(i got a lot of asks for these, so here ya go) (…i really tried to be serious for the entire post but)
I screwed up.
There are three things you need to know before you read this.
How do I tell a well-structured story when life is absolute chaos?
I know what you came here for.
He was an unfortunate lad.
It came in the mail.
A lot can happen during a lifetime.
This is the story of how I died. Don’t worry, though! I came back.
Once upon a time… there was humanity.
It all started at the end.
You ever seen those commercials where people screw up the simplest of tasks in the most idiotic fashion ever? Yeah, that’s basically what happened here.
“Why are we here?”
Let me just be perfectly clear that this was not my fault.
This isn’t a good story.
You’re here, that’s good. Now we can start.
“You should’ve stopped when you still could.”
It was a trap.
It was a normal day, as long as you ignore the fact that it wasn’t.
They didn’t warn you, my dear reader?
Something’s trying to kill me.
I’m not a particularly good story teller, but I’ll try my best.
*record scratch* *freeze frame* Yep, that’s me. No, not the vague figure you’re imagining now from the zero amount of information I’ve given you, and no, I’m not the heroic yet relatable main-character you’d expect either. I’m the one that’s currently, and quite poetically, hiding in the corner of a chicken den. Yeah, that’s the one.
Note from a graphic designer who has to fix this shit all day: rich black is prettier sure but for the love of the gods don’t use it for text if it’s going on newsprint. If its anything other than solid black it will bleed out and become unreadable.
Half my job is fixing this mistake all day from people who really really should know better. And now you know!
In reference to never using the word ‘very’ when writing, Mark Twain said, “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very’; Your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” Source
“I couldn’t find any pictures that are-” is a very lousy excuse to whitewash PoC. There are plenty of PoC models, stock images, and editorials out there. You just have to find it. Here are some of the blogs that are dedicated to PoC editorials/models that I follow. Feel free to add and suggestion more.
There are so many ways to make moodboards, bookcovers, and icons without infringing copyright! As artists, authors, and other creatives, we need to be especially careful not to use someone else’s work and pass it off as our own.
Please add on if you know any more sites for free images <3
shoulder blades: most of the upper back muscles attach to them directly, placement is affected by the arms. They can get obscured on very muscular backs, but most people these are the most dominant features!
7th cervical vertebra: neck bone that sticks out in most people, it sits in the center of that diamond shaped tendon in the middle of the trapezius
Also, obviously always keep the general shape of the ribcage and spine in mind, it was too much of a pain to draw them all in lol.
BACK MUSCLES
Erector Spinae: make the column-like structures around the spine, they extend all the way up to the neck, but you really only see the bottom part.
Latissimus Dorsi: are very thin, so most of the time you only see the structures underneath (such as the erector spinae). But when flexed, (for example, when climbing), you can see here on Jimmy Webb’s back that swooping curve it makes under the armpits.
The lats are also responsible for most of a person’s upper body strength and are the “V” shaped part of the back. For example, it’s how Bruce Lee was so strong despite being a small guy. Just look at those wings, man.
Infraspinatus,Teres Minor, and Teres Major: sit on the shoulder blade itself, and connects it to the top of the arm bone. These are responsible for a lot of the crazy shapes you see in bodybuilders’ backs.
Underneath them is the serratus anterior, which technically isn’t a back muscle but sits on the side of the ribs. These form that zig-zag pattern on the ribs that makes people look super ripped when visible with the external obliques, both wrapping around the sides of the torso. They’re not technically back muscles but fill out the silhouette, so it’s good to keep them in mind.
theglutes/butt muscles… they go farther up the back than one might assume and they, along with the pelvis, do affect the surface appearance of the lower back.
Rhomboid: simple shape, attaches from the inner edge of the shoulder blades to the middle of the spine at the 7th cervical vetebra to about the 4th or 5th thoracic vetebra. It does not overlap with the latissimus dorsi
Trapezius: divided roughly in the top, middle, and bottom sections. The top is quite thick and cylindrical and makes the sloping shape from the neck to the shoulders.
The bottom part is very thin; like the latissimus dorsi, the forms underneath it are visible when relaxed, making the rhomboid visible if it is flexed and the traps are not. Also not where the bottom part’s tendons attach to the shoulder blades; it outlines the curve of the shoulder blades even in people who are covered in brainsmuscles.
When fully flexed, it doesn’t taper into a point, but makes a small “w” shape at the bottom.
The 7th cervical vertebra sits at the center of the diamond-shaped tendons between the first and second sections of the trapezius. This part appears recessed in very muscular people.
Deltoid: not really a back muscle, but they overlap with the Infraspinatus and insert into the upper ridge of the shoulder blades, so it’s good to see how they interact with the others.
Ah, now for an example, featuring Thor himself. Note the curve where the traps meet the shoulder blades, the diamond-shaped tendon, and the rough “w” shaped contour of the lower back. Also note the two dimples, which is formed by the pelvis bones. They tend to be more prominent in women, although they are found in both men and women.
Try to find the back muscles on other people yourself, and then GET DRAWING
(PS, Generally it’s best to be able to simplify the forms instead of trying to render straight away - that’s how you know you really internalized the anatomy! I… honestly still don’t understand the back enough to do that yet, hence the lack of examples, unlike with the forearms post. But nonetheless, I hope that this is still useful as a general reference. I know it’s helped me at least remember what the different parts are, even if I don’t yet have a grasp of how they interact in motion!)
(Had to make a new version because tumblr messed with the gif on the original and won’t let me edit my own posts…)
As a spoonie witch, using magic to help regain my mental and physical energy has been extremely helpful. I decided to compile some resources to make life easier!
So lately I’ve been using alot of reference photos to improve and it’s been so helpful. Kind of upsetting that I’ve wasted so many years not knowing why I couldn’t draw something correctly because of this idea that using references was cheating. If you wanna improve you gotta learn from references.
TIP: If you’re not satisfied the reference images you want when searching up “hijab”, search for “roosari” instead. Roosari is Farsi (Persian language) for a hijab/head scarf
(also it gives you a more up-to-date look at how Persian women wear their hijabs)
TIP: If you’re not satisfied the reference images you want when searching up “hijab”, search for “roosari” instead. Roosari is Farsi (Persian language) for a hijab/head scarf
(also it gives you a more up-to-date look at how Persian women wear their hijabs)
Here there is the girl of the previous portrait, the photograph is from 2017, a year later than the illustration. With a year pass through people keep their essence even with some changes I believe. . . #photooftheday #hairstyle #portrait #reference #art #illustration #project #photography #colour #girls #woman #references #time #effort #eyes #hair #friends #feminine . . XOXO ⚡✨✨⚡
Here there is the girl of the previous portrait, the photograph is from 2017, a year later than the illustration. With a year pass through people keep their essence even with some changes I believe. . . #photooftheday #hairstyle #portrait #reference #art #illustration #project #photography #colour #girls #woman #references #time #effort #eyes #hair #friends #feminine . . XOXO ⚡✨✨⚡
Here there is the girl of the previous portrait, the photograph is from 2017, a year later than the illustration. With a year pass through people keep their essence even with some changes I believe. . . #photooftheday #hairstyle #portrait #reference #art #illustration #project #photography #colour #girls #woman #references #time #effort #eyes #hair #friends #feminine . . XOXO ⚡✨✨⚡
Here there is the girl of the previous portrait, the photograph is from 2017, a year later than the illustration. With a year pass through people keep their essence even with some changes I believe. . . #photooftheday #hairstyle #portrait #reference #art #illustration #project #photography #colour #girls #woman #references #time #effort #eyes #hair #friends #feminine . . XOXO ⚡✨✨⚡
Thhis is the girl of the previous portrait! With a year pass through people keep their essence even with some changes I believe. Hope you guys enjoy all of this! . . #photography #colour #portrait #girls #woman #project #references #time #art #project #effort #eyes #hair #friends #feminine #illustration . . XOXO ⚡✨✨⚡
