About this Book As computer graphics have become increasingly sophisticated, so have ‘our expectations for rvalism, This is true for the computer games that we play, the animations that we watch, and the digital art that we enjoy: Inthe early 1980s, when Pac Man was at the height ofits popularity, we were content to watch litle creatures, whose circular bodies we only ever saw in profile, gobble ‘each other up. Now, we want to see Onimusha’s bulging muscles flex as he fiercely battles with his formidable opponents. ‘The trouble is, of course, that on a superficial level we are all exceedingly familiar with the human body—both its form as well as its potential for action. Whether you realize itor not, you have been studying the human body your hole life—when you brush your teeth in the morning, when you absent rmindedly see other people walking down the street, when you watch your favorite music star perform on stage. Most of us don’t ever think about it, but in ur everyday lives we see many different kinds of people performing every Imaginable action. Consequently, when we see a CG figure who hasn't been well rendered—perhaps the hair looks funny or the motion is awkward or the lip- synch is off—we can be harsh in our critique. "This poses a real challenge for all digital creators. Not only do we need to be fluent in whatever 2D or 3D software programs we are using—whether itis, lustrator, Photoshop, LightWave 3D, 3D Studio Max, or any other of the many excellent programs that are available for digital artists—but we also need to have an extremely high level of skil in the foundations of our arts. And for many of us, this includes having a solid understanding of human anatomy. ‘This book will help you in your quest. It examines the human body and provides deeper knowledge of the various body parts and how they all work together, both in stop-motion as well asin action, Part I: Structure presents the human form. This begins with complete diagrams of the human bone and ‘musculature structures, and then continues, body part by body part, with a ‘thorough examination of the entire body. Part 2: Action analyzes a number of {ypical movements. [lustrated by sequences of freeze-frame images, each of these activities is presented in great detail, with attention given to common trouble spots. All ofthe chapters are connected to each other, so there's no need to read it linearly. Instead, start with any section that interests you and continue from there. We hope that this book answers all of your questions about the ‘human body—and inspires you to create truly animated! digital art "The EditorsContents 6 | The Human Form 8 | The Moving Body 10 The Flow of Mover 14| Understanding the Body's yg _ Examining 12) Personality in Action y Bone Structure the Human Museul 92 Structure Exploring the Construction of Human Body Parts s, rat Legd n ; ty Al 24 30 36 42 48 54 Hands Arms Back & Waist Head Mouth 60 66. 72 78 84 Nose & Ears Skin & Hair Face Figure Shapes of Act 90 96 102 108 114ACTION ANATOMY For Gamers, Animators, and Digital Artist 120 Action Exploring the Mechanisms of Body Movements Getting up Sitting down Walking ee Running 122 128 134 140 146 Jumping Throwing Standing Looking back a 152 158 164 170 173 | Afterword 174 | Index