Dynamic Figure Drawing: A New Approach to Drawing the Moving Figure in Deep Space and Foreshortening

by Burne Hogarth

Book Overview

This powerful book offers a systematic approach to rendering action figures that seem to leap off the page. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0823015777
• ISBN13: 9780823015771
• Release Date: August 1996
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 1.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 8.6" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

Great great stuff, but definately NOT a medical anatomy book

This book , though I have only seen it for one night has shown e thigs I never would have thought of about drawing comic book-esq figures. Its definately a great book for people who aspire to professionally pencil comic books, like myself. But it is not medically accurate, so in that case, not meant for realist drawing. I see that a few of the reviewers have been rather harsh with this book. Well in that affair, let me say that they are cases of people not looking at this book as a comic book referrence, but rather a realistic, fine arts way. So if that is what you are looking for, I do not suggest this book. As to the explanations in the book, they are a bit tough to understand, but if you study carefully the illustrations, then the instructionsbecome much clearer. Also, as a side note, as its been stated this is NOT a good book for beginners in the comic book field. In that regard, I suggest "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way," by Stan Lee, and John Buscema.To sum it up, this book is for the small group of people who are not beginners to comics, but still need to refer or learn about the comic book style male body.

Another former student weighs in...

I had two semesters with Mr. Hogarth at Otis Art College in Los Angeles. He was a remarkable teacher, and his drawing style, and teaching style, is certainly "dynamic". All his books are great, but "Dynamic Figure Drawing" is a particular favorite. While you may find Hogarth's comic book roots not to your taste (and you don't want to have your art look too "Hogarth") - don't deprive yourself of his books. He has much to offer, and many details about the figure that are very valuable. My drawing has been forever impacted and improved because of what he taught me - in class and from his books. Just because you absorb much from his books (and you will) it doesn't follow that you will adopt his "comic book" style as well. Learn from him, and many other artists' works, and consider yourself well-rounded!

core of drawing to professionals and amateurs

Mr. Hogarth's book is clearly targeted at raising consciousness on human movement and visual perception and that is the most impressive, why not to say 'effective' point of his writing style. He describes what one should see in a drawing from varied points-of-view. That surely helps in identifying the most commom flaws most people starting at human body drawing have ever come to in the attempt. He points directly to the most disappointing in learning drawing: gaining the perception of space, proportion and movement and distributing the visual or imaginative input on paper. Concerning the practical aspects of learning through Mr. Hogarth's book, the author does not include exercises for practicing but that does not count as a weak point at all. The sketches in the book are more than helpful in showing how an oval shape becomes a head, all the initial strokes and lines are visible so that one can see through the sketch how it began to be created. As said before, through this book one will be able to understand the dinamics of human body movement and the sketches that come with these theoretical descriptions will help you redraw your own heads, torsos, legs and arms in the movement you may be able to imagine. That is not a tutorial or a how-to manual, it is a book that teaches you to think and see the human body with keen mind and eyes. A book based on understading not copying.

secrets of figure drawing from imagination revealed

This is a must buy book for artists,animators comic book artists,or enthusiasts of figure drawing,who have dreamed of drawing foreshortened human figuresand human figures in action from memory/imagination. This book doesnt contain realistic anatomy,the author uses his own verson of human anatomy toexplain his methods andprinciples,these have to be taken as tools only and not rules. But after you have practised from this book hard enough you will find that your life drawing speed and skill is miles further than when you started,i also recommend the other books by burne hogarth ,dynamic anatomy,drawing dynamic hands, dynamic heads,dynamic light and shade and dynamic wrinkles and drapery.Only one word of caution its very easy to get influenced by burne hogarths work,and your work might start looking like a clone of his.So the key is get inspired not influenced ,keep your own style and use this book to add to that.

Not an anatomy book for everyone

Subtlety is certainly not the strong point of this book. If you want realistic figures, look elsewhere like the Barcsay anatomy book. DYNAMIC FIGURE DRAWING doesn't explore the nuances of quiet poses or the beauty in overweight, underweight, or aged figures.But if you aspire to draw or paint powerful, idealistic, and expressionistic figures, combine the lessons of this book with drawing from athletic models. If you're into Michelangelo with his use of larger-than-life figures that use exaggerated poses and anatomy to convey strong emotion, you'll like this book.After practicing the lessons inside the book, you'll be able to spot and draw them better when you draw from a model. Your powerful figures will have more authority to them. And with enough figure drawing under your belt, plus what you've learned from this book, you'll be able to draw figures out of your head in any position you want them in.The Disney animated feature "Tarzan" was obviously inspired by Burne Hogarth's version of the comic strip "Tarzan." The animators learned many lessons from Hogarth, including foreshortening and dynamic poses and anatomy. I'll bet this book was an important reference to whoever worked on that film.