Vitruvian Fine Art Studio

Écorché (ay-kor-shay) is a French word meaning “flayed” or “skinned”, but to figurative artists it also refers to any representation of the figure that describes what lies under the skin. For centuries, anatomical study has been a staple in the training of painters and sculptors because an understanding of how the body is built can improve an artist’s confidence and accuracy when working with the figure.

Today, anatomical study is overlooked at many art schools. Where it is available, the typical course of study resembles a modified life-drawing class, where students attempt anatomical description while drawing from the model. The figure, however, is three dimensional, and anatomy is best understood when students can model the figure in the round. For this reason The Vitruvian Fine Art Studio offers several courses where students can develop écorchésculptures, using clay instead of pencil & paper to develop a truly three dimensional understanding of how the figure is put together.

Écorché 1: The Skeleton is the first of two flagship anatomy courses offered at the Vitruvian Fine Art Studio. It focuses on the bones of the human body – their form, proportion, articulations and surface features. Detailed lecture, observation of the model and anatomical specimens support the development of a skeletal figure in clay. Students begin by making a wire armature for their figures, and proceed to sculpt generalized skeletal volumes from blocks of clay cut to specific proportions. These sculpted blocks are then placed on the armature, and the bony forms are worked into a full, detailed, and proportionally accurate model of the human skeleton.

Should students wish to proceed further, Écorché 2: The Muscles covers muscular forms, and one half of the skeletal model is developed with full musculature.