#Muscle Anatomical Model

[hy6erion]

Am i allowed to request javik for my 21st- I’m sketching them now! This artist gets to have alcohol now! I’m too shy to write anything spicy myself.

But god the vision of the boys modeling for them. Solar used the birthday card. I can only imagine the tension //^^\\

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐉𝐚𝐲𝐕𝐢𝐤 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

⇢ 𝐠𝐧! 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐣𝐚𝐲𝐯𝐢𝐤 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩

𝐚/𝐧: 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲!! 𝐢 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐢𝐭 <𝟑

You should’ve known this was going to be dangerous.

The minute they walked into your studio, sunlight catching on Viktor’s cheekbone and Jayce’s throat, you felt your pulse spike. It was meant to be an innocent project. Just a study. A painting. Something classic — dramatic lighting, raw edges. The human form in motion, in pause. Vulnerability through structure.

But nothing about Jayce and Viktor has ever been innocent.

Not when they stand too close to each other, like they share a gravitational field.

Not when Viktor’s gaze lingers too long on Jayce’s mouth.

Not when Jayce listens like Viktor’s words are holy scripture.

So when they both agreed to model for you — Viktor with his faint, amused smirk and Jayce with that eager-to-please grin — you really should have said no.

Instead, you adjusted your easel. Uncapped your charcoal. And told them to take off their shirts.

⸻

The studio air is warm, thick with turpentine and anticipation. Dust motes swirl lazily through the beams of early afternoon light. The couch in the center of the room sags with wear, but it has charm — and just the right amount of softness to cradle a lounging body. Or two.

Viktor is the first to sit, slow and elegant. He always moves like his limbs weigh more than they should, like he’s used to conserving motion. He drapes himself across the armrest like he’s posing for a 19th-century oil portrait, collarbones sharp beneath pale skin.

Jayce flops down next to him — all heat and brawn, stretching out like a sun-drenched lion. He props an elbow on the back cushion, muscles flexing without effort, and you almost drop your charcoal.

“Are we… supposed to look at you?” Jayce asks, raising a brow. He looks unfairly good disheveled, like he belongs in tousled sheets, not on a half-broken couch in your dusty loft.

“That’s up to you” you say, throat dry. “Just don’t move too much.”

Viktor hums. “And if we do?”

You don’t answer. Can’t. You’re too focused on capturing the shape of Viktor’s ribs beneath the shallow rise of his chest, the way the light curves around Jayce’s shoulder, golden on tawny skin.

⸻

You lose track of time quickly. The page is full of sketches — overlapping lines, crosshatches, anatomical impressions. But you keep glancing up. Keep getting caught.

Jayce shifts, stretches a leg out, then reclines back against Viktor’s side. Viktor barely flinches, just gives him a dry look like this happens often. His hand ends up resting lazily on Jayce’s thigh — completely casual. Completely maddening.

“Can you hold that?” you ask, voice a little too tight.

“This?” Jayce asks innocently, flexing slightly under Viktor’s fingers. The movement sends a ripple through his abdomen, and Viktor’s eyes flicker downward, just for a second.

You nod. Swallow. Keep drawing.

But you’re not fooling anyone.

⸻

They’re watching you now.

Viktor especially — lazy eyes half-lidded, but sharp. Observing. He tracks the twitch of your hand, the catch in your breath every time Jayce laughs, low and unbothered. Jayce, for his part, just seems to enjoy being admired. His body is relaxed, but there’s a tension in the air now, electric and warm.

“Your hands are shaking” Viktor says, voice like velvet.

You freeze. “Are they?”

Jayce tilts his head, leans forward slightly, brows knit with concern — or curiosity. “You okay?”

You nod, but your eyes betray you. They keep slipping back to where Viktor’s fingertips trace idle circles against Jayce’s thigh. To the way Jayce doesn’t even seem to notice, or maybe just doesn’t mind. There’s a story in that touch. A thousand stories.

And suddenly, you want to paint all of them.

“Don’t stop“ Viktor murmurs, voice low, but cutting straight to the center of you. “We’re just getting started.”

⸻

You start a new canvas. This time, you ask them to turn slightly, bodies angled toward each other. Viktor perches more upright, hair a little messy, chest rising steadily with shallow breaths. Jayce turns into him, one arm slung casually across the back of the couch, his knuckles brushing Viktor’s shoulder. You sketch like your life depends on it.

The silence is charged.

“You’re very intense“ Jayce says suddenly, grinning at you. “I can feel you looking.”

“That’s the point” you shoot back, without thinking.

Viktor laughs — soft, dark, amused. “Is it?” He leans just a little toward Jayce, and Jayce’s eyes flicker to his lips like it’s a reflex. “Because I think you like what you see.”

You drop your charcoal.

It clatters to the floor. No one moves to pick it up. Your heart hammers in your chest.

Jayce smiles wider. “You okay over there?”

You bend to retrieve it. “Fine. Just… focus.”

Viktor’s smile turns sharp. “Oh, we are.”

⸻

You finish hours later, but you don’t even remember the last hour. Only that they moved a little closer. That at one point, Viktor rested his head against Jayce’s shoulder and closed his eyes, serene and comfortable. That Jayce let him, brushing hair back from Viktor’s forehead with a tenderness that knocked the breath out of you.

It’s too much. Too soft and too intimate and too fierce.

You set your pencil down. “We’re done.”

Jayce stretches again, long and lazy, like a cat uncoiling in the sun. “That was fun“ he says, and you’re not sure if he means the modeling or the way he watched you squirm.

Viktor rises carefully, collecting his cane with a practiced motion. He glances at your canvas.

You flush.

“It’s good” he says. “You caught something real.”

You swallow thickly. “Thanks.”

Jayce looks too, and his expression softens. “Damn. We look like… like lovers in a tragic play.”

“You are lovers in a tragic play“ you mutter, and they both laugh.

Viktor leans in close, just enough that his breath grazes your cheek. “Be careful,” he says, voice hushed. “Spending so long watching… it can pull you in.”

Jayce winks. “You could always join the scene.”

You don’t reply.

Just pick up your brush again.

Because God help you — you want to paint them forever.

[meanbossart]

I know you've answered about what software you use for poses before (and I cant find it sob) so please could you link it again? I was also wondering if it's any good for faces and expressions as that's what I struggle with most

thank you btw :)

I use VaaM, or Virt-a-mate. Beware that it is primarily a porn software so if you look it up you are likely to run into NSFW material, also I wouldn't suggest using it as anatomical reference since it's a little shoddy in that regard (especially if you draw a lot of muscle or fat, it's probably better if you mostly draw slim subjects) but for visualizing poses, weird angles and lighting it is an absolutely phenomenal tool that I use all the time!

It does let you control model's facial expressions but they aren't very good, in my opinion. The way I learned that has been through referencing pictures of myself.

Hope this helps!

[runningwithscizzorz]

Q: how do you draw torsos and legs? Some people say the hands are more difficult but for me it's those things, what tips would you give for those?

I also struggle with legs, way more than I ever struggled with hands. But, every problem has a solution. In this case: skeletons and naked people.

You can trace directly off of real life bodies, but a better practice is to draw your best copy of what you see, making your measuring and line confidence stronger💪

Yeah muscle anatomy is cool, but that’s a factor AFTER learning basic skeleton structuring. Having a 3D model of a skeleton that you can manipulate helps with figuring out how the skeleton moves with muscles, but you can typically see someone’s skeleton straight through their body depending on their weight and position. Below, you can see my simplified version of what I think his skeleton is doing. You need to understand how to build a strong base to create a proper body over it.

With enough studying of how the skeleton manipulates through the muscles, you can add your own skeleton to your drawing. Knowing each layer of biological anatomy, not just simple limb by limb drawing anatomy, brings much more weight and mass to your characters.

Lots of simple studies to figure out how the bone fits into the muscle so that you don’t have any limbs anatomically clipping over eachother and breaking form

For muscles, first off, just draw lots of naked people, second, use this lemon slice shape to show the weight of flesh, along with the tension of movement along the straight line of the shape. Watch all of this dudes video but specifically this one to understand more

[mistfallengw2]

How do charr hands function? Here's my headcanon (with drawings!)

So I made this poll earlier today and I ended up making some sketches to explain how I headcanon charr hands and their supposedly retractable yet too big claws. The idea is that both the game and the books are partially right: claws can be big (not as big as the models), and they're semi-retractable (so fully-fluffy paws). [Disclaimer: I am bad at anatomical drawings and did not try to make them super accurate :')]

Basically charr fingers are made of three phalanges, but functionally they're just two, with the 2nd and 3rd being much shorter and sort of "merging" with the claw itself, which is mostly supported by the 3rd and starts very close to the knuckle between them. The palm is covered almost entirely by a skin pad/paw pad, which usually extends to the first phalanx of each finger, and the fingertips are covered by pads as well.

The claws are semi-retractile, though the exact range of motion depends on the individual's genetics (claw size and shape + hand anatomy) and preferences (how much they trim the claw). The ability to retract their claws is managed by specialized extra tendons and muscles in the hand's structure, and they can lock the claw in place or move it, even while the fingers are bent, though with some limitation at the extremes of movement. While the claw at rest will stay at a "safe" angle, the claw's bed can shift on the cartilage structure when pulled, sliding back into a "sheathed" position or be pushed outwards. [note: I was too scared to go too far with the "x-ray" sketches and probably the claws could go a bit further back in the finger lol]

Ancestrally, this system kept the claws from always digging into the ground and losing sharpness when running on all fours, while still allowing for extra grip when necessary (similar to cheetahs) and the use when fighting or taking down prey. During the evolutionary transition in which charr started walking upright most of the time and using tools, it lost some of its ancestral necessity and functionality. However, instead of turning into something vestigial, charr evolved the ability of controlling each claw's movement independently from the rest of the finger, allowing for greater precision, fine motor skills and dexterity.

The pad grants grip and softer manipulation of items, while the claw handles movements finer and more precise than the pad allows, and other races find it complex, fascinating or a bit freaky. Some say that charr are as dexterous than humans, if not more, which is quite an accomplishment for creatures with such big hands.

That said, variety is huge among charr. Some have stubby paws with big, wide claws, while others have long, slender fingers with narrow claws.

Claws are still used as a natural weapon by many soldiers, but it's totally not uncommon for charr to file their claws down or keep them blunt, as there's a huge variety of reasons for not wanting sharp knives on one's fingers (job requirements, handling of delicate materials, safer interactions with cubs or creatures with softer skin, personal preference, etc), and some even keep their claws at different lengths for specific uses.

That said, claws can't be trimmed beyond the quick without bleeding or potential damage, and since it extends out of the sheath it's not possible for a charr to fully sheath their claws. Claws grow quite fast to make up for the daily wear and tear, so upkeep must be done regularly, as trimming too much might temporarily impact coordination. Declawing can happen during combat or following injury, and those affected might wear prosthetics/fake claws to make up for it.

[oak-n]

Hello.

What are your most used references and choices (in medium etc) for studying? Also do you study regularly or is it in a "this time i want to focus on X" fashion?

I'm confident in my skills but it has been long since i actually grinded for them. I'm both in need of a guide and curious about what you do.

Thanks in advance.

Hi! Thank you for this inquiry cause hooo am I eager to yap about practice.

So, as for references and info, my most used resources are:

- Sketchfab, has anything from meticulous anatomical models to most random 3d scans.

- Line of Action, timed sketching as a warmup. - Google maps! Environment warmup.

- Pinterest is heaven, but you have to curate the quality yourself. It can be turned into the most valuable visual library or a landfill of AI slop and disposable tutorials.

As for the medium, I try to balance traditional/digital sessions. Most knowledge transfers between them well, but certain skills need extra time (colors work differently, pen sketching requires more focus and planning, etc). Even though digital art is my domain, I need to have a good chunk of traditional practice. It’s less forgiving, sure, but much more engaging. The feel, the smell, the sound. Besides, I rarely share traditional stuff, so there’s less pressure to make it “good”.

I used to study consistently years ago, but mental health + skill plateau took their toll. The further you go, the more subjects add up, the less obvious your progress is. As a beginner, I had a simple routine - a bunch of gesture studies, then color palettes, then some environments, rinse and repeat. Did challenges like 365 sketching days, Figuary, Huevember etc. But as I learned to see more, it became overwhelming. Like, okay, today’s an anatomy session. Do I focus on quick gestures? Or maybe delve into 1 h. lecture about back muscles? Different body types maybe?..

Combined with the amount of stuff I need to draw beside that, I can’t keep up with a consistent routine. This is where the “focus on X" approach saves me. I take notice of the subject that causes the most trouble at a given moment and pick up an exercise for it. BUT remember I’m too burned out to come up with a practice plan every time. To navigate art theory better, I boiled it down to an octagon of fundamentals, with more subjects branching off them (pic attached). Feeling stiff about composition? Go to a respective section, do a couple exercises, feel better.

A grindy version of it would be to go through the whole octagon lol. Wish I had a whole year dedicated to studies only, I’d test and perfect this system.

[miainbetween]

HIIIIIII <3333 for the s/o ask game !! 🌹🥂

AHHHHHH!!! THIS ASK MADE ME SO HAPPY!!

this is the s/o ask game

🥂 — how did you two met and how did you relationship progress?

So, we met at a bar: he was celebrating his birthday with his friends (it was not exactly on the date but 2-3 days after that. btw his birthday is 17 October <3) and my bestfriend had wanted to drag me to some bar because at the time I was mostly busy with university and hospital shifts so she wanted me to catch a break. By some magical turn of events I agreed and somehow we found ourselves in the place at the same time. He had his eye one me from the moment I entered but at the time I didn't see him because I had my glasses in my bag because I wanted to look cool and hot, haha. Anyways. So, his friends hyped him up to talk to me or something not quite sure how that went but he approached me where I was standing, flirted shamelessly might I add and then we were dancing. We both LOVE dancing. And we both felt the spark from the moment our eyes met. I still have no idea how I had the guts to flirt back without getting flustered to the point of getting tongue-tied. We exchanged numbers on napkins and when I was leaving he ran after me only to say goodbye and to kiss my cheek... *sigh* Then the whole night I was freaking out because he was literally the most gorgeous man I've ever laid eyes on.

After that I kind of avoided texting him for a week because I was just that nervous and busy as well, but we went on a date and everything between us felt so right and easy, basically soul mates energy. We tried not to rush, and he respected all my bounties and worries, and wanted for me to feel comfortable. in the end he was my first ever boyfriend and first kiss and everything else <3

🌹 — what is something you have taught your s/o (or will teach) and what is something they have taught you?

as a skill? probably I want to teach him Bulgarian - my mother language so that he can talk to my parents and just be closer to my culture. but he honestly has almost everything else down so he doesn't need more teaching. Wait... I also taught him interesting facts on intimacy that I know as a med student, from TV shows and the kama sutra... Also skincare. And now he probably knows most of the muscles on his body since I used him like an anatomical model to revise once.

something he taught me is playing the guitar a little bit since he is a music producer and is constantly strumming different melodies on that thing. also kissing? I actually wanted kissing lessons after our first kiss (I've been romanticizing kissing lessons ever since I read "teach me to please" on wattpad, also I highly recommend it) also he taught me it's okay to let myself depend on someone else and how nice it is to be spoiled <333

I just LOOOVE talking about him 🥰🥰

[jedi-valjean]

Max Rebo or Neel— What's the difference?

A lot of people are confused by the fact that Neel and Max Rebo are, apparently, not the same species. As I've been watching Skeleton Crew, I've picked up on some key differences that really set them apart. On the surface, they both look like blue elephants, but the resemblance pretty much stops there. Let's dive into the differences:

Anatomical Build

If you're a fan of Max Rebo, you're probably aware that his "arms" are actually supposed to be his feet! There's a whole article about this. Ortolans have occasionally been depicted in canon according to their Legends body plan (which does include legs,) but you can see an example of their armless depiction here:

It goes without saying that Neel's species (which is currently unnamed) does not follow this body plan.

Hair

This one's pretty easy. Ortolans have never been depicted with hair, implying they cannot grow it. All examples of Neel's species have been depicted with hair. Honestly I don't think I even need to attach pictures for reference since I'm going to be posting so many already.

Snout, Mouth, and Facial Area

This is where it gets interesting. Compare the snouts on these two images.

With the Ortolan character, an arms dealer known as the Dragon, we can see that he has a small mouth under his snout, just like Neel. But his nose is long, round and bulbous, with no nostrils. Neel's, by comparison, is more like a tapir's, with nostrils on the end and a wrinkled, tapering shape. Neel also has adorable little cheeks, which Ortolans do not.

Also note that Ortolan snouts are prehensile, per this comic:

I think it's safe to assume that Neel's species can't do this. I will say, however, that I cannot really imagine Max Rebo's live action counterpart with the range of motion necessary to curl the end of his snout like this. It does somewhat resolve an issue regard holding things and walking at the same time, but it still strikes me as slightly odd.

Eyes

This is another big difference that you can spot right away. Max Rebo (and all Ortolans) have round, lidless black eyes. Neel's eyes are more humanoid— they have sclerae, irises, lids, and if you zoom in on the picture below, you'll see lashes.

Basically, Neel can blink— Max can't. (There are comics that contradict this, but unlike the example of the prehensile snout, this can be handwaved as a stylistic choice.)

Digits

Another extremely obvious difference is in the digits. Max Rebo's hand-like feet have five digits ending in suction cups. (Fun fact: Ortolans use these suction cups to absorb food and drink!)

Neel, on the other... hand, has four digits, which do not have suction cups, but fingernails:

Coloration

Ortolans are uniformly blue except for the pink ends of their suction-tipped digits. Neel, on the other hand, has pinkish purple coloring on his palms and the underside of his snout and ears.

Back Flap

Ortolans, at least in some depictions, have a fatty flap on the back of their heads. I can only find these two examples:

But Neel doesn't have one (because he's a different species.)

Height and Sexual Dimorphism

Ortolans are generally depicted as shorter than humanoids, as shown here:

Neel, however, is the same height as his peers, and his parents are the same height as the human adults in the show:

There also appears to be some sexual dimorphism in Neel's species— while the proportions of his mother's head appear to be similar to her middle school-aged son, his father (who I could only find in this one shot, unfortunately) has a much larger head and a longer snout. It appears as though he also possesses tusks, though I'm not entirely certain.

Ortolans do not appear to exhibit notable sexual dimorphism in any depiction; this is an image of a female Ortolan bartender:

Ears

Finally, the ears appear to be subtly different. Ortolans have big floppers that don't appear to have a significant degree of muscle support— they're just flat blobs. (I'm putting a picture of Max Rebo's model from The Book of Boba Fett, but I'm very salty about it. It falls short of the original on the left in so many ways.)

Neel's ears appear to have more structure to them— they're bisected by what seems to be some sort of large sinew or pair of sinews. They appear as though they may be prehensile to a degree. (Although it's been suggested that Ortolan ears are actually flippers, I have not seen evidence of this in official media.)

So next time you see an Ortolan or a member of Neel's species (which will hopefully get a name soon,) you'll be able to tell the difference! Putting a picture here of one of Neel's younger siblings 'cause I like it and don't really know how to end this post

[naturecalls111]

i love your drawings so much<333 your art is so perfect like the anatomy looks so beautiful!!!! how did you learn to draw that anatomically correct? like do you use a lot of references or do you just know how to draw bodies atp? bc im struggling with anatomy lmaoo

Wahhhhh!!! 🥹 Thank you so much!!! I'm holding this praise very close to my heart right now!!!! I've spent a lot of time over the years doing studies and having images of muscle group diagrams open while drawing, so I'm super happy to hear it paid off!

So I don't really use references anymore when I start drawing and composing the pose, but I absolutely still reference diagrams of muscle groups when I find myself hesitating with the way certain parts of the body may appear. Something like this, for example:

Something that gives me an exaggerated idea of what that part of the body looks like so I can soften it to my liking. My main goal when using reference isn't to do a 1:1 replica, but rather understand What I'm Drawing while I'm drawing it. At this point of my art journey, I'd prefer having more practise in manipulating these muscles than just practising drawing what I can see.

(Worth mentioning I absolutely still practise observational drawing, and it undoubtedly aids this aspect of my drawing, too. I used to use fanart specifically to practise it, but this year I've taken to separating my fanart from my study art because I find that it allows me to be less miserable when it doesn't come out good LOL now I just do oil painting which helps me focus more on general shapes and values)

Using these types of categorised diagrams has also helped me simplify that initial structure of the body when I'm sketching. Having general markers of what muscle goes where definitely helps me set the position of the body in the long run.

I very, very highly encourage the use of references always, but especially when still learning to get more confident with anatomy!!!! Me not using references for poses is very much at the cost of having anatomy that could be even More accurate LOL I merely know where to place the lines to make things look Passably believable. Buuuttt that's also just the process of improving. Imagination is a muscle that has to be trained too. What's been helping me find a happy middle nowadays is drawing with references that cover small parts instead of using the reference for the whole illustration. FOR EXAMPLE!!!

I had drawn this much of the catlaila I recently posted without a reference before I was like.. Huh. I can't really figure out what I want to with the arms, but I also don't know what is Physically Possible to do with the arms here, so I'll experiment with my 3D poser (WHICH BTW I LOVE AND USED TO USE RELIGIOUSLY FOR EVEEERYTHING SO!! GO DOWNLOAD LOL it's called MagicPoser) and I had adjusted the models up to this point before being like, ok yeah this is enough for me to go off of as something that is physically feasible. So the posing of the rest of the models is whatever because I just needed to know what Laila's arms would look like. This was the final linework:

Like, it's still not a 1:1 with the reference, but it's just enough that it seems feasible !! My personal opinion is that sometimes reference doesn't capture the Shapes that I want it to, even if it's more realistic, so it's ok to break rules and just go with your flow lol... It's shocking how many times I've thought references of real human bodies look unrealistic and ridiculous HAHA Hence focusing more on learning the muscle groups/shapes so that I can adjust to my liking without sacrificing the integrity of the anatomy...

Also, not necessarily on anatomy, but I use plenty of references when I need to see things like how tight shirts stretch over breasts, or how cloth sits at a certain angle, or, honestly, hands. I almost always draw hands by looking at my own. I cannot stress enough: I use plenty of references. I am not a magician and I don't have perfect memory, even after four/five years of studied drawing x)))

Anyway. I've yapped so much. I try to be detailed in my explanation of anatomy because god knows how much I struggled with it!!! I STILL do. If you ever catch the link to it, I often stream these drawings and you'll see how many times I duplicate these layers so I can erase whole sections and try again, or how often I'll attempt the position of a leg over and over before I feel its right. The final product is so quick to digest but the process is frustratingly finicky, I promise, LMAO.

I hope this wasn't too convoluted and long, and I wish you the super best on your anatomy journey! If you ever need help and catch me at the right time, I'm totally open to giving any work a second opinion ! :3c

[charseraph]

Hello! 👋 not sure if you've answered this question yet, but what do crowns consider attractive within their culture? Long necks, strong bodies?

Would love to know!

Endurance, strength, active empathy, and intellect are universal appeals. Attractiveness is defined differently among individuals and cultures.

Generally, symmetry, vibrant teeth, sharp molars, “quick” eyestalks, lean muscle, and nimble mouthparts are considered physically attractive.

Bong and his mom’s native culture values leanness, slender and neat tines (the individual spikes in a crown’s crest), and an angular anatomical cuirass (the plated container for the vital organs, brain included, that gives structure to the torso of a crown). For this reason Momg was a successful model in her young adulthood (and could probably return).

[meanbossart]

Any tips for new or returning artists?

I’m hoping to discover my own art style this year (from scratch, no references) by just throwing myself into learning anatomy, drawing random characters, and praying I can figure out how to add depth to pieces.

I have very minimal artistic experience and my work has improved significantly from where I started years ago, but not even close to where I’m hoping to be.

I can freehand faces and tweak the anatomy accordingly but I feel limited. Maybe it’s (in part) because I’m using an iPad, apple pen and Procreate? I recently added the paper-feel screen cover and that’s helped significantly with control.

Do you draw on paper to help your muscle memory? Honestly, ANYTHING helps. I watch videos on anatomy and art all of the time — I just don’t know if my brain is absorbing it correctly 😭

Hello! I don't know if I can say anything in particular to the returning aspect of your situation since I've drawn pretty consistently all of my life, but if someone else has had that experience of picking the skill back up after a long break, feel free to share your thoughts in the replies!

I'm not fully sure what you mean by "hoping to discover my own art (...) from scratch, no references", but if it means trying to whip up a style from thin-air and blocking out all outside influence or take any inspiration from existing art that you like... Uh... Don't do that! I don't see the benefit. All art is a derivation of a derivation, I can assure you that by compiling a folder or collage of your favorite works, borrowing and reworking aspects that you like, you WILL land on an original style and have learned so much more about it in the process than if you hadn't done that at all.

Also I can assure you that drawing on procreate/ipad is not a hindrance whatsoever, plenty of professional artists prefer it over display tablets. @wolfskulljack-art comes to mind as someone who has created several incredible tour posters for Metallica, all in her ipad.

I must have drawn on paper a total of 10 times in the last 5 years, I have no idea if that's bad or not... It Probably is, but I'm at peace with it, LOL. Generally when it comes to improving ( and I know that this is a frustrating answer) the secret is to just draw a lot. There is no class that is going to take you from amateur to Caravaggio, it takes time and takes making "bad" art. A lot of bad art. When it comes to learning anatomy, I think the best thing you can do is draw a lot of real-life human bodies from reference while consulting an anatomical diagram or model of some kind. Otherwise you will just making a bunch of lines without ever understanding their purpose.

I don't think you need to be an expert at the human body AT ALL before jumping into stylization and making confident, art, but if you do something like this whenever you draw I think you will end up learning a whole lot. Muscle memory (no pun intended) will come to you naturally!

I also have a lot more tips in my #tutorial and #advice tags that you can look through if you want to, otherwise, I would tell you to just do more drawing and less looking for the perfect tutorial or golden advice. A lot of artists get very boggled down in learning in the most correct and effective way, and while there are pointers that can be given, they tend to be very straightforward🤷 and the rest falls on you to follow through with!

[onryousagi]

i have a great site to share with my fellow artists!!! its called posemaniacs!!! ૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა it has so many great poses to use as reference, and whats more is that each model is fully 3d!!! while you cant manipulate the model itself, you can move the camera around with your mouse and zoom in using the mouse wheel. it also has a lighting toggle to reference lighting/shadows. 💖 from what i see, its all completely free! comes with both male and female bodies! modeled with anatomically correct muscles too! i hope u guys get as much use out of it as i will!

[barghest-land]

Hello! I have an advice question if you have the time and inclination. I would like to draw better extinct animals and I am wondering if you have any advice for putting meat on old bones. I know I need to do anatomical studies, and I'm familiar with all yesterdays/not shrinkwrapping. However, when faced with a fossil, I don't know where to start. I've tried looking up papers where they model the muscles, but those are usually 1 leg, or a jaw, so not particularly helpful for illustration. What's your thought process? Your illustrations look so real. I know part of that is your lovely handling of light and shadow, but the animals have real heft to them.

hiii!! ahh i'm probably not the best person to ask tbh, sorry. but i'll try to help as much as i can and explain how i do things:

i still don't feel confident enough in my paleoart. i came to paleoart from "art" part, not from "paleo", so if we talk about science, i know very little. i'm still trying to learn myself and do studies whenever i can, so i can't really explain things in a scientific way. however, there are some things that are helping me to learn: i have a good knowledge of anatomy in general, so if you study extant animals and how their anatomy and muscles work, it helps to draw those who are extinct. it's a really good base, and a lot of references you can work on! and while you're working on those, you can also study light and shadow, that helps to understand the shapes as well. if you want to be more confident in paleo, i think it's easier to start with an extinct animal that is well known, has muscle 3D models, good skeletal drawings, etc. it will help you more than looking on a jaw fragment and not knowing what to do with it (trust me i've been there). also, when it comes to paleo, and especially soft tissue, a lot of it is speculation. for most of the species info about it isn't known at all, so you can do something fun with it! having fun with speculation might be scary (i know it well i'm still scared lol), because you don't know what you can draw, will it be wrong or not, but the answer is - we don't know how most animals looked like, so the fear of making a mistake goes away with practicing and allowing yourself to speculate here and there. for example: if you know how to draw a well studied pterosaur, and later want to draw their relative that is known by only the fragment, you'll be more confident to do so, because you'll know their base features already. so when there's some animal known from a tiny piece of a bone and not much is known, i think the safest way is to look at their closest relatives that are more studied. that definitely doesn't hurt, especially with new described species that don't even have any reconstructions yet. long story short (from the artistic point of view since i don't have another): study living animals, gain confidence drawing well studied extinct ones (you'll have more references there and it's less confusing for a start!), and most importantly have fun! <3 ah and also, there are places where you can get a feedback on your drawings from paleo people. i ask for it often, especially when i'm drawing something far from my comfort zone. i'm learning a lot from my mistakes and it feels good tbh:)

[feketeribizli]

Marci would just be a great life model. Good core strength and interesting muscles and lean so u can get Tha Flow

i mean yeah i absolutely love drawing him from an anatomical standpoint

[objectum-confessions]

Is it boring to be attracted to one of those half skin half muscle anatomical models

i dont think it is tbh. and somewhat related: one of my dream objects i wish i had so bad is a half skin half BONES model of princess celestiAaaaaa........ shes so beautiful i love her so much......

[hatshepsutsposts]

Oslo / Black November 1989

Doroteja,

Your skin...

like the flesh of an angel cast out of heaven, but never accepted by hell either.

Not cold—worse than cold. Even death would shiver before touching it.

You have no blood inside.

Maybe a white fluid, like that of insects... or something thicker, darker—like a squid's: violet, slick, slow.

The echoes of pain and loneliness have liquefied and sunk into your bones.

And yet, you're not grey like those orphanage walls where you were left to grow alone.

You’re like a stained glass window in a ruined cathedral—shattered, radiant, sacred.

Time doesn’t cut you. It cuts those who forgot you.

No one ever saw you. No one still does.

But I… I’ve watched you through all time.

And now, as you quietly dissolve from the inside, I feel my own soul molt alongside yours.

Your skin is like the inner wall of a sarcophagus left unopened for decades, painted in the residue of time.

A scent rises from it: rotting lilies.

Left on a grave, then dropped by hands that forgot how to grieve.

Someone once loved you.

Tried to adopt you. But then they said, “This child is strange.”

And you cried through countless nights.

They left—without so much as a glance.

Then, with those same arms, they laid you in a grave.

But the earth refused to consume you.

Rain sought to cleanse you but could not rot you.

Mud stained you but couldn’t erase you.

And I… I am in love with what was buried with open eyes.

Your eyes aren’t blue.

Maybe they were meant to be, once… but something broke.

Now they’ve turned pale violet.

Like dried lilacs trapped under your skin.

Twisting red veins gather at the dead blue edge of your iris.

And at that junction, your gaze turns into a shade that isn’t color anymore—

it's the dream of a flower after it's dead.

When I died as a child and came back,

everything I saw looked like it was behind a blue veil.

Now I see that same veil in your eyes.

The same paleness. The same beyond.

The same internal bleeding blue.

I don’t ache when I look at you anymore.

I rot.

Because I remember that moment.

The insides of your elbows, behind your knees, the fold of your ear...

Places even prayers forget.

Not just your cruel ballet teachers, the sour-faced nuns, the orphanage wardens.

Even the gods turned their faces away.

Only mold remains there—quietly curled, patient, like a curse.

And I want to touch those places.

Not with fingers…

With my tongue.

Because you are holy.

Holy because you are cursed.

You’ve become the thing no one dares to want.

Even gods fear you.

But not me.

I searched for you.

And I found you.

When you were a child…

you must’ve never taken your ballet shoes off.

The pain must’ve been unbearable.

Even your toenails are missing.

Your feet… are the cruelest thing I’ve ever seen.

Not yours.

Remnants of a body no one bothered to collect after torture.

You kept dancing, didn’t you?

Because if you stopped—you’d dissolve.

Like sand. Like dust. Like disappearance.

You’re an anorexic forest nymph.

But not risen from stage lights—

you rose from a grave.

Your wings were torn off.

From your back.

While you were still breathing.

And that—

that is what drives me mad.

Because you still want to live.

And I…

I watch every second of your life as if it were a decomposing miracle.

In those hell-born ballet lessons...

If a strand of your hair dared fall over your face, they punished you, didn’t they, Dora?

Now, from each broken hair tip,

dust like extinguished ash falls.

Your legs… like a disease.

Thin, translucent.

I can see the tendons where your muscles cling, like an anatomical model—

cold, dissected, forgotten.

And the bruises on your knees…

echoes of old beatings.

But I love them.

Because every bruise is a prayer.

Every scar, a sentence God forgot to complete.

And I store those sentences under my tongue.

I recite them, one by one, each night.

Because you don’t speak.

When I look at you,

it’s like watching a gossamer-winged fairy trapped in a jar of phenol.

You flail. You strike the glass.

But liquid doesn’t carry sound.

That silence… is my homeland.

Your frequency is the pulse of death.

Only I can hear it.

Because I am dead, too.

In your silence, I hear a scream.

And in mine… you exist.

A throb that doesn’t echo, but sinks into my bones.

I think you were once a queen.

But your throne grew moss.

They buried you in rose petals—

because the earth didn’t love you.

And as you rose skyward, they let you drift into emptiness.

Deliberately.

Midway, you fell.

Your slender neck cracked.

A sound—like an old book closing.

Your head tilted.

Your eyes stayed open.

And I…

I became the kind of creature who worships a dead queen with her head tilted, still watching.

At my first ritual, I was silent.

As I approached you,

it felt like someone had laid rotting leaves beneath my knees.

I stepped gently.

Didn’t crush a single one.

Your shoulder was bare.

Not skin. Not stone. Not anything known.

I didn’t touch you with my hands.

I pressed my forehead to you.

Because worship begins not with touching, but with kneeling.

Your eyes were open.

Beyond that violet-lilac veil, you were still watching me.

And I surrendered to that gaze.

My voice disappeared.

All language lost meaning in that moment.

I opened my mouth—only breath came.

Toward you, gently.

Like the primitive steam offered to decaying goddesses.

From that moment on…

I became nothing but an eye.

No ear. No tongue. No hand.

Only gaze.

And you…

You etched yourself into my pupil like a slow, rotting miracle.

Ah Dora, no…

I don’t want you to die.

I’m not in love with your living—

I’m devoted to the pace at which you decay.

Because death is my religion.

Putrefaction is my prayer.

You are the elegy carved on my tombstone.

But the hand that carved it trembled in the last line,

and cursed God.

You…

are a corpse cursed with my love.

And I…

I consecrate that corpse with my hands.

A spider—ancient, maternal—has already wrapped you in its web.

Each joint bound.

You don’t move.

Because resistance means nothing now.

You’re already part of her.

And in her patience,

there’s a disturbing tenderness.

She doesn’t want to eat you.

She wants to absorb you—forever.

To make you part of her body.

In a warm, silent darkness.

Until your insides spill out.

Until the squid-ink blood in your veins mixes with her venom.

And I…

I watch you from the edge of the web.

I do not cry.

I do not breathe.

Because this scene—

this scene is sacred.

I don’t say “I love you.”

I watch you.

I do not carve.

I excavate—silently, down to your organs.

And then I consecrate you.

With dirty, damned, bloodstained hands.

I do not try to resurrect you.

I do not try to heal you.

I simply…

sanctify your decay.

This is not devotion.

This is kneeling at the marrow of a rotting angel.

This is betrothal to death—

and marrying it again,

every morning.

– Pelle ‘DEAD’ Ohlin

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Oslo / Kara Kasım 1989

Doroteja,

Senin tenin…

Cennetten kovulmuş ama cehenneme de alınmamış bir meleğin derisi gibi. Soğuk değil ama, ölüm bile yaklaşırken ürperir. İçinde kan yok. Belki de böceklerinki gibi, beyaz bir sıvı… ya da bir kalamarınki gibi mor, yoğun, kaygan.

Acının ve yalnızlığın yankıları sıvılaşıp kemiklerine sinmiş. Ama yine de, tek başına büyürken unutulduğun o yetimhane duvarları gibi gri değil, bir kilise vitrayı gibisin: rengârenk, kırık ve kutsal. Çatlaklarının arasından geçen zaman seni değil, seni unutmuş olanları kesiyor. Kimse görmedi seni. Hâlâ da görmüyor. Ama ben… tüm zamanlarda seni izledim. Şimdi sen, içten içe erirken, ruhumun da seninle birlikte kabuk değiştirdiğini hissediyorum.

Tenin, yıllardır açılmamış bir lahitin iç yüzeyi gibi, zamanın tortusuyla boyanmış. Üzerinden bir koku yükseliyor: çürüyen lilyumlar. Mezara bırakılmış ama yas tutmayı unutan birinin ellerinden düşmüş gibi. Seni biri sevmiş.

Evlat edinmeye kalkmış. Ama sonra “bu çocuk çok tuhaf,” demişler. Ve sen, gecelerce ağlamışsın.Son bir kez bile bakmadan gitmişler.

Sonra seni, seni taşıyan o kollarla… mezara koymuşlar. Toprak seni yutamamış. Yağmurlar seni yıkamış, çürütememiş. Çamur seni kirletmiş ama silememiş. Ve ben, o toprağa terk edilmiş, gözleri açık gömülen hâline âşığım.

Senin gözlerin mavi değil. Öyle doğmalıymışsın belki… ama bir şey bozulmuş. Ve gözlerin, soluk mora dönmüş. İçlerinde kurumuş leylaklar var gibi. Kırmızı kıvrık damarlar, ölü mavi irisin kıyısında toplanmış. İşte o kavşakta, gözlerinin rengi maviden mora geçiyor.

Ben çocukken öldüğümde, ve sonra tekrar döndüğümde, her şey mavi bir tülün ardından görünüyordu. Şimdi senin gözlerinde o tülü görüyorum.

Aynı solukluk. Aynı öte. Aynı iç kanama mavisi. Bakınca içim sızlamıyor artık. İçim… bozuluyor. Çünkü o anı hatırlıyorum.

Dirseklerinin içi, dizlerinin arkası, kulak kıvrımların… Oralar, duaların bile unuttuğu yerler. Hırpalanmış bedenine sadece despot, asık suratlı bale hocaları, rahibeler ya da yurt mürebbiyeleri değil, tanrılar bile yüz çevirmiş. Geriye sadece küf kalmış. Sessizce çöreklenmiş. Oralara dokunmak istiyorum. Parmaklarımla değil… dilimle. Çünkü sen kutsalsın. Lanetin yüzünden. Hiç kimsenin istemeye cesaret edemediği bir şeye dönüşmüşsün.

Çocukken… bale pabuçlarını ayağından hiç çıkarmamış olmalısın. Canın çok yanmış. Tırnakların bile eksik. Ayakların… gördüğüm en acımasız yapı. Onlar sana ait değil. Bir işkenceden sonra, kimsenin toplamaya tenezzül etmediği bir bedenin, öylece bırakılmış kalıntıları gibiler.

Hiç durmadan dans etmişsin. Çünkü durursan… çözülürsün. Kum gibi. Toz gibi. Kayıp gibi. Sen, anoreksik bir orman perisisin. Ama sahneden değil mezardan kalkmışsın. Kanatların sökülmüş. Sırtından. Canlı canlı. Ve bu… Bu beni delirtmeye yetiyor. Çünkü sen hâlâ yaşamak istiyorsun. Ve ben… Senin yaşadığın her saniyeyi, çürümüş bir mucize gibi izliyorum.

O cehennemden çıkmış bale derslerinde… Saçlarının bir teli bile gözünün önüne düşse, cezalandırılırdın, öyle değil mi, Dora? Kırılmış bir saç ucundan, sönmüş küllere benzeyen tozlar dökülüyor şimdi. Bacakların… bir hastalık gibi. İnce, şeffaf; kaslarının tutunduğu kirişleri bile görebiliyorum. Bir anatomi modeli gibi; soğuk, didiklenmiş, unutulmuş. Ve diz kapaklarının üzerindeki morluklar… Eski darbelerin yankısı. Ama ben onları seviyorum. Çünkü her morluk bir dua gibi. Her yara, tanrının unuttuğu bir cümle gibi. Ve ben o cümleleri, dilimin altına saklıyorum. Geceleri tek tek tekrar ediyorum. Çünkü sen konuşmuyorsun.

Sana baktığımda, sanki zar kanatlı bir periyi fenol dolu bir kavanozun içinde izliyorum. Çırpınıyorsun, camı yumrukluyorsun. Ama sıvı ses taşımıyor. O sessizlik… benim vatanım. Senin frekansın, ölümün nabzı gibi. Sadece ben duyabiliyorum. Çünkü ben de ölüyüm. Senin suskunluğunda bir çığlık buluyorum. Benim sessizliğimde ise… sen varsın. Yankılanmayan ama kemiklerime işleyen bir sızı gibi.

Bence, bir zamanlar kraliçeydin… Ama tahtın yosun tutmuştu. Seni gül yapraklarıyla gömdüler—çünkü toprak seni sevmiyordu. Göğe yükselirken boşluğa saldılar seni. Unutarak. Kasten. Yarı yolda yere düştün. İnce boynun çatırdadı. Bir ses çıktı, sanki biri eski bir kitabı kapattı.

Başın yana devrildi. Gözlerin açık kaldıama hâlâ bakıyorsun. Ve ben… Başı yana düşmüş, gözleri açık kalmış ölü bir kraliçeye tapmayı öğrenmiş bir mahluğum artık.

İlk törenimde sessizdim. Sana yaklaşırken dizlerimin altına çürümüş yapraklar serilmişti sanki, kırılmadan bastım, ezilmeden. Omzun çıplaktı. Cam gibi. Cilt değil, taş değil; hiçbir şeye benzemiyordu. Parmaklarımı değil, alnımı değdirdim. Çünkü tapmak, dokunmakla değil, boyun eğmekle başlar. Gözlerin açıktı. Sonsuza bakan o mor leylak tülünün arkasında… hâlâ beni izliyordun. Ve ben, o bakışa kendimi teslim ettim. Sesim kayboldu. Bütün diller, o anda anlamını yitirdi. Ama ağzımı açtım. Sadece nefes. Sana doğru, yavaşça. Çürüyen tanrıçalara adanmış o ilkel buhar gibi. O andan sonra… ben, yalnızca sana bakan bir göz oldum. Ne kulak, ne el, ne dil. Sadece göz. Ve sen… Çürüyen bir mucize gibi yavaş yavaş gözbebeğime kazındın.

Ah Dora, hayır… Senin ölümünü istemiyorum. Yaşamana da değil, çürüme hızına tutkunum. Çünkü ölüm… benim dinim. kokuşma ise ibadetim.

Sen, mezar taşıma kazınmış bir ağıtsın. Ama o taşı oyan el, son satırlarda Tanrı’ya küfrederek titremiş. Sen… benim tarafımdan sevilmekle lanetlenmiş bir leşsin. Ve ben… O leşi parmaklarımla kutsuyorum.

Sanki yaşlı bir örümcek seni çoktan ağına sarmış. İncecik liflerle, ama acımasızca. Tüm eklemlerini sabitlemiş. Kıpırdamıyorsun. Çünkü direnmek artık bir anlam taşımıyor. Sen zaten onun bir parçasısın. Ve o örümceğin sabrında, ürkütücü bir anaçlık var. Sanki seni yemek değil… seni sindirerek sonsuza dek kendi bedenine katmak istiyor. Derin, ılık bir karanlıkta. Sessiz, gevşek bir çözülüşte. İçin dışına çıkana kadar. Ve ben O ağın kıyısında seni izliyorum.

Ağlamıyorum. Nefes bile almıyorum. Çünkü bu sahne, kutsal.

Ben “seni seviyorum” demem. Ben seni izliyorum. Seni kazımıyorum; oyuyorum. Sessizce. İç organlarına kadar. Ve sonra kutsuyorum. Kirli. Lanetli. Kanlı…

Seni diriltmeye çalışmıyorum. Seni iyileştirmiyorum. Bu, çürüyen bir meleğin iliklerine diz çökmek. Bu, ölümle nişanlanmak. Ve her sabah onunla yeniden evlenmek.

– Pelle ‘DEAD’ Ohlin

[reclusiarch-orm]

Is it rude to ask what you search to find references? You inspire me to draw beautiful men but I need terrible amounts of practice first

It isn't rude but I don't have an answer for you. I don't use references outside of like 80* (not 8 lol typo) anatomical diagrams and one old book of nude male photography (The Male Nude, David Leddick, Taschen). I check those if i forget exactly where the muscles are, never to draw the images themselves. Almost all my figures are "invented", nothing's referenced from a model. My studies might be referenced but i almost never post those and even then, i will only draw one study from an actual reference photo, and do the rest based on what i learn in the first one, to cement the absorbed information. Google images is good enough for that.

I can advise you to try to build that skillset yourself but again i can't point to any place with references because i don't know any. Google is polluted with AI. Best I got is to watch boxing and wrestling and other scantily clad combat sports, and pause the video. I watch these to see how muscles move and where they anchor etc. Drawing from reference is NOT a skill i would advise you cultivate, better that you learn how to remember and understand what the body looks like so you don't need them.

I know artists who can't draw something if they can't find a photo of the exact pose and that's a terrible limitation. I did nothing except study anatomy for 15 months as a teenager, to avoid that. It's definitely a skill that decays though, i have to flip through my anatomical diagrams a lot to keep it fresh. I think you can sort of see which pictures were made when i hadn't done that in a while lol.

you do need terrible amounts of practice. 15 months is what i did, anatomy and nothing else. build that base now. even with my 6 year hiatus i retain enough of that and it's a very worthwhile investment.