The Figure in Motion: Amazon.ca: Thomas Easley: Books

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Product Description

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. Expertly composed and lit pictures of male and female models in suspended action show the body from numerous vantage points. Students practice figure drawing by copying the photos, while advanced artists use them as points of departure, altering body positions to suit specific compositional needs.

About the Author

Thomas Easely, whose paintings are in many distinguished private collections, lives in South Lake Tahoe, California. Mark Smith, whose photographs appear in fine periodicals and travel books, is based in Venice, Italy.

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)

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Most helpful customer reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars More artists should use this, Jun 11 2004

By

wiredweird "wiredweird" (Earth, or somewhere nearby) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Figure in Motion (Paperback)

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.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars I'll Take Muybridge and a Magnifying Glass, Please, Aug 16 2000

By

E. Richards "Herself" (Alone with my thoughts) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Figure in Motion (Hardcover)

It's a pretty straightforward resource. It is hard to get your friends to peel off all their clothes and suspend themselves in midair, I will grant you that.

Also, it does not fill up half the book with those inevitable chapters telling the reader, "This is a pencil, you can draw with it and use an eraser, too. This is a watercolor brush..."

However, most of the poses in this book are unnatural poses of people making gestures I don't see in real life. A large majority of the images are of women, and skinny L.A. style women at that. (Interesting shave, there, missy.) Some of the photos are very, very dark and don't reveal anatomy at all. Also, they are very grainy. I don't know if this is a function of the film or the printing process (to keep the cost of printing an all-photo book down.)

I have to say, it was one of the better ones in the bookstore, but it leaves a good bit to be desired. It would have been nice if there were more males in it, the poses were more natural, and there were people of different sizes and (hello?) colors in there, too.

I have been using it to draw from, but all the flying in the air spreadeagle poses are not going to make it into my sketchbook. I think I will invest in a good magnifying glass and do some drawings from Muybridge's photo collections of people and animals in motion.

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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars figure in motion, July 17 2002

By

Christine M. Walberg "***kitt-n***" (plymouth, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Figure in Motion (Paperback)

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

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars helpful for quick sketches but some poses are alike
It is a good book for short sketches and also as a reference for dynamic poses that regularly cannot be offered by live models. Read more

Published 13 months ago by Nazanin

5.0 out of 5 stars The Figure in Motion
I bought this book for my daughter who is an artist. She says the book is very helpful and is very impressed by the variety of poses. A great reference.

Published on Oct 27 2009 by Foreign Film Buff