SKETCHING THE LEG SIDE VIEW

SKETCHING THE LEG

SIDE VIEW

Bones and Muscles Because the long femur (B), and large tibia (H) carry the weight of the body, they sit directly on top of each other. But in a side-view drawing, the upper and lower leg appear staggered; the front of the shin lines up directly below the iIlio-tibial band muscles and behind the upper-leg masses of the rectus femoris and vastus extern us.

In the lower leg, the forms to look for are the gastrocnemius; the long, straight form of the Achilles tendon; the peroneus longus tendon, which passes behind the outer malleolus (I) and the bulk of the extensor digitarum longus; and the tibialis anterior, toward the front of the leg. 

 

Drawing Tips The six arrows in figure 1 show the overall gesture of the leg. The upper thigh and lower calf create the gesture. (See figure 2.) Figure 3 shows the pattern of tendons in the foot. (See page 19.)