This lecture explains the bony landmarks on the front torso of the human figure. Bones explained in include the clavicles, acromion process, anterior superior iliac spine, and the symphysis pubis.
- 1 min. video (torso mistake)
- 4 min. version (lecture summary)
- 43 min. version (full lecture)
- Anatomy playlist
The shape and interaction of each bone with the rest of the anatomy is explained in detail. Lecture by Art Prof Clara Lieu.
Video Walkthrough
- It’s important to be able to distinguish what is the difference between a muscle and a bone.
- Clavicles are symmetrical from the front of the torso.
- The clavicles are to the left and right of the pit of the neck.
- From the side view, the clavicles are not going to be symmetrical.
- Clavicles pull back when they attach to the shoulder.
- The front part of your clavicles are further forward than the back part of the clavicles.
- Clavicles are not straight, they are S curves!
- Clavicles will fool you, they really do look straight sometimes.
- Usually the clavicles look straight from the front view.
- Bones can be very expressive, depending on how you choose to represent them.
- Clavicles can be powerful and strong, but they can also be very delicate and elegant.
- It’s okay to approximate the location of bones.
- The clavicles change their position in relation to what the arms are doing.
- Don’t draw parts of the body in an isolated manner, they are all connected to each other.
- The Acromion Process sometimes pops very obviously, on other people it can be tough to find.
- The Acromion Process appears at the end of the clavicle.
- The Acromion Process is a piece of the scapula.
- The Anterior Superior Iliac Spine (ASIS) are 2 points at the bottom of the Iliac Crest.
- The Symphysis Pubis is a bony landmark and is located below the ASIS.
- Both male and female genitalia are located under the Symphysis Pubis.
- Most of the time the genitalia are placed too high.
Prof Lieu’s Tips
When I teach anatomy, what I emphasize to students is that even if the drawing didn’t come out the way they wanted it to, the fact that you can see what’s off, how you could have adjusted something is very important!
Often with the human figure, there’s a feeling of knowing something is off, but really not having any clue what you could do to fix it. So when you can identify something actionable to fix it, that’s half the battle!
Bones mentioned
- Clavicles
- Iliac Crest
- Acromion Process
- Anterior Superior Iliac Spine (ASIS)
- Symphysis pubis
- Scapula
Anatomical landmarks mentioned
- Belly button
- Genitalia
- Pit of the Neck
Films mentioned
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