An intensive apprenticeship program in écorché, simplified form, and drawing or sculpting bodies out of your head. Available in-person, or online.
Écorché
An ancient way of learning human anatomy, “Écorché” is still one of the most rigorous and best. A French term that means “skinned” or “flayed”, this technique goes back to the time of Leonardo DaVinci, and was possibly used thousands of years earlier in ancient Greece.
Methodology
We work with a live, nude model. the instructor will move the model’s body into various positions to make muscles flex or twist, then paint directly on one half of the model’s body to make sure every student can see exactly what deeper structure is being discussed.
Working off a steel skeleton armature, students sculpt every bone, then sculpt on every muscle, and fat pad, finally adding skin and surface features to construct a complete human body from the inside out. Combined with drawing and exercises in sculptural form, this method gives students an understanding of real, functional anatomy that is much more deep and intuitive than simply memorizing Latin and Greek names. Multiple doctors and nurses have gone though our Écorché program, and all of them have found a new understanding of anatomy, even beyond their already substantial knowledge.
the power of simplification
If your goal is to draw figures from imagination or just to improve your figure drawing, simplification of anatomy is absolutely key. To truly master anatomy, you do need to master the vocabulary and individual muscles. But artistic anatomy is not medical anatomy. There are 28 muscles in the human thigh, but most of those are organized into 4 simple compartments, that share a common shape and purpose. Our approach emphasizes anatomy that helps you draw or sculpt more intuitively. The most important thing is that students understand how things are shaped, and how those shapes interact with one another and with the skin and fat that covers them. these are things a muscle chart can’t teach you.
“Of all the skills I’ve studied, écorché anatomy has given me the biggest ‘power boost’ in every style and medium. After coming back from France, I was stuck, and struggling to figure out and overcome my own technical problems that no teacher had been able to get me past. At some point, I began doing small écorché studies, just made-up figures about 12 inches tall. I made one, then another, eventually repeating the process nine times in a few months until I could place every muscle and bone without any kind of reference or model. It was écorché that moved me from the skill level of amateur to professional, and teaching écorché that began my full-time artistic career a few months later.”
Joshua Diedrich
Critique
Students will go over anatomy work co-operatively, working together and with the instructor to make sure that all forms and placements are correct and that everyone is on the same page. Please note that this work is not about expression or interpretation; anatomy is either correct or incorrect.
pricing
The Summer Intensive runs for 16 weeks, 3 1/2 months, beginning May 18th. The class is held on Thursday nights from 6:00 – 8:30 pm, with a second session from 1:00 – 3:30 pm on Tuesdays (EST). Pricing is $300 a month, with $150 for the first half-month. Students may cancel at any time with one month’s notice.
location and joining online
The studio is located at 1050 E Michigan Ave, Kalamazoo Michigan, halfway between Detroit and Chicago. The Anatomy Section is a hybrid digital live-in-studio production. The instructor, model, and some students are in the studio together, other students join via our private Discord server from all over the world. Some students from Chicago, Detroit, or the region may join live for some classes, and call in via discord when they can’t make the trip.
The studio is equipped with multiple high res cameras and microphones allowing students online to hear and speak naturally as if they’re right there in the room. Students on discord may switch between cameras as they need to, in order to see the model, instructor, or example pieces.
We will ship a standard steel armature to Discord students so they have the same materials as everyone else.
In addition, the Discord server is available 24 / 7 for questions, lesson review, and critique from other students, whether you are attending locally or remote.
class requirements
There are no pre-requisites – just a commitment to attendance, as it will be difficult to make up missed work. We accept students of all skill levels, amateur and professional. Students will need to provide their own clay, or may purchase clay through the studio for an additional fee.
