Novem IX

This past week we studied the various bones that make up the structure of our feet.  The various bones are as listed:  calcaneus, the navicular, and the cuboid. The calcaneus bone is also known as the heel bone and is the largest bone of the foot, as well as being the body’s main weight-bearing bone. The calcaneus bone ends in the large, rounded bone that forms the heel and is attached to the Achilles tendon. The talus bone sits above the calcaneus and is the pivot bone for the ankle.

Professor Fichter showed us the three main joints in this portion of the foot. The primary joint is that of the ankle or talus, which is flanked on both sides by the fibula and the tibia. This hinge movement allows the foot to shift up and down and is a major component to the body’s locomotion. Knowing the structure of the foot helps one better understand the overall movement of the foot, and therefore draw it more correctly. 

The midfoot is made up of the three cuneiform bones, as well as the navicular and the cuboid bone. These bones are intricately and irregularly grouped together; this unique interlocking structure helps add to the foot’s solidity. The midfoot is the bridge between the hind foot and forefoot sections and is composed of five tarsal bones. These bones form the arch of the foot, which evenly distributes the body’s weight in much the same way an arch works in architecture.

I learned this week that the forefoot is the most delicate portion of the foot and is  of two different types of bones: the phalanges and the metatarsals. The metatarsal bones are long, tapering bones that connect the cuboid bone and the cuneiform bones to the smaller, more delicate phalanges that make up our five toes. These bones help to define the shape of the toes and ultimately the foot, when drawing.  The main weight-bearing bone of the forefoot is the first metatarsal bone, which leads to the phalanges of the big toe.  

Apart from learning all of the aforementioned, we were also required to continue to work on the legs, and feet of our sculptural manikin.  This was as usual an enlightening experience, and proved to be helpful in solidifying my overall understanding of the mechanics of the feet in drawing.