The original version, 1990 printing, is really one of my all-time favorite figure books. Yet in 2003, the new, revised & expanded version changed my 5-Star rating...
To make this simple: there are basically 2 versions of this book.
1.
The original version, '90 printing, is ISBN 0823015513, 232 pages, and is predominantly black & white, with a few bronze & white drawings for a little splash of color. The original version is *brilliant*- and is widely considered a classic.
2.
The new '03 revised & expanded version is ISBN 0823015521, 256 pages, and is for the very first time in full color. It's visually a completely random mix of black & white, red-orange, bronze, grey, and sometimes blue-lined work.
The original has copyright dates of
1958- 1990 (1st paperback). The revised & expanded version is copyright 2003- and is available today. Currently, both versions share the same reviews listing, hence my mixed 3-Stars.
Since there are 2 distinct versions, I'll be giving 2 distinct reviews.
1. '5 STARS'- Original Version, 1990 printing: It really is great(!)- EVERY muscle of the figure is shown in brilliant, 3-dimensional perspective.
How brilliant is this? To many, it's simply an introduction to Dynamic Figure Drawing, which is often considered Burne Hogarth's best book. But Dynamic Anatomy is much more than that. It's his very 1st book-1958, and it's the basis of *everything* he's ever taught in the Dynamic Drawing series. All 5 of his other books spring from this. Essential bits & pieces of those books are actually included & originated from here!
As much as I love Dynamic Figure Drawing, Dynamic Anatomy *does* do a few things better. The figures in Dynamic Anatomy tend to be a little more sharply delineated, clear, high-contrast, and detailed. With an 8-3/4 heads standard, proportions are also very clearly detailed- in Dynamic Figure Drawing the emphasis isn't as sharp in this area. Dynamic Anatomy features fantastic close-up views of the figure's main parts- Dynamic Figure Drawing concentrates mainly on the interconnection of parts, as well as with brilliant, full-figure construction from memory. Both books get my *highest* recommendation!
And Dynamic Anatomy really is a classic. Even Marvel's *great* John Buscema recommends it- check out his bibliography in
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way. It's important to note that he never saw the 2003 update of this book, so his recommendation is referring to the brilliant *original* version only. He also recommends a few George Bridgman books to go along with this- definitely a great idea!
2. '1 STAR'- 2003- Revised & Expanded Version: An interesting but absolute *mess*! What in the world were they thinking?!?
Goodness gracious alive, I can't stand this book now. As mentioned above, this book is a complete & total random mess of color. We get black & white, red-orange, bronze, grey, and sometimes blue-lined work- an especially hideous example of 'revision & expansion'. Nobody in this WORLD can convince me that Burne Hogarth would've wanted it to be seen like this.
Consider this- Burne Hogarth created Dynamic Anatomy in 1958- he passed away in 1996. He had about 38 years to make whatever changes he wanted, and guess how many changes he ended up making in all this time? Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. Absolutely NONE. Apparently he was happy with it exactly as it was. Yet not even 10 YEARS after he passes away, the Hogarth family decides to change it. Even with the *best* of intentions- this is morally & ethically wrong. Even the BEST intentions here can't make this 'wrong' a 'right'.
Do we 'honor' artists by changing their work? Do we 'honor' Michelangelo, Raphael & da Vinci by 'revising & expanding' what they did? No! We preserve it- maybe restore it- but we never... EVER... change what they did. But we have good intentions right? Let's break apart Michelangelo's sculpture of David, and then reassemble it with a few new parts, gluing it all together with a bright orange, neon epoxy! Not a good idea you say? Well it just happened to Burne Hogarth's Dynamic Anatomy! And it's truly made a mess of a brilliant work of art.
