Based on anatomical principles often applied in drawing, the neck should be drawn extending all the way out to a character's chin and up to the base of their ears.
Understanding the full extent of the neck is key to rendering the human form accurately. It's more than just the visible connection between the head and shoulders; its form is deeply integrated with the structure of the jaw and skull.
Key Boundaries for Depicting the Neck:
- Lateral Reach: The neck stretches outwards towards the character's chin. This means its forward plane aligns with the lower jawline.
- Superior Reach: The neck reaches upwards towards the base of their ears. This indicates its connection points extend higher up the skull than might be initially assumed.
This connection from the chin and extending up to the base of the ears is most apparent and helpful when drawing a character from a profile view. From this angle, the continuous line from the throat area, up the neck, and connecting beneath the chin and towards the ear becomes much clearer, defining the true shape and proportion of the neck relative to the head and jaw.
Accurately representing these boundaries helps ensure the neck is neither too short nor incorrectly positioned, contributing to a more convincing portrait or figure drawing.
