Skeletal Bio Sketchbook

I've been using a stylized, comic-book-ish approach to my bone studies in the interest of time and highlighting what I need to know. My former drawing instructors would most likely not be pleased.

In some cases, that's not good for study. Here, for example, I indicated where the malleolar fossa is - but I didn't include it in the sketch.

I work with both photos and artifacts for the study sketches - on the left, you can see a bit of the photo of the talus that I worked from.

...and here, the artifacts. There are two talus bones in this photo; one of them is the bone on the upper left.

In a move I may regret later, I chose to use a very cheap composition notebook with flimsy paper instead of a notebook with heavier, acid-free, tooth-ier paper. I have to haul a lot of stuff around with me, since I'm usually going to school from work, and in the interests of space and weight I opted for the cheap composition notebook and a handful of Mirado Black Warrior HB2 pencils that I chose mostly because they were on sale. I used to draw for hours at a time when I was a child; later on drawing became a skill I developed but did not particularly enjoy. Now it's a skill that I am working to regain and improve, as well as something I enjoy more than I used to. It's become soothing, a quiet place in my head that I can move to. Still working on the self-criticism part. Other students in the class think my drawings are great; I am coming from a different perspective and have all kinds of quibbles about them that I'm working on dropping in favor of focusing on how doing the drawings works as a study method for me. I regard drawing and drafting as a learnable, teachable skill set, much like knitting, crocheting, and making a good cup of tea. For myself, the challenge is in drawing what is in front of me and not what is just in my head. I'm going to skip going off on a tangent involving philosophical and neurological topics on perception, fine motor skills, etc. and recommend a couple of books instead.

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain is a good start for the beginner; I say you can skip the parts about brain function/activity and just get on with it. For learning basic skills for drawing what is actually in front of your eyes, it's a good, inexpensive, widely available resource. The Natural Way to Draw involves more of the imagination and is another widely available, low-priced book. I'd be surprised if you could not find both of them in your local public library. Additionally, many art schools, universities, and community colleges offer drawing classes. Classes will cost more, but I think of it as being like getting a workout book vs. signing up for classes at the local gym - the first is cheaper, the latter is a good way to stay on track and doing the exercises regularly. Drawing is not something most people learn in a day; again, it's a skill, and skills need to be practiced. Some people may have more of an aptitude for it, but it's no reason for anyone who would like to develop drawing skills to give up because they feel they "don't have that talent." If you really want it and are willing to make the commitment, it can be done!

Comments

[Abby]

I am very left-brained, but drawing makes the right side of my brain hum. Makes me wonder if exercising *both* sides is not a good idea in the name of forestalling senility. Thanks for the book recommendations - and your drawings are fine just the way they are.

[kim]

Thanks for sharing the peek into your drawing life. Your recommended books are the ones my mom gave me when I was about 12. I love looking at scientific illustration sketchbooky type things.

"I regard drawing and drafting as a learnable, teachable skill set, much like knitting, crocheting, and making a good cup of tea"

Oh yes, I totally agree with this! A book I've used a lot in my work is Mona Brooks' "Drawing With Children" and it has convinced anew that this is the case. I guess my own drawing, like my own knitting, is something I do for pleasure, regard as relatively easy to do, but don't do either at a very sophisticated level. While making the martini is a skill set I've developed a bit further...

[Amie]

I couldn't agree more MK. If someone wants to learn to draw, it's very possible. I always laugh when my colleagues tell me that they can't draw (but you know they've never sat down to give it a try). Practice, patience, and persistence helps.