Anatomy for the Artist

Unlock your inner artist and learn how to draw the human body in this beautiful and instructive book by the acclaimed artist and Ruskin School of Art anatomist Sarah Simblet.

In Anatomy for the Artist, Dr Simblet unveils the extraordinary construction of the human body and celebrates its continuing prominence in Western Art today. Combining superb, specially-commissioned photographs of male and female models with historical and contemporary works of art and her own illustrations, Sarah shows us how to look inside the human frame to map its muscle groups, skeletal strength, balance, poise, and grace.

Selected drawings superimposed over photographs reveal fascinating relationships between external appearance and internal structure. Six drawing classes guide the reader to see the human body afresh, offering techniques that show how to observe and draw the skeleton, including the head, ribcage, pelvis, hands, and feet.

By investigating 10 masterworks, Dr Simblet shows the knowledge and ideas of different artists across time, ranging from Holbein's Christ Entombed to Edward Hopper's Hotel Room. Each masterclass then presents a photographed model set in the same pose so that anatomical comparisons can be made.

This imaginative modern reference book will enhance the drawing and painting techniques of artists at every level.