Anatomy for the Artist

Has some history of the study of anatomy, and does have full nudity.

This beautifully illustrated book reviews the history of the study of the human body, illustrates the skeleton, and then provides photographic studies of all areas of the human body. For an artist without a living model this is the next best thing. For a beginning artist this book will be invaluable.

This books provides an artistic perspective to the human anatomy. Using transparent paper to layer the bones and muscles you are able to see the formation of each gender in steps. I'm pleased with my purchase.

A professional sculptor,I am familiar with a variety of anatomy books. "Anatomy for the Artist" looks at the real figure in conjunction with skeletal and muscle drawings: a helpful and wonderful departure from traditional anatomy books. The author's concept of an X-Ray --- looking at bones against the skin is useful. Lack of fear in presentation of anatomy is valuable.

Sarah Simblet is not only a fine artist in her own right and a solid teacher at both the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art at Oxford University and at the Royal College of Art in London, she is also a fine writer for both art students and art lovers. In this exceedingly well-conceptualized and executed book Simblet draws upon photography of live models (by John Davis), pen and ink drawings on transparent paper through which the photographed nudes can be seen, anatomical specimens (where plastic has been injected into donated cadavers then treated with acid corrosion so that only the plastic in the veins and arteries remains), skeletons, and working sketches from the model as well as examples from the master painters to provide more visual information about her subject than anyone to date. After a brief but elegant history of figure drawing, the book is separated into sections by body parts and systems (Structure of the human body, head with bones and muscles, spine, torso, shoulder and arm, forearm and hand, hip and thigh, leg and foot) with each of these section she composes a Master Class based on the works of great painters (Ingres, Bacon, David, Ribera, Hopper, Holbein, Manet, Michelangelo, Raphael) matched with models posed in those famous poses for deconstructive examination of how each painter worked. She then turns her book into a course on drawing these various body parts, a section in which she wisely uses a generous sampling of her own superb drawings. The writing is straightforward and very easy to follow. There may be/are other books available that are more favored by artists who have used them for years, but few others offer so complete an inside look at the concept of reconstructing the body. The true beauty of this book is in the design and the elegant color photographs by John Davis, thankfully not ignoring the genitalia as in so many other art books. The models are beautifully incorporated into the text. Other design elements that make this and Art Book include the overlay drawings and the fine reproduction of the master paintings. Highly recommended for the student of art and anatomy at every level of study, but also for the art collectors who wish to enrich their knowledge of this long and continuing tradition of drawing and painting the human figure. Grady Harp, April 05

I'm an art student taking a life drawing class, and I have looked at a number of books on anatomy and own several, most of which I find unequal to my needs. Some are geared to people in health-related fields, and some are geared to artists. Of all the books I have seen on artistic anatomy, this is one of the absolute best. The translucent paper overlays of anatomical structures are very helpful to an artist trying to figure out how bones, muscles, and skin all fit together. Additionally, the photography is amazing, modern, and not at all cheesey. There are many different motion shots and poses depicted, and the drawing lessons and "master classes" are truly useful to any developing artist and should help people refine their skills and gain confidence in this difficult area of drawing. My only quibble: I could have done with fewer explicit shots of genitalia, but they were necessary to a book that covers its topic as completely as this one. The bottom line is that this book is worth its weight in conté crayons.