Customer Reviews

Art Models 3: Life Nude Photos for the Visual Arts (Art Models series) (No. 3)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This fantastic series of books continues!

The models (both male and female) strike elegant poses in the classical tradition. The model choices reflect diverse ages, ethnicity, and somatypes. Models are posed on a revolving platform, and the the interactive CD allows the user to position the model in the precise the angle desired. The user may also close in or push back to any desired vantage point.

Clearly a labor of love, the Art Models books proudly continue in modern spirit the pioneering work of photographer Eadweard Muybridge. Artists devoted to drawing the human form will find this invaluable and inspiring series of books (and particularly the companion CDs) modern "must-have "photo reference classics!

Several years ago, when I was teaching at the college level, my office was near the studios used by the art department. They occasionally hired nude models to pose for one of the classes and you always knew it when they put signs on the door. At one time I was approached (most likely in jest) about the possibility of being a model, so I learned that they paid over $10/hour for the models. I also knew some art majors and they made it clear that the opportunity to draw just one male and one female nude was not nearly enough practice. Furthermore, they often felt that they did not have enough time to complete their drawings while the model was in studio. One day I had a conversation with a member of the art department about this and she told me that the department simply could not afford to pay for any more model time.
This book would easily solve all of those problems; the authors have created a collection of photos of a wide variety of male and female models in many different poses. Nearly all are nude, but the book is only a small portion of the package. There is a companion CD containing the same images, but the big advantage to the CD is that each pose is presented in multiple images, each from a different angle. Using the Windows image viewer, you can zoom in or out and click to rotate the images. With 24 images per pose, this means that each change rotates the model 360/24 = 15 degrees.
Success in art, like in nearly every other human endeavor is based on practice, practice and more practice. With this book and all of the images available on the CD, any art student will never be without a model. The images are of superb quality, so good that you can even determine how recently the female models shaved their body hair. It is also an excellent book for art departments. In the era of tight budgets and the clear need for more variety in the subjects, using it can create the necessary variety without severely damaging the department budget.

Drawing the figure well takes time, patience, and models. The weak link in the chain is access to life models. Even when you have access it's usually in a group, thus the group has to agree on a pose, then you can/cannot get the view you want or need. That said, there's nothing like drawing from a live model. BUT the cd-rom enclosed in this book comes darn close. I pop it in my blu-ray and draw from the flat screen. The difference is there are no distractions in the background and the model on the cd incrementally gives a different angle with each jpg. Wonderful. The light doesn't change either. Can't wait till they come out with more books and yes, I've more than one. My only critiscism is the lighting is a bit flat. I'd like more darks.

This series' competitor is "Virtual Pose". For me the "Art Models" series wins hands down. In "Virtual Pose" the photos are opened using Quicktime or a media player. Be advised you can't (or I can't) play it on the blu-ray. I suppose "Virtual" is fine if you draw from the computer screen. For me I like the versatility of jpegs. With "Art Model" i can draw from the computer, flat screen TV or print it out. If you're looking for a great reference buy this series. (In all fairness with "Virtual" you can rotate the model with a pointer instead of paging to a different jpeg. Still like having the jpegs.)

"Art Models 3".......Review by Pauline Adair (Figurative Artist)

I draw and paint every day.... it is not always possible for me to work with life models so I'm frequently searching for references which will prompt me and plant the seed of an idea from which to work. I know plenty of other artists out there who work this way....either from necessity or preference.

I just received a copy of `Art Model 3'.... an artist's reference book for the figure, produced and published by Maureen and Douglas Johnson.

My very first impression when I received this book was that the lighting - which is of major importance to me - was exquisitely arranged. I use shadows a lot to help me define form and volume. I have seen other model books and have been most disappointed with the lighting. Great care has been given to this aspect in Art Models 3, just as if I'd arranged the lighting myself, and it is almost as if the model is standing in the studio with me!

There are over 60 poses, some are represented in this book, but there is an accompanying CD with a full range of 360 degree shots of each pose, 24 views of each, and 2 different angles. You can watch them in a slide show if you like a moving target!

At the front of the book there is a small shot of all poses for easy reference.

A wide variety of models will inspire all figure artists... male & female, slim & fuller figured, couples.....even shots of a pregnant model, very tastefully and sensitively photographed. Seated, standing, active poses and reclining.... they're all here. Artists who just want to practice and hone their drawing skills will find this book extremely valuable. There are poses to suit fantasy artists, or those who design Manga perhaps.

For me, many of the poses and angles appealed and inspired and I will be referencing this book for some new paintings.

The book comes with a solid cover, is beautifully bound and already has
a place in my studio! I can't wait to begin painting!

My grateful thanks to Maureen and Douglas for putting Art Models 3 together.


Art Models 3: Life Nude Photos for the Visual Arts (Art Models series)





November 21, 2008

This is the third edition of a great reference book. The book gives you realistic models, great lighting, a wealth of interesting and inspiring poses, and a great reference for many different kinds of artistic projects. The book also comes with a CD that gives you a bunch of different angles of the poses. This is probably my favorite part, since you can really look at the form of the model from a variety of angles, and it lets you have a deeper understanding of the model for your art project.

The book is also part of the website [...] which lets you browse through poses and buy only the one(s) you want to use. It's a great idea that is very pragmatic for artists who want a great inspirational pose without having to pay for a model or for an entire book.

This is a very good product. It gives many different views to draw and refine one's skills. The models displayed are attractive and give a multitude of poses.

I reccomend this book for anyone interested in figure study and photography due to the wide array of model and body types. This book even has couples poseing in very powerful poses. These couples have a chemistry and rapport that makes their posing look very natural. The models are various and there is no one body type to get tired of seeing.

The Art Models 3 CD is an exceptional value for figure artists. The CD includes 56 tasteful poses of both sexes (sometimes together), with diverse and attractive body types, and mostly in classic nude poses. There are 24 views of each pose taken around a rotating platform. The color photos can easily be viewed in standard picture viewing and editing software, and are of sufficiently high resolution to show fine details, even when enlarged to life size. For those of us who don't currently have access to a talented group of models, all of whom are available on short notice and will never tire from holding the same pose for hours on end, this is a great resource.

Having worked with live models (both nude and clothed) for over thirty years, the Art Model series 2, 3, and 4 (along with its DVDs), which are the ones I recently own, are the best I have seen of its kind. The authors have bent over backwards to create a reference book on models for artists and I was pleased to find the following:

In Art Models 2, the authors focus on classically inspired poses and cite their reference (i.e., "The Implorer" Rodin, 1900, On Disk: mandy017; and "Torso with a Twist," A Red Ink study by Michelangelo, circa 1510 Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, On Disk: jim013. Etc.).

In Art Models 3 and 4, the authors: include props (invaluable when an artist has to be sensitive to and understand the dynamics of the slightest muscle shift and its effect on the fulcrum; one grid page and one non-grid page with the same pose (an important aid when something about the image just doesn't look right); 24 angles of the same pose for 360 degree views; and two-model poses which aids in spatial relationships.

The series serves exactly what the authors intended; that is, a reference to work from, independently creating (drawing, painting, sculpting) from the suggested poses in the books/CDs. My first choice will always be to work from a live model because cameras lie and distort by reinterpreting what our eyes see. Photographers reinterpret what the camera sees. And the inks necessary for printed publications, again, reinterpret the image tones. As an example, in terms of inches, our feet are larger than our heads. The camera doesn't see this and the feet look suspiciously too small; all the figures are imbued with a luscious warm body tone which in reality our shadow areas, at the turning point, shifts into a slightly cool range. To have everything in a warm tone tends to flatten the image. These are camera and printer's ink issues; but, this knowledge is important when planning to please a client.

Wow, what a great tool for us sculptors! Even established artists will love this book/cd. The photos are sharp, highly detailed and well-lit. For me as a sculptor, the best thing about the Art Models series, is that most poses include images both from high and low vantage points and not just an eye level viewpoint. I also find the lighting perfect! I don't need the strong shadows cast in a lot of photography that referential anatomy books for artist usually include. I find it somewhat distracting and very hard to see detail. My finished piece will cast its own shadows when displayed. I hope in the future while trying to include more photos with shadows for 2D artist, the publishers of Art Models don't forget about us sculptors and our needs with lighting. Hopefully, future books and cds will find a nice balance.