SKETCHING THE LEG BACK VIEW

SKETCHING THE LEG BACK VIEW

Bones From the back view, the same leg bones that appear in the front view are visible. Their appearance is slightly altered, however, because the bone attachments in the front are designed to allow muscles to extend, and the back attachment is designed for muscles to flex.

Muscles The upper leg consists of five large muscle masses: gluteus maxim us; gluteus medius; the hamstring group (biceps femoris, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus); the adductor group; and the vastus extern us, which can be seen peeking out from behind the biceps femoris. 

The lower leg also features five masses: three larger ones and two smaller. The larger masses are the two heads of the calf: the gastrocnemius and the Achilles tendon, which connects to the heel bone. The two smaller masses are the inner soleus and outer soleus. Also notice the hollow area behind the knee where the calf tendons attach, called the "popliteal fossa"; this fatty hollow makes deep knee bends possible.

Drawing Tips The calf is lower and rounder on the inside than it is on the outside. (See figure 1.) 

The hamstring tendons grip below the knee on both sides, almost like a pair of tongs. (See figure 2.)