Figure in Motion

by Thomas Easley and Mark Smith

Book Overview

Leaping, somersaulting, stretching, dancing figures animate this book of marvelous action poses, photographed for artists of all levels to use as reference when portraying human figures in motion.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0823016927
• ISBN13: 9780823016921
• Release Date: September 1986
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill Publications
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 1.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 8.6" x 11.3"

Customer Reviews

From the Studio to the Bookshelf

This book is definitely meant for artists who are looking to study the human anatomy in motion. People looking to copy poses specifically for illustration purposes look elsewhere. However, animators, game artists, fine artists in need to reference to how all aspects of the body look in motion (muscles, weight distribution, hair, etc...), this book is a nice little tool to have on your book shelf. A couple shortcomings with the book is that there aren't more male poses and that they didn't explore their group poses a bit further. Other then that it's a pleasant little reference book full of pictures without text on the pages to distract the viewer.

More artists should use this

Do it yourself: just jump. You're almost certain to feel different body masses shifting with the motion. Moving figures really are different.That's why this book is so valuable. Every image is dynamic and unstable, impossible as static poses. But that's true even of someone walking - it's a sequence of unstable positions.The poses are all vivid and dynamic. The models are chosen to show not only the movement, but the shifts of body masses, tension of muscles, and play of hair, all things that contribute to the dynamics. The large majority of photos are of women - several different ones, and the variety is worthwhile. In this case, the male minority makes some sense. Most men have more lean mass than women do, so women tend to display more shifts of mass when in motion. There are a few male figures, though, and a few images with infants or more than one model.This book really does show possibilities that other pose books don't, and that even live models can't. If you ever draw figure, this book will be very useful.

figure in motion

this book was amazing for me to work with. the pictures are kinda grainy, but the shadows and light show the body structure really well. Over 40 pages were devoted to the male figure, although a few of the male photos were hard to decifer where there was shadow or just a really hairy man. Again these are thin models, and i was disappointed that there weren't more curvy girls in this book. A few baby pictures at the end of the book. this is a black and white refrence book so beware if you are looking for colour. But overall this is a good refrence for frolicking drawings and paintings ect. good luck! and happy buying

i love this book

this book was filled with photos - and that's it. unlike the ones that are filled with instructions and then maybe 2 or 3 photos. this gave me plenty of references to look at while drawing. it has many different positions that - it's really quite hard to get a person to pose like that for you. i highly reccommend it!!

Great for beginners, advanced, intermediate, and fun!

This book contains full-sized nudes in motion and organizes them by the angle of the photograph. Face-forward shots come first, then forward-left, left, backward-left, backwards, backwards-right and so forth until a complete circle is made. This makes finding the perspective you want quite easy.All of the photographs are black and white, which is great for pencil, charcoal and any medium lacking color. The last 1/3rd of the book has a male figure.All in all, this book is great due to these elements:1) All photographs are large and clear, and original photographs. You aren't drawing a copy of someone else's artwork.2) Sample "thumbnail" sized artwork is provided on some margins to show you different styles of art and ways to draw the figures.3) The book is organized such that it is easy to find the pose you want.4) All of the figures are in motion, something that a real-live model can't hold for long, if at all.