The text discusses two types of body movements: hinge and rotational, describing where and how these occur in the body. It explains the movements at different joints such as the elbow, knee, wrist, and hips, emphasizing proper understanding to avoid errors in figure drawing. Additionally, it highlights the importance of the center of gravity for balanced and graceful depiction, where understanding its placement enhances the realism and aesthetic of drawn figures.
Movements and Flexions
Errors often occur when there are many shortcuts, particularly in proportions and the movements of the limbs and the body. Movements only happen at the joints. Two types of movements are distinguished: hinge movement and rotational movement.
Hinge movement occurs at the elbow and knee joints. Rotational movement occurs at the neck, a bit at the vertebrae of the spine, the shoulder joint, the wrist, the hip, and at the connection of the foot with the lower leg.
Hinge movement can be combined with rotational movement. For example, the head can tilt in all directions, but its greatest movement is when it leans forward. The side tilt is less significant, and the tilt backward is the smallest.
A bent or flexed arm attaches to the body at points J and N (as shown in pl. 21, fig. 1), allowing rotational movement. While it can almost describe a full circle, the arm's movement on the chest is much larger than on the back.
The forearm, with the arm, only has a hinge movement; it can only bend forward at points j', Y, S.
Rotational movement also occurs at the wrist and hips at points S, A. The leg with the thigh can create an almost as large a circle as the arm. The most significant thigh movement is forward, like when sitting down; the smallest is when moving backward.
The knee only has a hinge movement which is nearly opposite to that of the thigh; it occurs backward when kneeling, as seen in legs Z, fig. 1, and ab, fig. 3.
The leg, when moved forward, remains straight with the thigh.
Similarly, the foot rotates at its attachment with the leg. Its most significant movement is forward when the foot is in the position shown in fig. 4.
As mentioned earlier, the rotational movement occurs slightly in the spinal vertebrae; the largest movement is hinge-type. The smallest movement occurs when leaning the body backward; the largest is forward bending.
The details provided about flexion should prevent misconceptions in drawing movements.
Center of Gravity
It is rare for a figure to be represented perfectly upright on both feet. For grace, it is essential to make the figure lean more on one leg. Depending on its action or carrying a load, a figure can lean to one side. An important consideration is the center of gravity, or the part of the body that bears the most weight.
When a person stands upright on both feet, like fig. 1, plate 21, the weight is distributed equally between the legs, and the center of gravity is between them.
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