Just going to drop my favourite books in here, I'll write some reviews later.
For figure drawing, these two I think are essential to the beginner that wants to draw from imagination.
Michael Hampton
Figure Drawing: Design and Invention
35$ + shipping
http://www.figuredrawing.info/book.htmlYou can get it from Bud's Artbooks, like me. But I saw it's been put on Amazon aswell in the meanwhile.
This book is a synthesis of the teaching of Vilppu and the techniques teached at Watt's atelier. The abstractions remind me of Bammes at times.
It's heavy on the process side, which is something few books focus on. Simplified anatomy, but good simplified anatomy. It's essentially a book devoted to gesture and construction.
It's the best all-around book on figure construction I've come across, and it's a good stepping stone to Bridgman I think. There are NO proportion diagrams. The author's view is that you need to learn to 'feel' what looks right, and that focussing too much on proportion and construction in the early stages stiffen up your drawing.
If I would compare this book to Vilppu's drawing guide I would say that Vilppu is more basic and gradualy introduces new construction primitives into the mix. This book dives right into cilinders, spheres, eggs, ovals and boxes. It is essentially a rennaisance way of approaching drawing the figure (3d form drawing as opposed to 2d shape copying as within most late 19th century and contemporary realism. So you're 'designing' rather then copying). There's a head drawing part, which offers good guidance for starting out, but isn't very much in depth (I would refer to Loomis' book on this subject for that matter)
If you want to start learning construction and anatomy buy this book. It will show you all the necesary elements which most people spend years on trying to find out.
George B. Bridgman
Constructive Anatomy
http://www.amazon.com/Constructive-Anatomy-Dover-Books-Instruction/dp/0486211045(you might get it even cheaper elsewhere)
Okay, some people would say you should get 'Bridgman's Lifedrawing' as it contains most of the stuff in this book anyway. And they might be right, fact is I only have constructive anatomy and 'The Human Machine' so I can't really be a judge of that.
They're really cheap, just black ink on cheap paper with a softcover.
I LOVE THIS BOOK. It really made my eyes go open. Allot of anatomy books show you like "this muscle goes here, that muscle goes there, they attach here...".
But Bridgman shows abstractions that effectivly allow you to imagine and draw the anatomy from all sides, because he approaches the muscle groups as 3D blocky forms rather then just muscle and ligaments. It also shows the apex of edges, and the form the muscle takes when It's flexed. It's also drawn allot nicer then most of those dry anatomy books I think
I actually am quite enjoying myself when doing studies from this book, most other anatomy books I got bore the shit out of me.
Post your favourites!
Welcome back! The site migration is complete and normal service resumed.
