ACTION ANATOMY Lelm Ors Unto co) , Animators, and Digital ArtistsAbout this Book As computer graphics have become increasingly sophisticated, so have our expectations for realism. This is true for the computer games that we play, the animations that we watch, and the digital art that we enjoy. In the early 1980s, when Pac Man was at the height of its popularity, we were content to watch little creatures, whose circular bodies we only ever saw in profile, gobble cach 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 it or not, you have been studying the human body your whole life—when you brush your teeth in the morning, when you absent- mindedly 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 our 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 it is Ilustrator, 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 skill 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 as in action. Part 1: 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 typical movements. Illustrated by sequences of freeze-frame images, each of these activities is presented in great, detail, with attention given to common trouble spots. All of the 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 Move ij 5 i Ss ?. aod 14 Understanding the Body’s 18 Examining 2 ali Acti Uj guezeonality im’ Action Bone Structure the Human Muscul: 99 | Structure Exploring the Construction of Human Body Parts Eyes Feet Shoulders Neck Chest. Legs | j i © he, % aR, i 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 Acti 49 90 96 102 108