Bridgman S Complete Guide To Drawing From Life

Originally published: Sterling Pub., 1952.

Describes the factors involved in sketching the human form in various positions

Many of us want to learn “how to draw.” But as artist Anthony Ryder explains, it’s much more important to learn what to draw. In other words, to observe and draw what we actually see, rather than what we think we see. When it comes to drawing the human figure, this means letting go of learned ideas and expectation of what the figure should look like. It means carefully observing the interplay of form and light, shape and line, that combine to create the actual appearance of human form. In The Artist’s Complete Guide to Figure Drawing, amateur and experienced artists alike are guided toward this new way of seeing and drawing the figure with a three-step drawing method. The book’s progressive course starts with the block-in, an exercise in seeing and establishing the figure’s shape. It then build to the contour, a refined line drawing that represents the figure’s silhouette. The last step is tonal work on the inside of the contour, when light and shadow are shaped to create the illusion of form. Separate chapters explore topics critical to the method: gesture, which expresses a sense of living energy to the figure; light, which largely determines how we see the model; and form, which conveys the figure’s volume and mass. Examples, step-by-steps, and special “tips” offer helpful hints and practical guidance throughout. Lavishly illustrated with the author’s stunning artwork, The Artist’s Complete Guide to Figure Drawing combines solid instruction with thoughtful meditations on the art of drawing, to both instruct and inspire artists of all levels.

One of the foremost drawing teachers shows how to render seven different kinds of folds: pipe, zigzag, spiral, half-lock, diaper pattern, drop, and inert. 200 black-and-white illustrations.

Combining six classic books into a single comprehensive volume, this work by celebrated teacher and artist, George B. Bridgman, originator of the system of drawing known as Constructive Anatomy, presents an outstanding course in the art of drawing the human anatomy. Through more than 1,000 drawings, artists can explore the muscles and bones of the body, from the eves to the toes.

Learn to draw the human figure with a two-step approach used by the biggest animation studios in the business with Figure Drawing for Artists.

The ability to draw the human figure well is the sign of a good artist. So it is vital to appreciate the body's characteristics and how they influence posture and expression. Drawing Anatomy provides all the information you need to produce the most accurate representations of people. In Drawing Anatomy, teacher and artist Barrington Barber begins his exploration of this area of art by explaining what the body is made of and then reviews each section of the human figure in detail in separate chapters. • Explains how the body changes with age • Reveals how to portray the body in motion • Teaches how features such as eyes and mouths can vary • Includes information on Latin anatomical names and how they describe different parts of the body

"Excellent. The most valuable, detailed anatomical studies (which are also beautifully drawn) of all parts of the figure." - American Artist "The best book on artist's anatomy available anywhere." - Art Students League News Countless artists and students since the 1920s have used this and other books by George B. Bridgman (for nearly 50 years a teacher at the Art Students League in New York) for a solid foundation and understanding of human anatomy. They have found, and continue to find, that his unique way of discovering the vitalizing forces in the human form and realizing them in drawing carries the student pleasantly over one of art's most severe hurdles. Bridgman's superb anatomical sketches, of which there are nearly 500 in the book, also bring clearly to fruition his lucid theories of how to draw the human body in its structure and its complex movements. Constructive Anatomy, an anatomical reference guide for the working artist, sculptor, and student, graphically shows important parts of the human body, both in motion and in repose - hand, wrist, thumb, fingers, forearm, arm, armpit, shoulder, neck, head, eye, nose, ear, mouth, chin, trunk (front, side, and back), pelvis, hip, thigh, leg, knee, ankle, foot, and toes. Drawings of bone and muscle structure of the working of the joints and the interrelation of the various parts of the body are mainly concerned with movement of all sorts - movements that are described in detail as well as illustrated. The bending, twisting, and turning, creasing and interlocking of the various parts of the body are represented in drawing as the wedging of masses in specific ways that are clearly defined by Mr. Bridgman. Every artist will save tedious hours of research with this simple but effective approach, and will be delighted with its directness and fervor.