Learning how to draw shoulders is a unique task. The shoulders and neck formation has an interesting flow. This feature of the male anatomy can display an interesting combination of human anatomical components interacting with each other. Learning how to draw shoulders should be contextualized by surrounding features, such as the neck and chest. We never want to draw something in complete isolation, rather, it is better to put structures together so that we get a more holistic idea of how they are situated on the body.
Preparation
We want to make sure we have all these materials as each component will be important through this process of drawing. We will be drawing from the source image within this tutorial, which you can either draw directly from your phone or tablet. Whichever device you want is fine, however, using a tablet or an iPad is generally the better option.
You may also print the image out if you feel that this might be easier. With our materials and source image near and ready for use let us begin.
Before We Draw
Let us take a moment to consider our source image before we begin the drawing process. Learning how to draw shoulders and learning how to draw a neck is the same. However, muscular shoulders and neck are a specific composition. In this tutorial, we will be drawing a muscular shoulder and neck.
There are many ways to know how to draw necks, however, drawing a muscular figure is a great way to learn the ebbs and flow of shadow casting.
With muscular figures, the protrusion of muscle generally causes an interesting shadow casting for a shoulder and neck drawing. This shadow formation is what will guide our drawing and shading process as we go through our tutorial. With that said, let us begin.
Step 1: Measuring and Grid Marks
With a ruler and a pencil, we will begin to draw a horizontal line slightly above the middle of our page. We find the center of the page by measuring the page both horizontally and vertically, then dividing that measurement in half.
Once we have drawn our horizontal line we can then draw a vertical line down the page through the horizontal line.
Step 2: Shaping the Form
It is always a good idea to start with the neck drawing first. Knowing how to draw necks is about getting the width right. With your H pencil, refer to your source image and begin to draw a part of the neck on both the right and left sides of the vertical line.
This process is simply a task of looking and drawing. We need to see the length of the neck as a way of measuring the rest of the shoulders.
With your H pencil, begin to draw the collar bones as you refer to your source image. Take your time trying to get it right.
As we also observe the outer shoulders we can see that they are quite rounded, however, their height is similar to the width of the upper shoulder.
Keep your eraser in use during this step as the aim here is a series of trial and error drawing marks until we get it right.
Step 3: Filling In Shadow
As we carry on with drawing shoulders and the neck drawing part of this tutorial, we will begin to fill in some shadows on the body. With your HB pencil lightly start to draw the shadowing on the shoulders and chest area. If you analyze the source image we can see that the shadowing around the shoulders varies.
Same for the chest, we can see the shadowing down the center of the chest, creating a partition between the right and left chest.
This is the core principle we want to follow when drawing shadows.
So spend time on the back-and-forth between your drawing and your source image.
Take your time analysing your source image and cautiously apply these shadows around the body.
Step 4: Shading In Shadow
Let us begin our shading process in the neck area. With your ballpoint pen begin to make faint pen marks near adam’s apple moving to the indentation between the collarbones, also known as the jugular notch.
Keep your hand light, a good suggestion is to keep a piece of paper next to you to scribble on with your pen, allowing the flow of ink to run smoothly before making a mark on your drawing.
Use a piece of paper under your hand during the shading process.
Keep your shading light around the chest in general as we will refine the shading later.
Step 5: Refining the Shadows
Let us begin with a reanalysis of our source image and reflect on the shadows we have already shaded in with our pen. Now with your ballpoint pen, we want to gently and cautiously shade over our existing shadows with another layer.
Try to notice how the shadows are dark in the middle of the chest and sprout outwardly, creating a shine effect.
The source image is the guidance of how we refine the shadows and develop the tonal variation in the body by layering pen marks over one another.
The same can be said for the collarbones as the bones create a stark protrusion which makes the shadowing in these areas of the neck slightly more dark.
Slightly shade the left side of the neck with your ball point pen until it reaches the tonal variation needed.
There you have it, a five-step tutorial on how to draw the shoulders and neck!
Tips to Remember
- Keep a piece of paper nearby for a quick scribble to get the ink loose in the pen. This helps the ink to flow more fluidly out for better shading.
- Use a piece of paper under your hand as you shade to prevent any unnecessary smudging.
- Always think of shading with a pen by lightly and gently adding layer by layer. This gives us a better chance of preventing any mistakes.
- Make sure to always get the proportions and scale of the anatomical structure correct in the earlier stages of drawing with a pencil.
- Always use your eraser as you draw in case of mistakes.
Drawing a muscular figure is a great way of working on your shading. This is because the muscle protrusions and muscle fibres often develop grooves in the skin that make for an interesting shadow aesthetic. With this particular image, it is a nice example of how various bones work with different types of muscles around the neck and shoulders. The aim should always be to analyze the anatomical structure from the source image as best you can. Then we want to make sure we get the shape, proportions and general shadows perfected with our pencils. Once we feel confident about the pencil marks we can then cautiously and patiently apply the shading with our pen. From there it is simply a matter of layering pen marks over each other until we reach the tonal values necessary. That’s the overview of how we want to go about the tutorial.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Draw Muscular Shoulders?
The male shoulders tend to be more circular. This is because the muscle density is greater which presses against the skin, causing a bulging effect. This bulge seems circular on the outer shoulder as they move from the trapezius muscles to the bicep. The trapezius muscles also have a slightly rounder shape if they are muscular. By this, what is meant is that they don’t curve downward or inward but rather they protrude outwardly by the muscle pushing against the skin. These are two key aspects of shaping the shoulders to seem more muscular
How Wide Should I Draw the Shoulders?
This is quite a tricky concept to grasp, however, the best way to understand scale is to compare aspects of an anatomical structure to others that surround it. For instance, if we want to understand the length of the trapezius muscles we can do so by comparing it to the width of the collarbones. This is why using a digital device is helpful, due to its ability to zoom in and out of an image which can help us grasp scale and proportion more accurately. Always compare one aspect of the body to its surrounding features, this is a great way of working through shape and proportion.
How Do I Shade in the Shoulders?
When we shade in anatomical structures we want to know how the light interacts with its surface. Shadows are an effect of light, where light struggles to penetrate a surface is where shadows are found. So firstly identify the light source and see how this develops shadows. Secondly, use a light pencil to shade and draw lines over the areas where there are shadows. Once you do this, use your darker pencil or pen to layer over these marks until you reach the tonal value necessary for each particular shadow. Shading is a process of layering, so it is always better to start light and slowly shade layer by layer.
Matthew Matthysen is a multidisciplinary artist. He completed his fine art degree, majoring in History of Art and Contemporary Drawing Practice at the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. The emphasis of Matthew’s practice was a research-based approach into the philosophical effects on the human experience of the macro and micro-universe. Through various mediums, such as written and practical components, Matthew explores various ideas located within the conjoined space between science and philosophy.
Matthew has had various exhibitions before and throughout his year of studies and continues to do so. He currently works as an artist/ writer in various contexts. He has commissioned and sold various works to galleries and collectors. He currently sells work to an online gallery (Artgazette) and continues to make work for the public and private sector. Matthew continues to function as an artist, allowing his work and skills to be utilized in various areas of interest.
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