ABSTRACT
Every artist must know the basic structure of the human body (animals, too) and how the parts work in action. These bodily movements are what all mankind uses for gestural expression. You shrug your shoulder to indicate doubt, not knowing, or resignation. And to complete the gesture you raise your eyebrows, the corners of your mouth curl up, and your cheeks puff up causing your eyes to squint. You duck your head to accent the uplifted shoulders. The structure of your torso, shoulders, and face are the parts you use for the action. You twist around, squint, and cup one hand over an ear in a listening attitude. Again, you must know how the body parts work; their capabilities, and their limitations to convincingly draw that action. Even so, every person (character) having a different personality; a slightly different 240body structure, or enacting the move for a different purpose or in a different attitude, all require a sensitive use of an otherwise mechanical action. You are naturally interested in the mechanics of anatomy, for that is an important tool used in drawing and animation. But you are also interested in storytelling, so it is important to sensitize yourself to the established forms of body communication.
