Cyclopedia Anatomicae: More Than 1,000 Illustrations of the Human and Animal Figure for the Artist

by György Fehér

Designed for both professional and amateur artists, Cyclopedia Anatomicae is an essential guide to mastering the fundamentals of anatomical drawing. In addition to the human figure, it covers horses, dogs, cats, pigs, apes and more. Detailed, fully annotated illustrations of the skeletal, joint, and muscular systems clarify the proportions of each body type and lay the foundation for reproducing movements with true-to-life accuracy. With more than 1,500 illustrations, tips on drawing techniques, and informative explanations of the basics on human and animal anatomy, Cyclopedia Anatomicae provides the helpful guidance any artist can use.

Genres: Art, Reference, Drawing, Nonfiction, Research

603 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[寿理 宮本]

Okay, if I'm being honest, this is a tough book to "read"—for one thing, the pages are almost a square foot, and it's an inch and a half thick, BESIDES this being the hardcover!

For another, it's essentially an artbook and a reference book in one, so there's not a lot to "read" besides captions and a few occasional drawing tips (most of these are at the beginning) and notes on specifics of the body parts mentioned, like describing the parts of an eye and pointing out the movement of a horse's head when it jumps. The vast majority of the book is individual illustrations of very specific parts of the body with varying degrees of skin and muscle shown (including none at all; the majority of illustrations are of individual bones from various angles).

The non-human animals comprise about half the book, with the largest percentage devoted to horses, followed by dogs. The other animals have a curious distribution of drawings included: cats, pigs, apes, sheep, bears (which feels strangely short), deer, cows, camels, and lions. There are also, unless I missed something, exactly one drawing each of a crocodile and a seal, but only their skeletons (highlighting their shoulders).

It's primarily a reference, so I wouldn't expect anyone to read it in the traditional sense even if it WEREN'T a heavy book to just carry around. However, it's extremely thorough in the parts it does cover, which—as far as I could tell you—are accurate and good.

[Keelan]

Best comparative anatomy book out there.

[Michelle Chen]

I skimmed through it at the library, very big book with bug diagram, seems okay although a bit simplified but it works for beginners, only goes over bones not muscles

[Daniel]

amazing reference book for artists. numerous skeletal views (from beneath, side, birds eye, etc.), wonderfully drawn individual bones & larger bone masses, and the frames of a bunch of animals as well...

[John]

A good reference. Definately not one I would pick as a sole resoucre, but I nice supplement for instruction.

[Robert Johnson]

Fantastic reference book.

[Andi Butler]

Huge and heavy, but fantastic reference! Another Barnes &Noble bargain...