Form and Solidity

Last month I talked about the basics of volume which was being able to look past the detail and imagining the human body as 3D shapes. Today I dedicated more time into learning the solidity of the human anatomy. But wait, what's the difference between imagining 3D shapes and solids? Aren't they basically the same thing? Well to answer that, they are very similar but the key component I wanted to accomplish with form and solids is the importance of the direction of lines which will determine the direction one shades as stated in the guide. "Lines for example, may be used to define contours and to track across the form tone can be added where none is seen in order to enhance the sense of solidity" (Raynes 34).

Imagine cutting the onion in half, you're left with solid halves of an onion.
The red marker shows the circular shape the onion takes.

The human body is like one big solid block. The red marker outlines
the shape of the bicep and abdomen to emphasize the 3D shape. The
blue line shows the curve of the torso which helps with the form of
the figure. 

Although this may seem like a small chapter it actually is really a big key to shading the human body to give it a more realistic feel. To be honest, I have tried approaching this perspective of anatomy before but it never really worked out because in the end I relied on shading to bring the figure to life. Now while shading does indeed bring a picture to life, it's the importance of recognizing the form of the pose and being able to identify the solidity of the whole body itself. "Your three-dimensional vision enables you to see solidity that may not be fully revealed by merely copying the existing pattern of light and shade..." (Raynes 36).

Blue markers outlines the form of the body and the blue arrow shows the
curve of the pose. The red lines shows the direction of the shading lines to
create the solidity of the picture 

And with this I have learned that form and solids are an essential part when drawing the human body. I definitely feel accomplished in succeeding in something I struggled with learning in the past, this new knowledge allows me to have more confidence in trying out new things.

Have you ever failed at learning something in the past? If so, do you think you'll give it another try?

Citation:

Raynes, John, and Jody Raynes. How to Draw the Human Figure: A Complete Guide. Bath: Parragon, 2000. Print.