drawing people
dave reimer
wire frames and left them at that (kept practicing with wire frames?) or did
you continue the drawing to build the person? im starting to draw people
using wire frames, and ive found that im really good at the wire frame part
(and i think it looks cool too). should i keep practicing with wire frames
and then move on to building up the person? ive made some scans of some of
my wire frames if you guys would like to see them.
--
---------------------
Dave Reimer
"I question your reasoning!"
http://www.geocities.com/davre_gamob/
G&L
It's a good start. It shows you have an understanding that your subject has
structure and dimension rather than begining with an out line,which will tend to
make a flat,"bent-wire" drawing. Do not abandon visualising your characters as 3
dimemsional.
I recommend that if you haven't taken a life drawing (if age appropriate) course
through a gallery, night course or recreation dept, then do so. You will be
forced to deal with what you see ; foreshortening,anatomy,proportions and
structure (rather than what you imagine and may even subconciously make you
"cheat" sometimes) . 15 mins to a half hour of 30 second to a minute gestures
will help you loosen up as you draw what the model is doing and not so much what
they look like. Draw from life if you can't take a formal course;people sitting
on the bus, your cat, people and things in motion. As classical music theory can
only improve a rock artist's understanding, life drawing will only better
influence your anime-style.
Also buy or borrow a copy of Burne Hogarth's Dynamic Anatomy and also Bridgman's
Complete Guide To Drawing From Life.
"Wire-frame". Cute. The digital now influences back the organic.
Gerard
http://www3.telus.net/drard/
W. Lee & T. Beatty
from. It's lovely to look at, but is too quirky and will not teach you how
to draw the figure -- but will teach you how to draw a Hogarth figure.
Which, if you're hoping to take over drawing the TARZAN comic strip will
come in quite handy -- otherwise...well... And I should say that I am a fan
of Hogarth's work (even met him once!) -- but find his how to books just too
skewed towards HIS very personal style of drawing.
Bridgeman is wonderful, but a bit tough to "get." Especially for beginners.
Much better for the beginner is the original Famous Artists School
commercial art course (NOT the painting course -- they are different!) --
particularly the first volume with lessons 1-8. Superb info from commercial
artists (such as Albert Dorne) who REALLY knew how to draw. Great figure
drawing info -- also superb and clearly explained info on clothing
folds/drapery. I wish I had owned these volumes when I was a teen -- I'd
have been SO much further ahead in my figure drawing skills had I had these
to study from...
Much of the same info can be found in the wonderful book by Walt Reed "The
Figure: An Artist's Approach to Drawing and Construction." Highly
recommended for anyone learning to draw the human figure. Can't say enough
good things about this'n. Good solid advice, clearly presented.
Top o' the line is "Figure Drawing for All It's Worth" by Andrew Loomis --
out of print -- but copies sell on eBay fairly regularly -- I just sold my
extra copy for a little over $60.00. Loomis' other art instruction books
are well worth having -- but all are much more expensive than "Figure
Drawing..." which is the "must have" book of the bunch.
As far as I know, all this stuff is out of print, and will have to be gotten
from a rare book dealer (pricey, usually) or eBay (better deals there...)
A cheap, and still-in-print option is Jack Hamm's book on figure drawing
(NOT his book on cartooning!), which despite being full of snap-brim hats
and other out-of-date fashions still has some fairly solid advice on figure
drawing. Not at all in the same league as the Loomis and Reed books -- but
not a bad choice for a beginner.
And believe it or not -- some of the older Walter Foster "How To" volumes
have some good info -- and many are LOVELY to look at. A couple Loomis
editions are in print from Foster -- containing info culled from his
out-of-print books. Some older volumes worth searching out are the ones by
Fritz Willis, Russell Iredell, Robert Duflos and Charles LaSalle --
especially if you're looking to draw/paint the female figure -- some
gorgeous material in these. "Serious" artists often turn their noses up at
these volumes -- and it's true that Foster published an awful lot of "how to
paint barns and flowers" books for little old ladies who like to play at
painting -- but there is some wonderful material in some of thse books that
should not be overlooked.
Terry Beatty
some of my latest work :
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1012625&a=13556172&f=0
Fungusamungus
--
Fungus
Lose your mind to reply (I've already lost mine, now it's your turn :Ş
"W. Lee & T. Beatty" <bea...@machlink.com> wrote in message
news:tmb8sv6...@corp.supernews.com...
> I do NOT recommend Hogarth's Dynamic Anatomy book, at least not to learn
> from. It's lovely to look at, but is too quirky and will not teach you
how
> to draw the figure -- but will teach you how to draw a Hogarth figure.
> Which, if you're hoping to take over drawing the TARZAN comic strip will
> come in quite handy -- otherwise...well... And I should say that I am a
fan
> of Hogarth's work (even met him once!) -- but find his how to books just
too
> skewed towards HIS very personal style of drawing.
>
AMEN IN A HANDBASKET!!! A good friend of mine checked this book out from the
library for me, twice! But I knew after the first time, when the only thing
I could muster was "he draws interesting feet", that this was not a book for
me! He speaks in his own language, makes up his own words even! It's
EXTREMELY confusing for a beginner, and I've done work professionally! So it
doesn't bode well...
I was told by a very talented artist friend of mine to get "Gray's Anatomy",
that it's probably the best book out there. I have yet to get it, but
judging from my friends artwork, I'd say it's a go!
Lar
> AMEN IN A HANDBASKET!!! A good friend of mine checked this book out from the
> library for me, twice! But I knew after the first time, when the only thing
> I could muster was "he draws interesting feet", that this was not a book for
> me! He speaks in his own language, makes up his own words even! It's
> EXTREMELY confusing for a beginner, and I've done work professionally! So it
> doesn't bode well...
Heh :) Now for *me*, I loved his work and found it extremely helpful, although
I was never aiming for his job drawing Tarzan. I think I learned how the body
can move from his books. And his book on wrinkles and drapery is a *must* I
feel. I only wish I had found it while I was still in college! :)P Oh well,
different folks have different needs.
> I was told by a very talented artist friend of mine to get "Gray's Anatomy",
> that it's probably the best book out there. I have yet to get it, but
> judging from my friends artwork, I'd say it's a go!
HAHAHA!!! Sorry - I'm not laughing at you or "Gray's" but this just shows how
different we artist types can be. Gray's is a great book, no doubt, but it
didn't inspire me. It was straight anatomy, which is very important, but I
preferred "The Atlas for Human Anatomy for the Artist" by Stephen Peck much
more. I also really enjoyed the anatomy sketches of daVinci. I'm not sure what
book to recommend for that since the one I got was a discounted end run from a
bookstore over 15 years ago.
Well if nothing else we've thrown out a lot of good book references for people
to look at and judge for themselves.
There are also a lot of reference books that contain nude or semi nude models in
various poses with multiple camera shots to help you find the angle you need
when composing a picture. I don't have any specific names, but a good art store
would be able to recommend them. I never cared for them much myself since the
poses do tend to be a bit stiff and contrived.
Later!
Lar
**********
The Many Faces of Lar
http://www.sentex.net/~fresco/faces
(updated May 9th/01)
**********
Fungusamungus
"Japanese Pose Books" (not to be confused with the more infamous "Japanese
Pillow Books"). They are just as the title says, and run about 50 bucks a
pop.
--
Fungus
Lose your mind to reply (I've already lost mine, now it's your turn :Ş
"Lar" <fre...@sentex.net> wrote in message
news:3B661844...@sentex.net...
Lar
> There was just a discussion like this on a bbs I frequent. They suggested
> "Japanese Pose Books" (not to be confused with the more infamous "Japanese
> Pillow Books"). They are just as the title says, and run about 50 bucks a
> pop.
That's the ones!! I've a friend who is a pro fantasy artist and she loves them,
although she hardly needs them! I have seen some North American versions that
have poses no where near as aesthetic or dynamic - they seem more concerned with
generating lots of commercial poses (Man waiting at bus stop, woman waiting at
bus stop, Man drinking coffee, woman drinking coffee - oooo!! dynamic!)
The thing is once you've learned your anatomy and acquired experience drawing
from the live model, either people on the street or in a classroom setting, you
are able to logic through any pose you need. Not that you become totally
independant from fresh observations and references, but if I remember correctly,
those books aren't encyclopaedic and at $50 a pop, would add up pretty fast to
have a decent reference collection. I'd prefer to spend my money on other
reference books, like historical costumes, or vehicles or animals and plants.
... or Hogarth ;)
I hope the original poster is getting value out of this thread :)
Fungusamungus
they seem more concerned with
> generating lots of commercial poses (Man waiting at bus stop, woman
waiting at
> bus stop, Man drinking coffee, woman drinking coffee - oooo!! dynamic!)
>
oooh, like you couldn't go and see that anywhere! Sheesh... I mean, the
whole purpose of 'dynamic pose' books is to see unique things that are both
inspiring and helpful. Stuff you don't see in everyday life...
> The thing is once you've learned your anatomy and acquired experience
drawing
> from the live model, either people on the street or in a classroom
setting, you
> are able to logic through any pose you need. Not that you become totally
> independant from fresh observations and references, but if I remember
correctly,
> those books aren't encyclopaedic and at $50 a pop, would add up pretty
fast to
> have a decent reference collection. I'd prefer to spend my money on other
> reference books, like historical costumes, or vehicles or animals and
plants.
>
I know. Sadly, most of my 'inspiration/reference' material consists of anime
:!
but it's unique (especially in costume designs) and inspires me. But I do
have some photo references. I ususally look it up as I need it though,
rather than keep a big collection handy.
> ... or Hogarth ;)
>
What was the exact name of the curtains and drapery book again? I'll look
for it next library trip...
> I hope the original poster is getting value out of this thread :)
>
Oh... Yeah, due to lack of response, I'm kinda wondering if he/she is still
reading it :]
> Later!
>
Sooner!
W. Lee & T. Beatty
out of print and will have to be tracked down -- but the good ones are worth
the hunt.
ANATOMY AND DRAWING Victor Perard: Originally published in '28 and still (or
recently) in print. Superb drawings, excellent diagrams -- VERY thorough.
I give this one very high marks.
HOW TO DRAW Victor Perard (various editions throughout the '40s):
compilation of several "how to draw" books by Perard -- animals, landscapes
as well as figures -- nice -- but more for the general public than for
serious artists. Still, if you can pick it up cheap, why not...?
FIGURE DRAWING by Dale Nichols (1957): Lovely "designy" approach to
drawing -- very handsome book -- but such an odd personal approach as to be
almost useless as a "how to." More inspirational than educational.
ANIMAL DRAWING AND PAINTING Walter J. Wilwerding: Various editions from '56
on. Superb book by an expert in the field. No people, though!
FORTY ILLUSTRATORS AND HOW THEY WORK by Ernest W. Watson. Various editions
'46 on. INCREDIBLE volume of articles from early issues of AMERICAN ARTIST.
Some entries more in-depth than others -- but all informative and
inspirational. Not a "how to" book exactly -- but fabulous insights into
the methods and minds of a stunning array of illustrators -- to name just a
few: Dean Cornwell, N.C. Wyeth, Boris Artzybasheff, Albert Dorne, Harvey
Dunn... Rare -- but well worth the search.
ANYONE CAN DRAW! Arthur Zaidenburg 1939 (and on...?). Lovely art deco
figures -- though he has a peculiar "the hell with anatomy studies, just
draw" approach. And his women have some mighty chunky legs on 'em... I
don't think I've ever seen ankles THAT wide -- (Robert Crumb would be
pleased). Worth a look for a different approach. A fairly common, fairly
inexpensive volume...
PAINTING THE FIGURE IN WATERCOLOR Herb Olsen 1958. Perhaps would be more
aptly titled "painting the good lookin' nude female figure in watercolor."
Nice book -- good info on painting techniques -- many attractive nudes that
border on "pin-up" art... worth getting if it's not too pricey.
DRAWING THE HUMAN FIGURE USING PHOTOGRAPHS Bunny Yeager and Tony Floreani.
1965. Forget the drawing advice -- it's OK at best. The real reason to
track down this rare and elusive (and expensive!) tome is all the photos by
pin-up photographer (and lovely model herself) Bunny Yeager -- scads of
gorgeous photgraphs of Bunny's best models, including the incredible Miss
Bettie Page.
THE HUMAN FIGURE: AN ANATOMY FOR ARTISTS by David K. Rubins. '53 and various
editions after. Good solid info here too -- though not quite in the same
league as the Perard anatomy book. Good diagrams and clear text -- good
drawings -- though his figures have a "ropy" look that you might want to
avoid being too influenced by...
Anyhow -- there's some info and an opinion or two -- take it all with a
grain of salt if you will. Just felt like sharing... maybe more later if
anyone is interested...
Terry Beatty
http://www.machlink.com/~beatty
Lar
oooh, like you couldn't go and see that anywhere! Sheesh... I mean, the
> whole purpose of 'dynamic pose' books is to see unique things that are both
> inspiring and helpful. Stuff you don't see in everyday life...
Yeah. And frankly the fact that the models are posing nude and not always with
props (nude mimes?!) makes some of them rather laughable :)
>I know. Sadly, most of my 'inspiration/reference' material consists of anime
>but it's unique (especially in costume designs) and inspires me. But I do
>have some photo references. I ususally look it up as I need it though
>rather than keep a big collection handy.
You could do worse than anime though. And you're right about the costume
designs. The faces can get formulaic, but anime is hardly alone in the world of
animation for that! :) At least they are great for movement and design.
>What was the exact name of the curtains and drapery book again? I'll look
"Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery" by Burne Hogarth, ISBN: 0-8230-1587-4. Really
great stuff in terms of categorizing wrinkles and then demonstrating how they
drape around the human form. Very useful.
>
> Oh... Yeah, due to lack of response, I'm kinda wondering if he/she is still
> reading it :]
Regardless, I'm having fun talking art :)
Fungusamungus
--
Fungus
Lose your mind to reply (I've already lost mine, now it's your turn :Ş
"W. Lee & T. Beatty" <bea...@machlink.com> wrote in message
news:tmei084...@corp.supernews.com...
W. Lee & T. Beatty
"Fungusamungus" <fungu...@yourhotmindmail.com> wrote in message
news:tlL97.48036$J37.10...@typhoon.southeast.rr.com...
> wow... you take a very classical approach to your art, I imagine then?
>
> --
> Fungus
Well, I don't know about that... I just want to learn as much as I can from
those who came before me -- and trust me, I still have plenty to learn.
Terry
Stephen P. Goodman
Gray's Anatomy.
Any of Michaelangelo's or Da Vinci's sketches.