An essential and visually striking reference guide that takaes a fresh approach to drawing the human body.
- more than 250 specially commissioned photographs and 100 drawings are used to reveal and celebrate the ody
- Drawings and photographs interact to illustrate the relationship between the surface appearance of the human form and the complexities of its underlying structure
- Practical drawing lessons explain how to visualise and draw each part of the body
- Ten masterclasses examine world- famous paintings, to explore each artist's attitude, knowledge and use of anatomy
Anatomy for the artist is the ideal reference work for all who want a comprehensive and contemporary perspective on drawing the human form.
The very early history of anatomy is embedded in tantalizing myth, where its facts are fragmented and obscured. The ancient Eqyptians knew much, and pictured even more, yet few records survive of the anatomical knowledge they must have accumulated in the process of mummifying more than seventy million of their dead. Investigative dissection appears to have begun in 1,000 BC. The ancient Greeks also made tentative explorations into the interior details of human form. However, many, including Aristotle, confined themselves to the discussion of animals, and confusions between animal and human anatomy led to numerous astonishing theories, some of which survived totally unquestioned until as late as the sixteenth century. More importantly, the ancient Greeks produced speculative views of the body and its mysterious workings that are rich in ontological potency.
Hands are the supreme instruments of touch. Their sensitivity and delicacy of control make them our primary antennae in our interaction with the world. Their strength and articulation have contributed enormously to our physical environment and to the entire history of artefacts. As organs of highly sophisticated engineering, hands continue to be a subject of profound interest to artists. The contemporary Australian performance artist Stelarc, who builds robotic extensions of his own anatomy, wears a third forearm and hand: a perspex-and-steel device that questions rather than copies the original.
Having the opportunity to produce a prosthetic hand for my project, I thought it would be a good to research into the anatomy of the human hand/ bone structure and also muscles. It was a useful way to understand the underlying layers of the hand/arm, and to also identify where the folds and creases were when the hand appears in a different positions. It may not be of great relevance to my project, but to know some background knowledge into the human form of the hands is a great way to enhance the research depth.