The Nude Female Figure: A Visual Reference for the Artist [Paperback]

Mark Edward Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2, 2007

More than two hundred full-color photos of women in motion and at rest


Standing. Seated. Reclining. Kneeling. Bending. Crouching. Running. World-renowned photographer
Mark Edward Smith has captured women of every age and form in every type of movement, then gathered his striking, unusual images into The Nude Female Figure. An indispensable reference for
artists who have limited access to live figure models,
this remarkable book features striking images
of shapely young women as well as elegiac photos of
more mature women. The models in these full-color
pictures include women of every type—slender
women, not-so-slender women, pregnant women,
and women of color. A special section shows closeups
of the hands and feet. Each pose is beautiful, and
the unparalleled attention to composition, lighting,
and reproduction make it easy for artists to see the
relationships between the parts of the body and to
study the classic female figure.



• A must-have reference for all artists


• Beautiful composition and lighting by a
world-renowned photographer and
best-selling author—125,000 books sold


• All in color for the first time—at same great
price as The Nude Figure

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mark Edward Smith's photographs
have been featured in many prestigious
publications, including the New
York Times. The photographer for
The Figure in Motion and The Nude
Figure, he lives and works
in Venice, Italy.

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill (October 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823099911
• ISBN-13: 978-0823099917
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.5 x 10.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #113,088 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 55 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Is this book really necessary?, December 2, 2007

By 

Rico Lebrun - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Nude Female Figure: A Visual Reference for the Artist (Paperback)

I own and have used in the distant past Mr. Smiths previous books on the figure. I used them in place of unavailable models back in the day. It might seem that this type of book is a bit obsolete, what with the availability of images on the internet. And there are a few images on the net. The problem with 99.999999% of those images is the reason they were created. The interest of pornographers (soft or hardcore) is arousal. The lighting used is more often than not shot with a ring flash, the result being maximum exposure of the notty bits in a not unpleasant image and not much more. What this book provides, as best a photo can, is good lighting used to show off the form. Not easy to do well. The models are all in color. If one wanted another facet toward drawing mastery, I would hightly recomend this book as a workshop. Do some layovers with tracing paper on the actual images drawing the muscles and important boney points. And then draw from the figure. Drawing from the live model is important in learning to draw well, but not everyone has that opportunity. This is another great way toward that goal. Don't listen to those blowhards who say you cannot create good work from photographs. Eakins thought he could and many consider him one of our greatest American artists. There you go. Buy the book. Have fun!!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An invaluable reference., January 9, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Nude Female Figure: A Visual Reference for the Artist (Paperback)

Over two hundred color photos by photographer Mark Edward Smith capture women of all types in a range of classic poses, both traditional full-body and with close-ups of hands and feet as well. Accompanying these photos are an organization by type of pose, which allows for a quick visual reference for photographers. Any collection appealing to photographers and artists will find THE NUDE FEMALE FIGURE: A VISUAL REFERENCE FOR THE ARTIST an invaluable reference.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad ... could be better and more varied., January 7, 2008

By 

Burton Houck (East Coast) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Nude Female Figure: A Visual Reference for the Artist (Paperback)

The photos are well done and there is some variety in the body types and ethnicities of the models. The hand shots were very good and a few shots of the models were exceptional. I would, however, prefer a bit more variation in the models and I would KILL for some single light source photos to draw and paint from for practice. But overall ... not bad.