Customer Reviews

Classical Life Drawing Studio: Lessons & Teachings in the Art of Figure Drawing (The Art Students League of New York)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a very nice book on American, academic-style figure drawing. There is only about 34 pages worth of text in this 200 page book. The remaining pages are quality, full and half page reproductions of life drawings from the 19th century to the present. While this book is not an instructional book, it would make a good inspirational folio. For an instructional book I would recommend: The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing: A Contemporary Perspective on the Classical Tradition, by Anthony Ryder.

Beautiful book, with tons of awesome reproductions from Art Students League collection of academic drawings.

It's also very, VERY cheap for what you will get.

If you are a proffesional artist, arts student, arts teacher, or just someone who like figurative drawing, don't think too much and buy it right now...

Misled by the title, I got this book to see if it had lessons in it from classical art pertaining to figure drawing. The volume has many lovely figure drawings; if that's all you're looking for, then you may be happy with it. If you are looking for instruction, look elsewhere. The written text is essentially made up of a brief history of figure drawing and several personal essays from artists who reveal nothing other than a) the fact that they teach, accompanied with vague descriptions of the topics they cover, b) how classical art may have influenced them, and c) that some of them have books to sell. I gave this book 2 stars because the drawings were nice.

I was seduced by the title of the book and expected to find a complete course of drawing lessons as it is delivered at the Art Students League. Well, maybe I misunderstood the message but the book is nothing like that. It's essentially a collection of drawings from the ASLNY teachers with short stories about them and a few of their quotes or tips in-between. There is also a historical essay about the school itself and what is considered a classical drawing. A nice coffee table book but not much of instructional value.

I collect 19th Century Academic Nudes and this volume is a great addition to my library. Profusly illustrated with 19th century academic nudes. Just wish a few of them were in my collection.

enlighting book on what people can do great for young drawers who can see what they can develop in time

The first time I saw work of the kind illustrated the middle section of this book, I was standing in line to enroll in classes at the Art Students League. I remember being astounded. How could something so true-to-life have been produced with a stick of charcoal?

This book is a very interesting mixed bag. The two dozen or so really superb life and cast drawings reproduced in it make it well worth the price. The rest is probably only of interest to fans of the particular institution at which they were produced, or historians of life drawing in general. Here is what I got from it.

My esteem for George Bridgeman, who still shines with the aura of a god at the League, was definitely diminished by this book. I only needed to see a couple of the crudely exaggerated figure drawings done by his students before I began to wince every time another one appeared.

On the other hand, I was astonished anew by the loving observation and careful execution of the drawings done, in the period before Bridgeman's tenure, by students of Kenyon Cox and John Henry Twachtman, among others. These artists obviously knew everything about gesture, anatomy and form that Bridgeman and his students knew, but, rather than making a show of it, they were content to gently conceal it in soft lights and luminous shadows. True art.

Although a beautifully put together book with lots of illustrations, this book falls short of lessons and teachings in figure drawing. Nice to have in you collection for reference, not so much for instructional purposes. Was a little disappointed.

I started doing life drawing in a class I took at a local university. I quickly got to like the challenge and went on to do life studies at a local art studio. Unfortunately the studio went under and I am having to find other resources. Among these is "Classical Life Drawing Studio" by James Lancel McEihinney and the Instructors of The Art Students League of New York. While not a course of instruction, this is an excellent source of inspiration. The selection of past and present works by the students and instructors (with the students' work dating back to the end of the Nineteenth Century) are well reproduced and demonstrate what can be accomplished by pencil and charcoal, as well as in pastel. I would suggest using another book for instruction, and while Ryder's "The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing" is very good, it is also a bit advanced for the beginner. This may be a book to build up to, rather than a starting point. There are, however many good instruction books on the subject and a number of excellent resources on the Internet.

In any case "Classical Life Drawing Studio" should be on the bookshelf of anyone, beginner or advanced, who is interested in the very exacting challenge of life drawing.

An excellent reference with high quality reproductions of drawings both from the Art Student's League of New York's archives and from teachers and students at the League. I attended the League in 1985, before the archives were catalogued (in the 1990's) and it was rumored that there was a great treasure trove in the basement. I was never allowed to see the basement, although I tried many times.

The book contains comments about Classical Theory which are very good and some analysis of drawings by current teachers at the League.

Overall, the book is to be highly recommended (although, I wish the size were a bit bigger to permit larger reproductions of the drawings - most of which were 24 inches or more in height.

It should be on the shelf of every representational artist.