Essential Human Anatomy for Artists: A Complete Visual Guide to Drawing the Structures of the Living Form

by Ken Goldman

Study human anatomy to translate nature into drawings that are both anatomically accurate and artistically beautiful.

Essential Human Anatomy for Artists is an anatomy course in a book that’s designed to offer you new tools to help you understand the connections between exterior forms and underlying structures.
 
For artists at every level of experience, Essential Human Anatomy for Artists allows you to learn to work freely and confidently with the human figure and use the information it provides to create an accurate visual impression .

The For Artists series expertly guides and instructs artists at all skill levels who want to develop their classical drawing and painting skills and create realistic and representational art.

Also available from the Drawing the Head for Artists , Figure Drawing for Artists , Life Drawing for Artists , Drawing and Painting Botanicals for Artists , Dynamic Still Life for Artists , Landscape Painter’s Workbook , Plein Air Techniques for Artists , and Sketching Techniques for Artists .

Genres: Art, Reference, Drawing, Self Help, Science

208 pages, Paperback

Published January 2, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW! Beautifully done with exceptional sketching--this is a phenomenal art book! Being an artist myself, I have looked through many anatomy books over the years, and can truly says this is the best anatomy for artists I've seen. I especially love the diverse variety of images and representation, which makes it nice for different types of learners to see the same concept in a variety of ways. The tremendous amount of research and imagery that went into this book is amazing. I reviewed a digital copy of this book, but would absolutely love to have a hard copy in my art library. The use of color to describe the subject really helps emphasize the concepts to the reader. I highly recommend this book to any artist but also to non-artists who simply love and appreciate human form.

[Anya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reference book is right up there with my other favorite anatomy books (Figure Drawing: Design and Invention by Michael Hampton) and Jung-Gi Kim's Stonehouse's Anatomy. Extremely detailed, exceptionally well researched and laid out. Truly deserves to be in every artist's home library!

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anatomy is one of the hardest things to draw, but this book explains everything clearly and simply. A must-have for artists at any stage. Highly recommend.

[Ángela, Libros y Miscelaneas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Essential Human Anatomy for Artists is a useful guide but brings nothing new to the table.

As an amateur who has had this passion for drawing since an early age, but not an academic background to ground my practice, books related to arts are really interesting cause you never know when you'll find something useful to incorporate into your repertory. That explains my interest in this title in particular, cause I find this specific part of art complicated. So, a new perspective I welcomed.
Was objectively speaking a good reference book? I think so.
Did I find it useful? No.

This kind of guide, and I think I should blame myself for this, is not targeted at any kind of artist. To learn Anatomy as an artist is a challenge and to learn it by yourself it's even harder and this book, as the title says, it's for artists.

If you have an academic background, already some knowledge, or some kind of external support, this book could work great as a reference to guide yourself through your artistic process.
Sadly, just in the same way other anatomical guides for artists might.
Ken Goldman doesn't bring a different approach to his Essential Human Anatomy for Artist. It just brings that: the essential that has been pointed out over and over.

In conclusion, I would say this is a solid book for a specific audience that wants to have their first reference work to consult while practicing.

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Star rating: 2/5
General Rating: 4/10

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

[J Kromrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Essential Human Anatomy for Artists: A Complete Visual Guide to Drawing the Structures of the Living Form by Ken Goldman is a treasure trove for artists seeking to deepen their understanding of the human form. Goldman’s work is not just a book; it’s a comprehensive course that guides readers through the intricate details of human anatomy with a clear and educational lens.

The book’s strength lies in its ability to bridge the gap between scientific accuracy and artistic interpretation. Each page is a testament to the author’s expertise and dedication to the craft of drawing. The illustrations are not only precise but also imbued with an artistic flair that inspires readers to see beyond the lines and shapes into the essence of the living form.

Goldman’s approach is methodical yet intuitive, offering tools and techniques that encourage artists to work confidently and freely with the human figure. The book delves into the connections between exterior forms and underlying structures, providing a solid foundation for creating lifelike and dynamic drawings.

What sets this book apart is its accessibility to artists at all levels. Whether you’re a beginner looking to grasp the basics or an experienced artist aiming to refine your skills, Goldman’s guide serves as an invaluable resource. The book’s layout is thoughtfully designed, making it easy to follow along and absorb the wealth of knowledge contained within its pages.

In summary, Essential Human Anatomy for Artists is a must-have for anyone serious about mastering the art of drawing the human body.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not a beginners' book on portraiture. But also not all about that anatomy? I can only assume the manuscript hat to be stretched out a bit, because there is only so much to be said about anatomy in a non-medical, non-anthropological way and in a small format, but the introduction held itself up with drawing materials while the book ended - very briefly - on portrait composition/lighting and backgrounds. There are a few art tips strewn in that mainly concern anatomical "landmarks" which can be strategically accentuated in drawings, and I learned something new at least, but not much more than I already carried away from pre-med. The step-by-step examples on how to approach life drawing, including photos of references, could have been more numerous. My main advice remains the same: Use references, children.

***I received a digital copy from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.***

[Agnes Preszler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serious figure painting needs special anatomy lessons. This book surely fulfills this goal. It contains all the necessary information about bones and muscles, their purpose, at least that an artist might need for a realistic representation of the human body.. Important also the underlining of the visual landmarks. All richly illustrated by the author with various techniques.
This is the book that you can judge already from the cover, the drawings are of high artistic level. Surely anatomy is not that entertaining, one should study well the images, take one's time, trying to memorize everything possible. I think this volume is very helpful to make it easier. Also, experienced artists might use it as a reference.
As an ambitious figure artist, I've read a bunch of anatomy books for artists, I judge this one of the bests. Highly recommended.

[Andrea Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential Human Anatomy for Artists
4.5 Stars

Being a nurse with artistic flair myself, I have seen many anatomy books over the years. I don't believe my anatomy and physiology book from college had this much detail. In so many ways, it's too overwhelming. I felt more comfortable choosing to break this book down to sections and practice. This is a great book for reference. There's a variety of POVs, to go along with instructions. I especially love the diverse and wide range of images. I highly recommend it!

Thank you, NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group, for providing me with a digital ARC for an honest review.

[Flora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ken Goldman began teaching anatomical figure drawing 40 years ago and so surely knows what he is talking about. In “Essential Human Anatomy for Artists,” he goes through the skeleton and main parts of the human body with pages full of illustrations and information for the artist who wants to start getting serious about figure drawing. I draw and paint humans and animals but am glad that I don’t have to look at their muscles and bones but anyone wanting to will find this book useful and helpful as a jumpstart.

5 stars.

[Leyla Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think anyone whose art work incorporates figures should read this book, even if your figures are abstract Perspectives and lighting are the essences of a painting,and human anatomy uses these to great advantage.
After an introduction this book is divided into Skeleton, Head and Neck, Torso and Pelvis, Upper and Lower limbs and finally there are chapters on Movement and Lighting. An absolutely fabulous book, one of the best I have seen for awhile. Thanks you NetGalley and the publishers for the DR.

[Adrianna Heaney-velu · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Essential Human Anatomy for Artists” by Ken Goldman is a great art book of the human body filled with skeletal bodies, muscles under the skin, different mediums, movements, and lighting changes. It is detailed on how to apply the knowledge of the human body to art and the to dos for it. I ended up really liking the book. 5 out of 5 stars.

[Yves V.H. [Slow reading] · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an artist that is having trouble with anatomy, I find this book illustrating and teaching how to understand it better. It is helping visualize various and difficult positions easier. This book is very handy and will definitely be using as a learning material as I continue to study human anatomy to help me in my art.

🌸 Recieved a copy from Netgalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent and thorough book on each facet of human anatomy. While the drawing examples themselves aren't as refined and beautifully executed as other similar books on the subject, this is definitely more functional. The focus is very much on human anatomy and how different areas function in great detail, focus and depth.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for Essential Human Anatomy for Artists by Ken Goldman in exchange for an honest review. This book is beautiful and very helpful in drawing anatomy. I loved looking through the pages and relearning the body as well as practicing my drawing.

[Maria L · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's been 30 years since I last held charcoal, so I got this book to help me brush up on my sketching. It was exactly what I expected it to be. It helped remind me of the proportions of the human body, and helped me get excited about drawing again!

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent resource book. The art was well-done, and throughly useful. I highly recommend it for those who sketxh and draw… truly an approachable and essential guide to the inner workings of the human body.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely helpful to artists. Excellent exercises to follow. Great explanation of what lies under the skin to help you draw your figures. I found it very helpful for my painting and drawing. I would recommend it to my fellow artists.
I received this galley from NetGalley.

[ChillCassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations and easy to follow instructions and guidelines. I'm looking forward to applying the lessons to my own work and studies. I hope to reference other books by this series.