Drawing the Living Figure (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

An innovative approach to artistic anatomy that, rather than depicting muscles and bones, focuses upon the specifics of surface anatomy. Over l70 of Joseph Sheppard’s drawings show many different live models in front, back and side views, and in various standing, sitting, kneeling, crouching, reclining and twisting poses. Each drawing is accompanied by two diagrams, one for bones, one for muscles, specifically demonstrating how the surface forms were created by the definitive shapes beneath the skin. 177 illustrations. Introduction. Index.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (May 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486267237
• ISBN-13: 978-0486267234
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #54,614 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An essential book for your figure drawing library, August 7, 2004

By	David Diamond (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

THIS BOOK IS A "MUST HAVE". It is not the only drawing book that you need in your personal library, but it is one of the most essential.

The book includes about seventy well-drawn male and female nude drawings, grouped by type of pose (standing, crouching, twisting, etc.). Each of the seventy poses is drawn three times --
(1) as an annotated finished drawing,
(2) as an annotated (identically sized) skeleton in the same pose, and
(3) as an annotated (identically sized) muscle diagram in the same pose.

The anatomy is at a level of detail designed for the figure-drawing artist, not for the medical illustrator. As such, only those muscles and bones that are significant to a particular pose are labeled, and are described with simplified nomenclature.

I remember complaining to my instructor that I could discern the rib cage in our male model, but not in this rounded-back posed female model. This book is the ideal reference for seeing the support infrastructure in such situations.

Although there are many approaches to figure drawing, understanding the effects that underlying anatomical infrastructure have on surface anatomy is essential to realistic drawing. In addition to this book, you should also have other books in your figure drawing library, that cover croquis, circles & guidelines, tonal masses, planes, gestures, cylinders, lighting, proportions, contours, and other techniques. But Joseph Sheppard's "Drawing the Living Figure" will be your primary anatomical reference.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Value / price ratio very high!, March 18, 2003

By	Carlo R. Montoya "Toy photographer" (Cebu City, Cebu Philippines) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the book I should have bought when I spent some initially for "Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life" This is perfect for beginning artists like me who aren't overly concerned with the finer details of human anatomy but rather with surface anatomy. The textual content is in plain English unlike Bridgman's "older" English.

However, this book does have one blemish: some of the letter markers are difficult to see against heavily shaded body parts (because the letters should have been white instead of black in these areas). But after reading a few pages, you'll be able to determine where the letter should be (sometimes they are missing too or perfectly blended in) or where the indicated body part is.

I still rate it 5 though because it proved extremely useful to me personally.

I also bought "How to Draw Manga: Bodies & Anatomy: Human Body Drawings for Creating Characters" which is a visual reference rather than a "why" book. The drawings are clearer (devoid of light and shade) and should also appeal to those who only want to draw "cartoon" like human characters (i.e. manga, GI Joe, He-Man, Thundercats).

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just What You Need, November 7, 2005

By	Steven Larsen (Philadelphia, USA) - See all my reviews

Between the simplified cartoon anatomy books, popular today, and the detailed treatments inspired by medical textbooks, is this fine work. This book is built from the ground up for artists. By focusing on surface anatomy, showing its relation to underlying muscle and bone structure, and then presenting it all with a multitude of useful and expertly done drawings, Sheppard has produced what may be the finest anatomical artist reference.

Most professional artists recommend Bridgeman's works. I don't doubt the usefulness of Bridgeman to a true working professional, but for me, and maybe other amateurs, the concepts in Bridgeman never seem to reveal themselves. Sheppard will be useful the first time you open the book and will certainly clear much of the confusion in figure drawing.