Customer Reviews

The Figure in Motion

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

 

 

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.

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.

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

It is a good book for short sketches and also as a reference for dynamic poses that regularly cannot be offered by live models.
The only problem is that the poses are similar. there are also some poses in two adjacent pages which causes to miss some parts of the body.
A useful book after all.

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.

does the pictures qualitie is like on the cover photo ? grey like on the cover ?

i need to practice for pose this may help me and i draw a lot of manga and real life is the best key for drawing other things

This book has helped my drawing tremendously. Where else can you find photos of figures in these kinds of positions?
I am now far more able to depict dynamic tension, flow, balance and proportion.
Sure the photos are a little grainy and the lighting and printing sometimes don't show every muscle, but this is not an anatomy book. No single book will give you everything. I have taken what I've learned in anatomy books and applied it to the figures in this book.
As a result, I am creating images that are more creative and satisfying then ever before.
This book has helped me go from static posed drawings to characters in action and situations.
I take one star off only because with all the use I give it, the binding hasn't held up well and the pages are starting to come out of the book. I guess sprial binding would be the only way to avoid this problem.
Other than that, I like 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!!

The figure at rest is contained energy, one in motion is explosive energy. In order to appreciate the complexity of rendering the human figure, seeing on in the frozen stages of motion is key to rendering the mood, the life, the energy such a figure exudes. Nicely illustrated, accompanied by well done text.

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.