January 8, 2008

The Pelvis




It's the most complex of the large bone masses in the body, and I still find it a challenge after all these years - how do you simplify it? Essentially you can see it as two plates at angles to each other - the illiac masses - connected at the back by the spine and at the front by the pubis bones. You can visualize it as a box within the body, or as a sort of butterfly shape. You can think of the pelvis as the keystone that bridges the legs and supports and balances the spine above - you can also think of it as a basket that holds the guts and sex organs.

It expresses itself on the outer form subtly, as arcs that curve down towards the groin in the front. Huge bunches of leg muscles attach themselves to the iliac ridge from below, and the abdominal and oblique muscles from above.

There's nothing to do but draw it over and over, looking for its mass within the figure. It will always be there, I swear to you.


Here is a detail from Albinus's Tabulae sceleti et musculorum corporis humani (London, 1749).

5 comments:

Mats Halldin said...

Great post!

I've made a bunch of pelvis models in Blender 3D, and I love filling my mind with related information. Apparently, simplifying that structure requires the skills of a genius. I think I will spend most of my life trying to get there.

Regards
/ Mats

Mats Halldin said...

I love your drawings. Just forgot to say it. Please keep posting.

/ Mats

Denise Cordero Z. said...

I love your work!! I'm very happy to find this blog, and know about you, I'm from Costa Rica.
Your draws are fabolous... and they help me alot!

Anonymous said...

Just came across your sketches after a google search. Been struggling with the pelvis for months and I'm so glad I've found this blog site. Thanks for sharing and please keep them coming ♥♥

AliceNorthernLights said...

So you can't simplify it.
Great, I though I wasn't observing it closely, instead is the pelvis itself the problem