More Anatomy Books

In yesterday's post, I wrote about my study with the figure in preparation for a group show about the body. I often use anatomy books when problem solving longer drawings, and wrote about George Bridgman's books.  This post describes three additional anatomy books by: Eliot Goldfinger, Robert Beverly Hale, and Andrew Loomis.

Many artists have read Eliot Goldfinger's Human Anatomy for Artists: The Elements of Form. I first saw this book when browsing at the KU Murphy Library. This reference anatomy book shows structure and form. Although the terminology is advanced, the book makes it clear how muscles connect to one another, showing a picture on one side, and an explanation of its use and insertion on the other side.

The second book is Robert Beverly Hale's Anatomy Lessons from the Great Masters. An influential teacher of anatomy for art students, Hale was the successor to George Bridgman at the Art Students League in New York. In Hale's Anatomy Lessons from the Great Master's, Hale analyzes drawings by master artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael, and Rubens. Many drawings show the muscles in useful action poses. The book is organized by categories, showing where artists have successfully incorporated anatomical knowledge within their work.

The above is a still from a video of Hale teaching at the Arts Students League

Andrew Loomis is beloved by many animation and graphic artists.  Drawing the Head and Hands, originally published in 1942, is full of useful knowledge about constructing, measuring, and proportions of the head and hands.  The illustrations are black and white, but includes men, women, children, and older people.  

I hope this short list is useful.