Dynamic Anatomy: Revised and Expanded Edition Paperback – May 1, 2003

For over 20 years I saw this book on store shelves and it didn't resonate with me. I think I was intimidated by it. In the past year, though, I saw reviews of other books where the reviewers kept referring to and comparing to the books of Hogarth. Then I came across his entire series of books in my local library and took a deeper look at "Dynamic Anatomy" and "Dynamic Figure Drawing". What I didn't realize until actually reading these books is that Hogarth makes sure you understand not only the anatomy, but every defining subtle detail of the human figure that is normally taken for granted and not consciously identified. Moreover, he draws and describes each part in three dimensional shapes and uses metaphorical descriptions that can't be forgotten. The man was genius for not only being able to see things the way he did, but more so for being able to articulate it to others as well as he did.Best of all, in combination with "Dynamic Figure Drawing", he teaches us how to build a person in any pose in your mind and then render and sculpt that form in three dimensions on paper (or screen) without any need to reference anything. Don't try to do it with "Dynamic Figure Drawing" alone. I started with that book and couldn't wait to jump into "Dynamic Anatomy" to get a better understanding of the fundamentals.The books are so good (and affordable), that even though I could have easily continued to check them out from the library, I purchased them to have the ultimate reference on hand at all times. They're a must for anyone rendering the human form.

thanks a lot to the reviewer that wrote "...The original version, '90 printing, is ISBN 0823015513, 232 " It is THE book.A piece of art. If you are a beginner and you need colors and all that sugary post production to be motivated to draw, forget it. This book is art in itself. I first saw this book on an Italian edition on my father's library circa 1979-95. This one is even better. If you simply repeat the models that are in there to do your own versions of the images, I can almost guarantee that you will feel that your gaze has changed when you look at people. Yes, his anatomy responds to a sort of graphic methodology, call it, a bit codified.. It has to be. Just don't get dependent on the aesthetic code implied in it and use the tool instead of you being used by it.The cover for this book looks far better than the online image (the one I am talking about can only be found used) the blue background and bright orange lettering works well and on the picture I saw online I was very disappointed, and bought it in spite of that. ... In real life.... The blue is not flat but calmly pearled, and the lettering is also far more subdued than the saturated image you see online. That is the only detail. It's great.

Burne Hogarth has a very stylized way of drawing the figure that takes some time getting used to. I started with Andrew Loomis (he takes a more realistic and less stylized approach) to learn some of the rudimentary aspects of anatomy and then when I delved into Hogarth's book I was able to digest the information and understand what he was trying to portray through his drawings. If it's your first time learning human anatomy I wouldn't recommend, but if you already have a basic understanding then you will find this book extremely useful in your pursuit of drawing the human figure in motion. I like Bridgman as well but I think I actually prefer Hogarth, he mentions several subtleties in drawing the figure that one may overlook in real life due to a lack of true observation.

This is a very good reference book for learning to draw the human figure in action. I am a commercial artist and designer, but have worked for many years on non-figurative projects. I am focusing on figurative work again, primarily in the game, fantasy and science fiction field. My goal is to draw entirely from imagination without having to use reference material, and this book by Burne Hogarth and his Drawing Dynamic Hands are helping me to reach this goal. The illustrations are very well done with good explanation and many drawings showing the figure in action. The muscles are heroic in proportion, which helps in identifying them. As an artist, you can choose to emphasize them or not... but knowing the structure is very important. I have had many life drawing sessions and have always been taught to "draw what you see", but over the years I have come to the conclusion that "drawing what you know" is equally important, both for time efficiency and quality of the finished illustration or painting. I highly recommend this book for any artist that is serious about drawing the human figure in action.

I've yet to really read through this book, but I'm already a fan. I've never really purchased many art books, or how-to art books, but that's usually because the illustrions in them leave much to be desired. It may just be my personal taste, but I really like the style in which these illustrations were done. The drawings themselves are very cool, and I'd love to learn how to capture the human frame as the writer has.There also seems to be a wealth of knowledge in this book. It's respectably hefty, and appears to be full of great tips and suggestions. I'd definitely order this item again.

Un buen libro. La calidad de las paginas no es la mejor

This book is the best reference for any artist. It is great for beginners, and all the way to experts. In the beginning it gives a brief art history lesson and then jumps into the anatomy. All the figures within the book are drawn and are wonderful references. It allows you to learn every muscle in the human body, and shows close ups on different key areas of the human figure. It also shows examples of the artist's work with different media including, charcoal, and ink.In summary, no artist should be without this wonderful book.

If you’re looking to boost your drawings up with muscular body renditions, and this is the best book for you