What do you think?
Rate this book
The Nude Female Figure: A Visual Reference for the Artist
More than two hundred full-color photos of women in motion and at rest
Standing. Seated. Reclining. Kneeling. Bending. Crouching. Running. World-renowned photographer
Mark Edward Smith has captured women of every age and form in every type of movement, then gathered his striking, unusual images into The Nude Female Figure . An indispensable reference for
artists who have limited access to live figure models,
this remarkable book features striking images
of shapely young women as well as elegiac photos of
more mature women. The models in these full-color
pictures include women of every type—slender
women, not-so-slender women, pregnant women,
and women of color. A special section shows closeups
of the hands and feet. Each pose is beautiful, and
the unparalleled attention to composition, lighting,
and reproduction make it easy for artists to see the
relationships between the parts of the body and to
study the classic female figure.
A must-have reference for all artists
Beautiful composition and lighting by a
world-renowned photographer and
best-selling author—125,000 books sold
All in color for the first time—at same great
price as The Nude Figure
Standing. Seated. Reclining. Kneeling. Bending. Crouching. Running. World-renowned photographer
Mark Edward Smith has captured women of every age and form in every type of movement, then gathered his striking, unusual images into The Nude Female Figure . An indispensable reference for
artists who have limited access to live figure models,
this remarkable book features striking images
of shapely young women as well as elegiac photos of
more mature women. The models in these full-color
pictures include women of every type—slender
women, not-so-slender women, pregnant women,
and women of color. A special section shows closeups
of the hands and feet. Each pose is beautiful, and
the unparalleled attention to composition, lighting,
and reproduction make it easy for artists to see the
relationships between the parts of the body and to
study the classic female figure.
A must-have reference for all artists
Beautiful composition and lighting by a
world-renowned photographer and
best-selling author—125,000 books sold
All in color for the first time—at same great
price as The Nude Figure
208 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1998
6 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 15, 2018
A good enough book for simple stuff. I can appreciate the organization, similar poses being grouped together, the sheer amount of photos (there are quite a few shoved in here!), along with the--somewhat--variety of models.
I also like that there are only full bodies in this. It's often frustrating for me to look up poses for reference, only to have half the body showing. So no worries with that here.
There are a couple of big downsides with this book though.
While there are several different models, they're all thin, all white, all around the same age, and almost entirely female. There are only two male models, and very few photos compared to the many different women. (On the plus side, there are four photos of a pregnant woman, so there is a /slight/ additional variety, haha.)
The quality of the photos are sub par. I get that that's an issue with aging technology though. The details are blurry, and due to the light skin of the models and lighter backgrounds (there are some, thankfully, with darker backgrounds), the edges of the body disappear in places.
I love that some photos included have dramatic lighting, harsh darks and lights, and I like that it keeps things simple and has the photos in black and white.
However, given how much photography has advanced, and in the age of the internet, this book is just obsolete. You can have hundreds of stock photos saved onto your phone for easy mobile use. With a much wider range of options (poc, body types, ages, etc).
If you're into books, can't blame you there that's why I got this, this might not be a bad choice, but if you're trying to do detailed work or are looking for a good variety of models, I'd look elsewhere.
I also like that there are only full bodies in this. It's often frustrating for me to look up poses for reference, only to have half the body showing. So no worries with that here.
There are a couple of big downsides with this book though.
While there are several different models, they're all thin, all white, all around the same age, and almost entirely female. There are only two male models, and very few photos compared to the many different women. (On the plus side, there are four photos of a pregnant woman, so there is a /slight/ additional variety, haha.)
The quality of the photos are sub par. I get that that's an issue with aging technology though. The details are blurry, and due to the light skin of the models and lighter backgrounds (there are some, thankfully, with darker backgrounds), the edges of the body disappear in places.
I love that some photos included have dramatic lighting, harsh darks and lights, and I like that it keeps things simple and has the photos in black and white.
However, given how much photography has advanced, and in the age of the internet, this book is just obsolete. You can have hundreds of stock photos saved onto your phone for easy mobile use. With a much wider range of options (poc, body types, ages, etc).
If you're into books, can't blame you there that's why I got this, this might not be a bad choice, but if you're trying to do detailed work or are looking for a good variety of models, I'd look elsewhere.
March 22, 2008
This is a great book if your a big pencil and chalk fan like me. All the pics are in black and white. A great way to learn contrast and shading.
October 29, 2013
AS AN ARTIST MYSELF, I FIND BOOKS LIKE THIS TO BE HELPFUL, BUT THERE IS NOTHING LIKE REAL LIFE.
January 21, 2023
Wowzers! Purchased this gem at a used bookstore in Plattsburgh, NY.
Page 98 took my breath away…the direct eye contact had me swooning.
While I appreciate the numerous and variety of poses…it seems like most of them would have qualified for the Unusual Poses chapter.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - would recommend this to a friend, lover, or arch nemesis
Page 98 took my breath away…the direct eye contact had me swooning.
While I appreciate the numerous and variety of poses…it seems like most of them would have qualified for the Unusual Poses chapter.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - would recommend this to a friend, lover, or arch nemesis
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2017
Features a collection of female models of different size and pigment, front and back. Poses include standing, seated, reclining, on a stool, kneeling, bending, crouching, moving, prego, and... hands/feet (?). Engaging
March 8, 2009
É um excelente livro de poses artísticas. Muito bom para explorar o comportamento dos músculos
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews