Drawn to Life - Volume 2

21 That Darned Neck

The neck has been a difficult area for many of the students in the evening Gesture Class. When asked for help, I usually just sketch for them my simple, “shorthand” version of the neck in question; hoping that will suggest at least one more step out of the quagmire. I remind them that the back of the neck is a continuation of the backbone, and is usually shorter than the front of the neck. The front of the neck starts under the chin and extends down into the chest area, culminating at the point where the clavicle bones attach to the sternum. I also caution that parallel lines make the neck stiff and “pipe like.” Here are some examples from the class — I often add a simple “diagram” sketch (in circle) to suggest the general ...