Anatomy for Artists (Dover Art Instruction & Reference Books)

By Reginald Marsh

Book Overview

Portraying the living human form, not only with anatomical accuracy, but so that it conveys motion, emotion, and vitality is one of the greatest challenges faced by the artist. In the studies in this volume, famous artist and art instructor Reginald Marsh brought his genius to bear on the complex problem of life drawing. Delving into the work of the great masters (Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael, Rubens, Poussin, D rer, Holbein, and others), Marsh simplified, abstracted, adapted, and reinterpreted their work into a collection of drawings both immensely interesting and instructive to the practicing artist and the student.
The 209 pages of drawings in this volume show the human body in a wide variety of positions, viewed from many different angles. Marsh directs special attention to those angles, aspects, and physical positions which are the most difficult to portray. His great talent, coupled with a rare ability to instruct others (Marsh taught at the Art Students League for many years) gave him unusual sensitivity to the concerns of the artist in life drawing: his concise commentary on the drawing points up the problems addressed in each -- tone, movement, proportion, composition, etc. The front, side, back, head, arms and hands, legs and feet, and full figure drawings are all included. A separate section on the problems of proportion explores 7, 7 1/2, and 8 head schemes, providing an unusually workable and lucid treatment of the topic for the practicing artist. The body and parts of the body are drawn in skeleton, tissue and muscle, major bone structure, and as they appear in life. Marsh studied medical anatomy as well as the work of the great medical artists in order to perfect his knowledge of human anatomy.
All of the hundreds of drawings, figures, and details of this volume have been excellently reproduced in this edition. The last 95 drawings in the book are all original studies by Marsh, never before published in book form. These casual, light-hearted drawings (mostly of female nudes) illustrate both Marsh's seemingly easy mastery of the techniques of life drawing, and his characteristic lusty, Rubenesque style. Because they are so distinctly in his own style, these drawings highlight the great scope and knowledgeability he has shown in the earlier instructive studies. Those who know and admire Marsh as an artist, as well as anyone who wishes to learn to draw from life, will find this volume indispensable.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486226131
• ISBN13: 9780486226132
• Release Date: November 1970
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 209 Pages
• Weight: 1.37 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.1" x 10.9"

Customer Reviews

Master of the figure

Anyone who thinks the R. Marsh is "sloppy" does not know or understand the artist. If you ever stood in front a Marsh 24x30 ink life drawing sheet you might change your mind. His drawings are done from life, in ink, as a direct interpretation and have never been surpassed by any other modern day artist. Anyone who works with the figure in their art work would give anything to understand the model half as good as Marsh did. His anatomy book was done from standing in front of master drawings, in front of sculptures, gallery paintings and memory. They were not done at one time for this book, but over a lifetime of study and then assembled. They are not tracings, or accurate medical anatomy references nor are they meant to be. They were used to help him with the figures in his paintings. Copying art work has been a traditional way to learn from a Master that is not around anymore to teach. To make an exact copy of any art is to miss the point of the lesson. It should be interpreted by you and your hand, hence the word "study". Anyone who thinks this is book is not up to par needs to go back and look at the hundreds of ringed sketchbooks, tempera paintings, and frescos of a man who made a living drawing and painting his whole life. You might even want to pick up one (1) of his life drawing sheets for about $25,000 if you are lucky enough to find one for sale.

Classic resource for artists

This book reflects the discerning eye and historical knowledge of this very remarkable artist. It is a resource for anyone who is interested in drawing the body. Reginald Marsh died more than 50 years ago. But his remarkable NY Custom House frescoes, complicated paintings and fine drawings live on to influence the rest of us. I have the original book and have given the Dover copy to many people.

A Guide For The Artist

This book is designed to be only a guide for artists in the drawing of human anatomy. It is useful to illustrators, particularly in the fields of commercial illustration and animation. My wife and I have numerous friends within these fields who have found this work indispensable.Having taken and witnessed several dozen art courses at local universities within Virginia (my wife holds a BFA), I would comment on the teaching of art. Many art teachers want their students to imitate their own preferred styles, rather than to let the student express themselves. They will give poor grades to those who defy them -- my mother, my wife, and several of our friends have experienced this firsthand. This is not teaching, it is academic stifling and snobbery.Artists should not imitate Marsh's style, or anyone else's, including their teachers. It is a poor teacher who does not understand this. If students have had problems with this book, it is probably due to the teacher's lack of ability to teach the subject properly.

Anatomy for my success

this book is wonderful. I cannot understand anyone giving this masterpiece a bad rating, unless they are not an artist.