front of your drawing pad. Devices are often better to work from than books because they can enlarge images quickly, and if you have a question about anatomy, you can quickly find the answers on the internet. If you see something in a book that you want to copy, take a picture with your device so you can enlarge it, if necessary, and take it with you to study wherever you go. If possible, buy a skeleton to draw from. Using a physical skeleton in conjunction with a good anatomy book is a perfect way to further understand the drawings you make from an actual model in a sketch group.
Anatomy of the Foot
First, feel just behind the fat pads of your four toes. What you feel there are the proximal interphalangeal joints of the middle phalanges (1). Now feel the outside of the distal phalanx on your big toe (2). It is less protected by fat than its plantar (bottom) side. The prominent head of the first metatarsal (ball of the foot) (3) and the navicular bone (4) are both also very easy to feel. The calcaneus (heel bone) (5), on the other hand, is very well-cushioned, so it can only be felt around its upper areas. On the outside (lateral view) of the foot, the tuberosity of the fifth metatarsal (6), one of the most important landmarks when drawing a foot, is highly visible and very easy to feel. The heads of the metatarsal bones (7 and 3), although not visible, can still be felt under their fat pad coverings. Finally, the metatarsophalangeal joint of the proximal phalanx (8) can be seen and felt even under the attachment of the abductor digiti minimi muscle.
Bottom View (plantar aspect)
The foot is designed as a base of support, as a shock absorber upon impact, and most importantly, as a propulsor to move the body during locomotion. Because many of the foot bones, muscles, and tendons are visible on the surface, knowing these bones and tendons is a great help in drawing the feet.
Palpable bony landmarks
The purpose of this diagram is to show where the bony landmarks of the skeleton are most palpable on the sole and sides of your foot. Take off your shoes to directly feel the bony landmarks indicated in these drawings. Wherever you cannot feel the bones, it is because the fat pads are doing their job of protecting the muscles and bones.
Foreshortening with overlapping
These 20-minute pencil sketches were drawn from a live model in a sketch group. The line drawings next to each are intended to clarify those parts of the pencil sketches where overlapping occurred. Overlapping is especially helpful when forms are foreshortened and is accomplished with either a darkened line or a stark difference in values. Compare each pencil drawing to its accompanying line drawing to see how and where one plane overlaps another. Areas that overlap are lined with red.
Step-by-Step Drawings
Contour Drawing
Contour drawing is a linear drawing process where depth is achieved through varying line pressure and overlapping rather than through light and dark shading.
In these examples, without looking at the page, I moved my pencil only where and when my eye was moving. I only looked at the paper when I lost my concentration or needed to find a new position on the drawing.
Sit down with a small sketchbook, pen, or pencil and pretend that the tip of your pencil is touching the edges of your hand or foot. As much as possible, try not to lift your pencil, while focusing mainly on the negative shapes between fingers and toes. Each of your drawings should only take a few minutes but will require a lot of concentration.
The foot drawings on this page took a little longer than the hands, as they include a few anatomical landmarks, such as the extensor tendons, navicular bones, first metatarsal heads (balls of the foot), and a few toe details.
Note how I’ve also indicated the semi-rounded shape of the shin bones and lower-leg muscles with cross-contour lines. When drawing your own hands and feet, look back at the anatomical section to refresh your memory of which anatomical landmarks you are seeing.
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
