The Ape Skeleton

Drawing Dynamic Creatures

Ape Anatomy Bootcamp - The Skeleton

The Ape Skeleton

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Mark as Completed
Course In Progress

The Ape Skeleton

35K
Mark as Completed
Course In Progress

Pick an angle (different from the one I did) and sketch the skeleton on your own. I suggest using a ballpoint pen so you don’t have the option for “undo” but you can use any medium you want.

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korsola
Here are my assignments! It was first approach to draw with ball point pen, and I enjoyed a lot. I think I should focus on gestures more.
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Ash
impressive!
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Sierra T.
Wow this looks great!
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hannassi
Here are my studies. Theyr a little messy, loose and not very detailed as these sketches were done in about 5-15 minutes.
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Linus Lehmann
Very good drawings. I think you have good proportions, a balanced use of straights and curves and some understanding of the 3d form. I think you should try to draw some skeletons from imagination from a different angle. And you could also try to draw skeletons in a few different poses from imagination. This is a great way to find out how good your understanding of the flow of the bones and their 3d volumes really is. Hope this is helpful.
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K. J. Reittinger
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Linus Lehmann
Good drawings! I think your proportions are quite good, and i like that you tried some poses. You should definitly continue doing these. I think it would really benefit you to focus on the threedimensional volumes. Try to come up with some simplified forms for the ribcage and other bones. You need to be able to draw these volumes from imagination/memory in different angles. When you draw your videofootage/life-drawings you should start to become aware of these volumes (with the ribcage probalbly beeing the first one.)
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Jamus Zeppeli
I feel like the one with the slightly bottom view is of a lot lower quality i guess that just shows its harder for me to see and visualise the 3d shapes from bottom angles
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Márton S.
a comment to the file names: it's chim not chinpanzee :D
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Sean Ramsey
Haha, thanks for catching that! We'll fix that typo asap! But now I want to see someone make a truly terrifying CHINpanzee creature.
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Strahinja Milutin
Hi David. These are my first few skeleton studies.
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Bernard
Nice poses, the right one really has character. The two on the left could use some extra feeling of gravity, since this big muscular body is leaning quite heavily on the arms, I guess.
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BombDraws
Ape skeleton studies.
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Noe (Noah) Martin
Hey David! Here's my submission for the ape skeleton assignment. I threw everything onto one canvas so it's convenient to look at each sketch/study you had assigned to us. Not sure if I should simplify the shapes/details more but I suppose that comes with growth of confidence and experience (I also chose the orangutan skull. I don't think i've done a creature design based off of an orangutan yet, so this may be a good opportunity)
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Linus Lehmann
Here some more skeleton-studies. @David Colman As you suggested I tried to get the rhythms of the parts of the skeleton in union. I found it quite difficult (i did way more pages of study than i post here, these are only the newest). But i think i managed to improve my rhytms/flow. I think i will start to try some other imagined poses next. Any kind of tips, feedback or suggestions would highly appreciated.
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David Colman
Your flow is good... long lines are a better way to go and I see it here. I do think try moving this armature around a bit..Stand him up.. swing from a branch...feel the extension of limbs. etc The reason I started with apes is being a close ancestor we can feel the poses, tension , weight, etc and better execute the movement and weight in our drawings and designs. Let loose and explore more various poses. And youre doing what needs to be done to grow- drawing and studying alot- keep going!
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Eve A. Bear
well, I tried to do the exercise digitally. beginner in this medium. a little test on different positions
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David Colman
GREAT start... Love the natural poses- I want to see more!
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Bernard
Here my ape skeletons, it was fun to do, didn't take the courage to be too inventive, hope to gain some more confidence during the course.
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Samuel Lemons
I changed the angle and altered the pose in this sketch. I will add more flow and energy to future sketches.
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David Colman
Its a nice attempt but we are losing clarity. Try a less drastic angle
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Tiger
My studies of the chimpanzee skeleton in the first image. The second image has rough skeletons based on photos.
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David Colman
OH these are fantastic. Youre going to grow nicely in this class. Love how brave you are with exploring so many various poses KEEP it up!
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Thomas Vang Pedersen
Inventing chimpanzee poses from imagination, and then trying to add a skeleton onto the invented figures. It was difficult to find out how the radius looks as it turns around the ulnar bone from pronation as shown in the 3D model to supination in some of my poses.
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Ling Fung Sze
I tried to draw the skeletons with ball pen. Some areas are messy probably due to lack of knowledge, and may do more simplified. wish to learn more on further lessons
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Thieum
Cool sketches, with good perspective!
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Dennis Yeary
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Thomas Vang Pedersen
Doing Chimpanzee quicksketches while waiting for the next video from David.
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David Colman
some nice volumes here Try and focus on the weight of the subject in your next pass. Let the ground win- show that force … and don’t be afraid to draw through the form
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Ian Gregory
A bit messy for this one with the mind to keep it simple, loose, and not spending too much on one sketch. Although sometimes it still looks kind of stiff, not sure though.
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David Colman
Ian. That’s okay you’re learning Try to find rhythms of the bones in long lines of action before you build the volumes all the while trying not to lose those initial gestures
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Linus Lehmann
Here are the drawings i did from the Ape-skeleton. @David Colman I tried to follow your process and tips closely. I tried to focus on: -flow -volume -not to many details. I used different ballpointpens, a very thin one in the first drawings, than a thicker-line-ballpointpen. In the last drawings i used the thin balllpointpen for the flow-stage and the thicker-one for the volumes. In my first drawings i found the proportions to be quite off, so i focused a bit more on those in the later drawings. I will definetly continue to practice the Skeleton but i thought id post my current stage, to maybe get some feedback and tips.
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David Colman
Solid work. You got the volumes down but now try to find the flow of the parts in unison. As one complete rhythm and gesture even in the static pose of the source
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Thomas Vang Pedersen
went to the zoo with the family today, and tried drawing animals from life for the first time. It was quit stressful/difficult cause the lighting was too dark and people was constantly standing in front of me so I lost the view. Also the chimpanzees was always on the move so all the drawing had to done from the memory of a short glimpse of the action. With a total lack of knowledge about the locomotion of chimpanzee, it was difficult to finish the gesture from memory. When I got home, I tried to draw the skeletons in the ape sketches. Some of the gestures was done so quitly, that I have no idea of what the pose was. all in all it was stressful being the first time drawing from life animals and first time drawing in public, but also alot of fun, and I’m happy that I finaly did it.
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David Colman
These are great. It’s super challenging and frustrating when first getting started You just have to stick with it. Try to just focus on gestures with a large brush pen and not be so concerned with some of the details. Find the energy and earnest feel of the subtle naturalism in their poses It takes time to settle in. Stick with it
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About instructor
Illustrator working in film as a designer and storyboard artist- known as the "animal guy" for my passion for doodling animals. insta @davidsdoodles
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