Dynamic Figure Drawing
Burne Hogarth
Watson Guptill
Nonfiction, Art
****
DESCRIPTION: Many art books and classes on anatomy do a good job describing the basics, but fail to convey the human form as the dynamic subject it is, preferring generic and lifeless poses to those with depth, perspective, and motion. The author, a noted artist and teacher, demonstrates how to see and draw human anatomy in a creative and powerful way.
REVIEW: Often listed in "must-read" lists by other artists, this book is considered something of a classic in the field of artistic anatomy. Until recently, I hadn't given it a chance. Maybe I wasn't ready to see it yet, like my earliest brush with Jack Hamm's books. In any event, now that I have it, I find Hogarth's methods interesting and inspiring. His demonstration figures twist, bend, move, and flow like few others. Truthfully, they twist and bend a little too much; one of the objections I see to his work is his exaggeration of action, and I can see that, but overall his exaggeration is quite deliberate, forcing the artist to think beyond the dull and static poses so many others foist upon them. This isn't a book for beginners. The author jumps straight past the usual matchstick figures and muscle/skeleton charts which many books on human anatomy start with, launching instead straight into his methods for revisualizing human forms for maximum energy and depth. I'm sure further study of his methods (and more practice) will be a great asset to my still-uncertain artistic skills.
You might also enjoy:
Constructive Anatomy and The Human Machine (George B. Bridgman, Art - Creating the forms of human anatomy)
The Anatomy of Movement (Blandine Calais-Germaine, Nonfiction - How joints and muscles in the human body work)
Anatomy for Fantasy Artists (Glenn Fabry, Art - The rules of anatomy, as adapted for fantasy art)
Cyclopedia Anatomicae (György Fehér, Art - An exceptionally in-depth anatomy book, covering humans and some animals)
Anatomy for the Artist (Tom Flint and Peter Stanyer, Art - Drawing the human body)
Drawing the Head and Figure (Jack Hamm, Art - How to draw humans)
Human Anatomy Made Amazingly Easy (Christopher Hart, YA Art - A simplified course in human anatomy)
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way (Stan Lee and John Buscema, YA? Art - Not just anatomy, but a good book on getting more energy into drawings)
Atlas of Anatomy (Giovanni Iazzetti, Enrico Rigutti, and Giunti Editorial Group, Anatomy - A basic look at human anatomy, from bone to skin and cell to body)
Anatomy and Drawing (Victor Perard, Art - Anatomy for artists)
Figure Drawing Without a Model (Ron Tiner, Art - How to draw convincing humans from the imagination)
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Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery
Burne Hogarth
Watson Guptill
Nonfiction, Art
****
DESCRIPTION: Most drawing books and classes focus on the nude figure, but most art produced includes clothing of some sort. Despite this, many instructors treat clothing as an afterthought, an incidental detail unworthy of in-depth attention. This book looks at the forces and movements that cause folds and wrinkles, giving them the same i ntense and dynamic treatment as the human form.
REVIEW: It's very true, from my experience, that most art books treat clothing as sparingly as possible. While it is necessary to know the forms beneath the clothing, it's also important to know about the behavior of the clothes themselves, and that is what this book focuses on. Like his Dynamic Figure Drawing book, Hogarth doesn't waste time with the fundamentals of figure drawing or anatomy, spending all available page count on the formation of wrinkles and drapes, the behavior of different materials under different conditions, or the movements and forces that cause different folds to develop. Also like his other book, his figure poses often stretch the limits of human flexibility to the breaking point or beyond, but it's done in such a deliberate fashion that I have to believe Hogarth knew what he was doing. Of course, like all art, reading about a concept or seeing it in print is meaningless until it is practiced enough to be understood, and I haven't had nearly enough practice to say I understand all of what Hogarth conveys here.
You might also enjoy:
Drawing & Painting Fantasy Figures (Finlay Cowan, Art - Creating fantastic people and beings)
Anatomy for Fantasy Artists (Glenn Fabry, Art - The rules of anatomy, as adapted for fantasy art)
Drawing the Head and Figure (Jack Hamm, Art - How to draw the human form, with some notes on clothing)
Figure Drawing Without a Model (Ron Tiner, Art - How to draw convincing humans from the imagination)
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