Anatomy of the Human Body by Stan Prokopenko

This course teaches you to draw the human figure by understanding the mechanics of the skeleton and muscles. Instead of copying photos, you learn to invent poses from imagination by studying bone landmarks, muscle origins and insertions, and how the body moves.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Draw the skeleton and its key landmarks for accurate proportions
• Place muscles correctly by learning their origins and insertions
• Use simple planar forms to shade and create 3D volume
• Layer muscles in the correct order to match real surface anatomy
• Visualize cross-sections to understand muscle layering
• Adapt anatomy for different body types and characters
• Idealize the figure by editing what you see for better drawings
• Understand muscle function for drawing poses in motion

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Basic understanding of figure drawing fundamentals recommended
• Tools: Pencil and paper or digital drawing tablet
• Hardware: Computer or tablet for accessing course materials and 3D models

📝 Description

Most artists spend years trying to fake anatomy by shading the surface. This course takes a different route. You start with the skeleton — learning the bones, their joints, and the key landmarks that give you a reliable framework for proportions and motion. From there, you build muscles layer by layer, focusing on origins and insertions so you can place every muscle in the right spot consistently.

To make this manageable, Stan uses simple planar forms. These blocky shapes help you master shading and perspective, ensuring your drawings feel three-dimensional rather than flat. As you progress, you tackle the complexity of layering and cross-sections — muscles don’t just sit on top of each other; they weave together in a specific order that defines the surface of the body. You also study muscle function as a machine, learning how they flex, stretch, and relax in motion. Finally, you explore variation and idealization, learning how anatomy shifts across different body types and how to edit what you see for a more compelling drawing.

The course includes interactive 3D models you can spin around in your browser, companion eBooks with high-resolution diagrams, and Skelly — a skeleton character who provides genuinely useful insights into anatomical quirks while keeping the mood light.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Artists who want to draw the human figure from imagination instead of copying photos
• Illustrators and concept artists looking to add structural believability to their characters
• Fine artists who want a deeper understanding of the body for life drawing and portraiture

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Stan Prokopenko is a professional artist and educator known for his popular YouTube channel and online art school, Proko. He has taught thousands of students worldwide through his structured approach to figure drawing and anatomy. His teaching method emphasizes understanding the underlying structure of the body rather than relying on surface copying, making him one of the most respected anatomy instructors in the online art community.

🏁 Final Result

• A portfolio of anatomical studies covering the torso, arms, hands, legs, and feet
• The ability to draw the human figure from any angle with accurate proportions and muscle placement
• A practical understanding of how to idealize and adapt anatomy for different character types

📢 Guys, this is a Group Buy campaign, check the GBC forum thread to get access

You can find the course preview in the download section below.