In this lesson, instructor Karl Gnass will walk you through an overview of figure anatomy. You will learn how to add anatomical details on top of gestures and structures to give your figure drawings more life. Karl will teach you the concept of “active anatomy” and discuss its benefits.

This lesson belongs to the course The Spirit of the Pose. In this 10-week course, Karl Gnass will teach you how to draw the human figure directly and compellingly. You will discover his fundamental principles of figure drawing, including gesture, formulation, and anatomy, and then build upon those foundations to learn about light, tone, and aesthetics. The emphasis will be on seeing beyond the details and focusing on the “spirit of the pose.” By the end of the course, you will have gained the knowledge and skills to analyze and confidently create representations of the figure. These traditional techniques can also be applied to digital media.

Throughout this course, you’ll have access to the NMA community for feedback and critiques to improve your work as you progress.