A big stumbling block for some portrait artists is trying to figure
out the neck and shoulders. Sure, they can draw the face all right,
but when it comes to the neck, they're stumped. But it's actually
from behind the ear, and going down to the "pit" (middle)
of the neck is a large muscle called the Sterno Mastoid.
You can see it highlighted in pale blue on the illustrations above
and below. (Actually, you'll see two muscles highlighted in blue,
one sort of "peeks out" behind the other.) No matter
how a person's neck is turned, this muscle will followit'll
always be start from behind the ear, and attach to the pit of
the neck. Check your own neck in the mirror. Feel your neck, and
see if you can find the muscle. It's the most prominent muscle
on the neck.
in pink is the Clavicle. It is the "collar bone."
It always attaches to the pit of the neck (the Sterno Mastoid
attaches to it in the center) and it stops at the top of the armthe
edge of the shoulder.
muscle highlighted in green is the Trapezius. Its name
is easy to remember, because it is named after the trapezoid.
It is a large muscle on the upper back and back of the neck. You'll
see part of it from the front, and side.
in yellow you'll see the top of the Deltoid. It's a large
muscle that attaches to the Clavicle, (collar bone) and extends
down the arm. The Clavicle always attaches to the deltoid.
When you lift your arm above your head, the Clavicle lifts up
too, because it's attached to the arm, and the deltoid. Rotate
your arm around, and watch the Clavicle move around too!
area highlighted with a brownish color is where the "Adam's
Apple" is. It is more prominent in men than in women.
muscles and bones all line up. They are not hard to remember to
draw correctly. And if you ever get confused, just look at your
own neck, "collar bone" and deltoid muscle!