The Midline Isn't a Gesture Line

We’ve been lied to! 😮

The midline is not just a gesture line. It has rules and specific behavior.

This short YouTube lesson explains those rules and the behavior. Without following these rules, your art will look a little wishy-washy in the middle. The bones will float and drift. But no worry, Ryan is here to save the day and make the obtuse easier to understand.

See most anatomy lessons will treat the midline like it’s a gesture line. Like your drawing. An action line, even. But the midline of a well structured drawing or sculpture is going to follow the anatomy.

That means it’s a straight line from the sternum down to about the eighth rib. Below that the false ribs allow for more flexibility.

And then looking at it from the other direction, the midline is largely a straight line from the pubic symphysis straight up towards the belly button because it’s locked in to the pelvic mass of the ilium. Now the ilium hides its wings up into the stomach area, so it’s often forgotten, but look closer. You’ll see the midline at the bottom is generally straight.

Then there’s a space between the pelvic mass and the rib mass that allows for the most curvature and adjustment. This is the floating area of our waist line. It’s the area where yesterday’s In-N-Out Burger generally presents itself or last night’s beer or that fantastic steak and potato dinner or Raising Cane’s or…

There’s a little bit more to it so make sure to watch the video. I made it nice and short and as compact as I could.