Proko Lecture Notes: Drawing Feet

Introduction

• Instructor: Stan Prokopenko
• Topic: The foot (last body part in the course)
• Importance of understanding foot bones for drawing
• Premium members have access to 3D model of RoboFoot for enhanced learning

Review of Foot Bones

• Foot proportions fit into three blocks:
  • Height = Width
  • Length = 3x Width
• Basic forms of the foot:
  • Heel: Big block with half-cylinder for hinge joint with shin bones
  • Three arches of the foot:
    • Medial arch (tall, flexible)
    • Lateral arch (flatter, stable)
    • Transverse arch (rotates and flattens towards toes)
• Toes:
  • Four smaller toes = 3 phalanges each
  • Big toe = 2 phalanges

Form of the Foot

• Visualize foot as a shaped footprint extruded into a block with a medial shift.
• Front slopes towards the toes; lateral side is flat; medial side has a cave under the bridge
• Important to understand forms, not just copy lines

Fat Pads

• Fat pads cushion bones beneath the foot, similar to shoe soles.
• Contrast between top (hard, bony) and bottom (soft, fatty) of the foot
• Fat pads are thickest at weight-bearing points:
  • Heel
  • Metatarsophalangeal joints
  • Tips of toes
• Average sole shape: raised middle portion
• Weight transfer process during walking

Shapes and Variations of Fat Pads

• Fat Pad Shapes:
  • Heel: Oval
  • Metatarsophalangeal joints: Circle
  • Tips of toes: Circles and wedge shapes
• Big toe fat pad divided into three chunks

Skin Folds and Wrinkles

• Prominent skin folds appear due to arching of foot
• Different thicknesses of skin based on area (thicker at heel, thinner in the sole)
• Use wrinkles to enhance gesture, not just copy horizontal lines

Foot Dynamics in Art

• Design foot with shorthand shapes indicating gesture and structure
• Look for graceful poses vs. those showing tension (sharp corners, overlaps)
• Asymmetrical forms typical of the body apply to the foot

Toe Variations

• Common toe length variations: Greek foot (second toe longest)
• Big toe separate from others; middle three toes may curve
• Emphasis on variety in toe shapes and appearances

Drawing Techniques

• Use Bridgman and Peck for dynamic foot designs
• Suggest strong planes through simple box shapes for depth and perspective
• Note that toes have their own bridge-like structure for stability
• Toenails press into flesh, causing swelling; perspective shown in toenail curvature

Assignment

• Two-part assignment:
  1. Draw simple structure of the foot (mannequinized foot)
  2. Draw surface forms with gesture, structure, and shading
• Demonstrations available in premium section at proko.com/anatomy

Conclusion

• Next premium lesson will cover muscles, tendons, and veins of the foot
• Importance of practice to improve foot drawing skills.