Thursday, 16 May 2013

Way is knowing the pelvic structure important?

It’s a good idea to note the configuration of the pelvis when creating any character, human or anthro. I'm a firm believer in sketching out the basic bone structure in any character sketch, it helps to create your anchor points and maintain your proportions. There are a number of landmarks of the hip that will dictate the overall look of your characters waist, hips and legs that are worth taking some time to study.



Landmarks from the front:
1. The iliac crest, the most obvious part of the pelvis you can feel under the skin. In an athletic character the crest forms the ridge to the bulging mass of the obliques, the muscles of your waist.
2. The inguinal ligament is formed by the obliques and demarcates the line where the torso ends and legs begin. It creates the distinctive 'V' or 'U' shape seen in the photo below.
3. Pubic tubercle this forward projection of the pubic bone can be felt under the public line and is the attachment of the inguinal ligament. The abdominal muscles also attach to the pubic bone. Below this landmark is the point at which the genitals sit, in the male for example via the suspensory ligament. (Also worth noting is that if your characters are in 'heroic' proportion, that's 8-heads high, this landmark marks the mid point of your character height).
4. The greater trochanter of the femur is the major attachment point of the gluteals. It is clearly visible in a frontal view as a bulge at the top of the leg and more predominant in the female. It adds a distinctive curve to the top of the leg when drawing characters from the front or back.


The distinctive 'V' or 'U' shape of the obliques.

2 comments:

  1. Hips don't lie...
    The pelvis is usually the first place I start when constructing the body pose and I always seem to over complicate it :V
    Thanks for being such a valuable resource! :)

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  2. Could you possibly find a lateral view of the hip area to illustrate the position of the greater trochanter, gluteals, and genital location? It would help me define the extent of lower rectus abdominis vs. pubic bone. Thanks!

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