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Lesson 34

Blocking the Major Masses

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Introduction

Hello! In our last lesson, you learned to construct a standing figure using the 8-head proportion canon. This gave you a reliable system for placing the body's key landmarks and achieving correct proportions in a static, front-on view.

So far, we've treated the figure as a flat blueprint on a grid. To bring your drawings to life, we need to think in three dimensions. Today, we'll shift our focus from individual landmarks to the core structure of the torso. Your learning outcome for this lesson is to block in the major masses of the human body (head, ribcage, and pelvis) with correct placement and scale.

These three solid forms are the foundation upon which the rest of the figure is built. By learning to position them as 3D objects in space, you'll be able to construct figures that are not only proportional but also have a sense of volume, twist, and balance. This is the crucial next step toward drawing dynamic poses.

The 3 Major Masses of the Human Body for Figure Drawing
This image illustrates the core concept of today's lesson: simplifying the head, ribcage, and pelvis into basic geometric forms to build a solid foundation for your figure drawings.

Part 1: Thinking in Blocks - The Three Major Masses

The most effective way to manage the complexity of the torso is to simplify its core components into basic 3D forms. For our purposes, we'll use boxes or blocks. This approach, common in figure drawing, makes it much easier to handle perspective, tilts, and rotation.

Skeletal Proportions of Major Body Masses
This diagram shows the proportional relationship between the head, ribcage, and pelvis. Notice the ribcage is significantly taller than the pelvis, with a small gap in between for the abdomen.

Let's establish the general proportions of these masses, building on the 8-head canon:

  • Head: Our primary unit of measurement.
  • Ribcage: Roughly 1.5 head units tall and about 1.5-2 head units wide.
  • Pelvis: About 1 head unit tall and roughly 1.5 head units wide.

The key is not just their individual size, but their relationship to each other in space.

An EASY Method For Drawing The TORSO...

This video from Dan Beardshaw provides an excellent introduction to this block-construction method. He clearly demonstrates how to visualize, proportion, and rotate these three masses.

Please watch from the beginning to 03:27. Focus on these key ideas: The Box Method (00:00 - 01:05): Understand why using boxes is a powerful tool for positioning the masses in perspective. Proportions and Tilts (01:05 - 02:06): Pay close attention to the side-view diagram. Notice how in a neutral pose, the ribcage box tilts slightly back, while the pelvis box tilts forward. This creates the natural S-curve of the spine. Rotation Demo (02:06 - 03:27): Observe how he rotates the set of blocks. Notice how he 'draws through' the forms, indicating the hidden sides. This is crucial for creating a sense of volume.

As the video highlighted, the spine connects these rigid masses. In a neutral, standing pose, the spine has a gentle 'S' shape. To see this more clearly, you can refer back to the Tuts+ article from our last lesson, "Human Anatomy Fundamentals," and look at the "How to Draw a Body: The Basic Profile" section, which has a good diagram of the spine in profile.

Part 2: Refining the Forms and Their Relationship

The boxes give us the correct placement, orientation, and volume. The next step is to refine these simple blocks into more organic, anatomically informed shapes. The boxes act as a scaffold or a container for these more detailed forms.

Let's return to the Dan Beardshaw video to see how this is done.

An EASY Method For Drawing The TORSO...

Now, let's watch the next segment of the same video, where the blocky construction is developed into more realistic forms.

Watch from 04:58 to 07:35. Observe how he builds upon the box foundation: The head box becomes a Loomis head (a sphere with side planes). The ribcage box contains an egg-like shape. The pelvis box contains a bucket or bowl-like shape.

This layering process—from simple blocks to refined organic forms—is a powerful workflow. You establish the big picture first (placement and perspective with boxes), then you refine the details.

To help you get comfortable with the ribcage shape specifically, it's useful to study it as a standalone form.

Lesson 5: Adding mass with the ribcage

This article from Love Life Drawing provides a simple, effective way to conceptualize and draw the ribcage.

Read the sections that describe and illustrate the ribcage's shape. Focus on the simple drawings showing it from the front, side, and back. Note the front arch and the heart-shaped opening at the top.

By internalizing this simplified ribcage shape, you can more quickly and accurately draw it within the 'container' of your perspective box.

Part 3: Practice Session

Theory is essential, but practice is where mastery happens. Let's put these concepts to work. You'll need your sketchbook and pencil.

Exercise 1: Rotating the Masses (15 minutes)

The goal of this exercise is to get comfortable drawing the three masses as a single unit from different viewpoints.

  1. Refer to the demonstration in the Dan Beardshaw video (from 02:06 to 03:27).
  2. Draw the three boxes (head, ribcage, pelvis) in a neutral arrangement. Start with a front view.
  3. Now, draw the same set of boxes from a three-quarter view. Remember to use the principles of perspective—parallel lines will appear to converge. Focus on "drawing through" your boxes to be sure of their 3D form.
  4. Finally, draw the set from a side view. Pay close attention to the opposing tilts of the ribcage and pelvis and the resulting 'S' curve of the spine connecting them.
  5. Optional: Try shading one side of your boxes to enhance the feeling of three-dimensional form.

Exercise 2: Blocking in from Reference (20 minutes)

Now for the real test: applying this method to an actual figure.

  1. Find a reference photo of a person in a simple standing pose. It can be a three-quarter view or a side view. Websites like SketchDaily, Line of Action, or even stock photo sites are good sources.
  2. Your task is not to draw the full figure. Instead, analyze the photo and identify the three major masses.
  3. On your paper, block in the head, ribcage, and pelvis as simple boxes.
  4. Focus on capturing:
    • Scale: Are the boxes the correct size relative to each other?
    • Placement: Is the spacing between them correct?
    • Tilts & Twists: Is the ribcage tilting back? Is the pelvis twisted slightly away from the viewer? Use your boxes to capture this geometry.

After you've blocked in the boxes, you can lightly sketch the more organic egg (ribcage) and bowl (pelvis) shapes inside them to check your work.

Conclusion

Excellent work. Today you've made a significant leap from drawing flat, proportional figures to constructing a solid, three-dimensional foundation. This "blocking in" method is one of the most fundamental skills in figure drawing.

Key Takeaways:

  • The torso's structure can be simplified into three rigid masses: the head, ribcage, and pelvis.
  • Using simple boxes is a highly effective strategy for establishing the scale, placement, and orientation of these masses in 3D space.
  • In a neutral pose, the ribcage and pelvis have natural, opposing tilts, creating the S-curve of the spine.
  • The block-in serves as a scaffolding upon which you can build more refined, organic forms.

In our next lesson, we will build directly on this skill. You'll learn how to use this three-mass construction as the core engine for capturing energetic and dynamic poses, finally allowing you to break free from static figures.