The Human Figure

2019 Reprint of 1935 Revised Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition not reproduced with Optical Recognition software. This is a classic instruction manual written by a much beloved artist who taught at the School of the Chicago Art Institute for thirty years. This great classic is still unrivalled for its clear detailed presentation of thousands of fundamental features of the human figure. Every important element of the body for artists is carefully and concisely explained in the text. Even more helpful are the 430 pencil and charcoal drawings that illustrate the feature in question so that the student is in effect shown what to look for by a master teacher. The result is the only art instruction book which not only illustrates details of the body but directs the students attention to a host of subtle points like shading curvature proportion foreshortening muscular tension variations due to extreme age or youth and both major and minor differences in the structure and representation of the male and female figure. The manual covers the eyes; nose mouth and chin; ear; head trunk back and hips; neck throat and shoulder; shoulder and arm; hand and wrist; leg; foot; the complete figure; and other interdependent groups of structures.