Product Description
Alina Reyes and award winning photographer, Bernard Matussiere join forces to deliver this magnificant tribute to the female nude.
Customer Reviews:
Somewhat Repetitious.......2006-09-07
The size of the book is good, and some of the models are not Caucasian. However, this variety is substantially undercut by many very similar shots--especially of womens' bottoms. I admire this aspect of women as much as anyone else, but these photographs have a sameness about them that insufficiently honors the beauty of each woman. Finally, some of the experiments at variety, such as taking deliberately out-of-focus or "smeared" shots, left me cold.
The faces of the models are probably the most interesting and beautiful aspect of the entire collection. This book is overpriced and overhyped, but it is nice.
Figure, plain and simple.......2006-07-06
Alicia Reyes provides a commentary to Bernard Matussière's monumental photography. And, as model, she provides many of the photos as well.
This oversized book of black and white photos is lush and inviting. The format is simple: one photo of one figure per spread, with a few exceptions, and a simple background, also with exceptions. After seeing so many shots of the figure framed on a neutral ground, the more normal kinds of interior scenes seemed cluttered. And, although Matussière's preference for peeling paint and rough interiors creates contrast with the sleek lines of the models, I found that contrast tipped over into disparity.
I was very happy that the black and white photos included black and white models, too. I like all the different looks that the human species has to offer. I especially like the way light plays differently on darker skin than on lighter. In models with pale coloring, the shadows seem to define their figure, but dark-skinned contours seem more defined by their highlights. Maybe it doesn't make sense in words, but the difference is vivid in the images.
Matussière also emphasizes that most human of features: the buns. Humankind is the only ape that runs on two legs, and the gluteal muscle group is central to that ability. When the deep muscles combine with a pelvis widened for childbirth, the feminine derierre become a true landmark, a necessary and dramatic part of womanly beauty. Although the models tend toward slim hips, many of these photos praise that feature with silent eloquence.
The photos are so commanding that they quite overwhelm Reyes's writing. She is eloquent as well, and also passionate about women's beauty - her own and others' equally, by the sound of it. Although her text is enjoyable, this book is about the imagery. But, as with Charis Wilson's commentary on Weston's figure photos, the model's voice adds a lot to the collaboration between the people on the two sides of the camera. I recommend this highly.
//wiredweird
Book Description
“To paint, draw, or sculpt the human figure is one of the most demanding of artistic problems.... Explores the artistic possibilities and particular problems of female bodies.”—Library Journal.
Customer Reviews:
Meh (unimpressed sound).......2007-05-31
First of all, the title of the book is a little vague, so it's hard to know what to expect, but I don't think this book does anything expecially well. It's main strength is as a collection of poses, but this is undermined by Civardi's choice of models and his drawing style.
He leaves a lot of the figures unrendered, so you can't really tell what the muscles are, which ones should be visible, or even what's what. He tends to get very dark on the contours (outlines) but leaves a lot of the interior information out entirely- a perfectly valid style, but really annoying when your trying to understand a form in a more rigorous way. Personally, his art looks pretty academic and cold to me, and it's stylized in a way that would be impossible for beginners to imitate, and not very useful to try.
At one point he talks about how artists usually lose the immediacy and excitement of their initial gesture drawings as they develop them into more fully rendered images. Unfortunately, this is always true of his work; the only drawings with any real beauty of life to them are the quick one-minute-or-so studies. The rest are stiff as a board.
Oh, and those, models- Why them? The best I can say about them is that they are pretty average looking and definitely not idealized. I guess in a book about figure drawing I expect to see models who have a well developed physique, or are interesting/noteworthy/attractive in some other way. These women just look sort of plain and bored.
From the author of Tales of Ancient Xenar.......2006-11-10
This book reminds me a lot of The Nude Figure: A Visual Reference for Artists by Mark Edwards Smith. However, unlike that book, this book doesn't use any photographs and it actually has text. But like the Nude Figure, this book explains mostly how the female body responds to certain poses and how it affects the skeletal structure. Very little is offered here in the way of drawing technique. But if you're someone who prefers to buy books which contain female nude in art. you might be disappointed to find that only 2 different models are used in this book whereas the Nude Figure has around 10 times that many including male models.
Drawing the female nude.......2005-08-12
A well writen and illustrated book. Mr. Civardi has writen and illustrated a top notch "how to" book with many fine drawings of his two female models. I found the book easy to read and the instuctions easy to follow.
Wonderful Assortment of Poses.......2004-01-27
Being an artist who is looking for books that contain a variety of poses, I stumbled upon a gold-mine with this book. The sketches are clean and the lines are beautiful, making it a perfect book to work from for figure drawings. This book is an awesome reference tool for anyone.
Very good book to Brush up your pencilling skills.......2002-09-08
I study and sketch forms, and was hooked by the excellent poses in this book. Its a treat to practice sketching all the poses in this book. I bought this book at the local BN out of impluse ...and enjoying my purchase very much. Tried out a complex pose yesterday, very gratifing.
I am not sure about the instructional pose in the book (on a glance I didnt see much). WHich is not crictcal for me, as all I need was some poses to practice from.
So I would say this book is aimed at medium to advance sketchers and not for beginners in pencilling.
PS: The second model is excellent ;)
Book Description
Rembrandt’s extraordinary paintings of female nudes—Andromeda, Susanna, Diana and her Nymphs, Danaë, Bathsheba—as well as his etchings of nude women, have fascinated many generations of art lovers and art historians. But they also elicited vehement criticism when first shown, described as against-the-grain, anticlassical—even ugly and unpleasant. However, Rembrandt chose conventional subjects, kept close to time-honored pictorial schemes, and was well aware of the high prestige accorded to the depiction of the naked female body. Why, then, do these works deviate so radically from the depictions of nude women by other artists? To answer this question Eric Jan Sluijter, in Rembrandt and the Female Nude, examines Rembrandt’s paintings and etchings against the background of established pictorial traditions in the Netherlands and Italy. Exploring Rembrandt’s intense dialogue with the works of predecessors and peers, Sluijter demonstrates that, more than any other artist, Rembrandt set out to incite the greatest possible empathy in the viewer, an approach that had far-reaching consequences for the moral and erotic implications of the subjects Rembrandt chose to depict.
In this richly illustrated study, Sluijter presents an innovative approach to Rembrandt’s views on the art of painting, his attitude towards antiquity and Italian art of the Renaissance, his sustained rivalry with the works of other artists, his handling of the moral and erotic issues inherent in subjects with female nudes, and the nature of his artistic choices.
Average customer rating:
- Run, don't walk, to get this top recommendation
- studies of a female nude
- A Brilliant, Classic Book of Sensual ART Nudes
- A Brilliant Compilation of a Sensual Art Nudes
|
Studies Of The Female Nude
Manufacturer: Twin Palms Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Photographers, A-Z
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Nudes
| Subjects
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Heavenly Beauties
-
Private Rooms
-
Female Nudes
-
Graphis Nudes 4
-
Xpose
ASIN: 1931885397 |
Customer Reviews:
Run, don't walk, to get this top recommendation.......2006-04-20
STUDIES OF THE FEMALE NUDE by Andre Dienes (1931885397) is published in a limited first edition of 4,000 casebound copies; so run, don't walk, to get yours - especially if you're a college-level art library. Black and white artistic shots of the female nude are presented on oversized pages for maximum effect, have a strong nature-background orientation, and play with composition as well as presentation: from marbled and venetian-blind foregrounds to studies in contrast. The artistic displays go far beyond most nude photography gatherings, providing the works of a master best known for his Marilyn Monroe photos - but capable, as STUDIES OF THE FEMALE NUDE displays, of so very much more.
studies of a female nude.......2006-03-23
awesome book! great quality pictures. nice and big for the coffee table. wonderful black and white from cover to cover.
A Brilliant, Classic Book of Sensual ART Nudes.......2005-07-19
Publisher Twin Palms has picked up the torch here for this most amazing talent, Andre De Dienes, and has created here what can only be described as a long overdue tribute to a neglected master. While De Dienes has always been somewhat well known for his work with Marilyn Monroe (he gave Marilyn her first modeling gig), his collaboration with her has come to overshadow his other work, which includes some amazing figure studies and nudes. That body of work is what's represented here, and Studies of the Female Nude is just that - a brilliant, classic, engaging photostudy of the naked female form. There are 100 magnificent nudes and 192 pages featured in this 10x11" encapsulation of a master photographer's lifelong infatuation with the nude form.
De Dienes has that rare and amazing ability - his nudes are often shot in the "traditional" style where the subject is presented more as a piece of art than as a living, breathing, personality-driven individual. But De Dienes still manages, through his powerful sense of positioning and composition, to make his subjects seem so absolutely electrifying, so deliciously sensual. These are art nudes, yes - but be prepared to be aroused. This is spectacular stuff not to be missed.
A Brilliant Compilation of a Sensual Art Nudes.......2005-07-19
Publisher Twin Palms has picked up the torch for this most amazing talent, Andre De Dienes, and has created here what can only be described as a long overdue tribute to a neglected master. While De Dienes has always been somewhat well known for his work with Marilyn Monroe (he gave Marilyn her first modeling gig), his collaboration with her has come to overshadow his other work, which includes some amazing figure studies and nudes. That body of work is what's represented here, and Studies of the Female Nude is just that - a brilliant, classic, engaging photostudy of the naked female form. There are 100 magnificent nudes and 192 pages featured in this 10x11" encapsulation of a master photographer's lifelong infatuation with the nude form.
De Dienes has that rare and amazing ability - his nudes are often shot in the "traditional" style where the subject is presented more as a piece of art than as a living, breathing, personality-driven individual. But De Dienes still manages, through his powerful sense of positioning and composition, to make his subjects seem so absolutely electrifying, so deliciously sensual. These are art nudes, yes - but be prepared to be aroused. This is spectacular stuff not to be missed.
Average customer rating:
- Why I Didn't Like This Book Very Much
- A Comprehensive look at the Implications of th Female Nude
- Not worth more than a skim
- This is NOT a Feast for Your Eyes
|
The Female Nude
Lynda Nead
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Criticism
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Pop Culture
| Graphic Design
| Design & Decorative Arts
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Culture
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Feminist Theory
| Women's Studies
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Women's Studies
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Nude: A Study in Ideal Form
-
Erotic Ambiguities: The Female Nude in Art
-
Sexuality in Western Art (World of Art)
-
Women, Art and Power and Other Essays (Icon Editions)
-
Eroticism & Art
ASIN: 0415026784 |
Book Description
Anyone who examines the history of Western art must be struck by the prevalence of images of the female body. More than any other subject, the female nude connotes `art'. The framed image of a female body, hung on the walls of an art gallery, is an icon of Western culture, a symbol of civilization and accomplishment. But how and why did the female nude acquire this status?
The Female Nude brings together, in an entirely new way, analysis of the historical tradition of the female nude and discussion of recent feminist art, and by exploring the ways in which acceptable and unacceptable images of the female body are produced and maintained, renews recent debates on high culture and pornography.
The Female Nude represents the first feminist survey of the most significant subject in Western art. It reveals how the female nude is now both at the centre and at the margins of high culture. At the centre, and within art historical discourse, the female nude is seen as the visual
Customer Reviews:
Why I Didn't Like This Book Very Much.......2006-08-03
I've said it before, feminists are too often their own worst enemies. Not only do they apparently presume to speak for all women, as perhaps subconsciously does Ms. Nead, but they frequently take a platform that is both dour and too stringent. Her contentions here in The Female Nude are extreme. She is all-but critical of sexuality itself, all but denies that there is any non-sexual beauty in the human body, chides lust as an institution (no, I could not type that with a straight face) and contrary to her goals of championing women she in fact attacks women much more ardently than most any man ever would. Really this is not an overview of western female nudity in art and photography at all. There's little to be learned here, and the overall tone to this message leaves you feeling like you've just sat thru a sermon, or at best one of those college lectures where the professor was a bit too dogmatic in her approach to conveying the subject matter. Heck, even the photographs in here were bad choices. Nead won't be able to market this to either voyeurs or the intellectually curious. This book seems intent upon punishing its reader and is yet another "get the message in first" example of attacking rather than studying; of overtly delivering a message instead of neutrally expounding upon what could have been an engaging topic.
A Comprehensive look at the Implications of th Female Nude.......2006-07-22
This book reviews previous scholar's understanding of the nude, including an extremely insightful look at Kenneth Clark's The Nude and Berger's work on the nude, illuminating many areas where their theories revealed disturbing social views.... it also incorporates philosophy from a wide range of areas, providing the reader with a comprehensive look at why and how we respond to the female nude while exploring a wide range of explanations. it becomes an extremely valuable lesson on what makes us comfortable and the social implications of all the things we naturally find disgusting. By trying to strike at the core of some of the attitudes towards the female body, she also critiques many current feminist trends that she feels perpetuates the problem and directs us to a clearer understanding of what is needed to view the female body with somewhere near equal respect to the way we view the male body. Before reading this book I honestly thought feminism was silly and that in modern society men and women were close to equal. This book opened my eyes.....wide.... not only about women's studies but also about many of the tendencies of the human mind and i have continued to reference at least one of the ideas it introduced me to in most papers i have written since reading it.
Not worth more than a skim.......2006-05-04
I was hoping for some insight on the historical aspects of nude art and was sorely disappointed. The poses in the photographic examples were on the ridiculous side. The writer automatically labels any slender woman as anorexic, although one doesn't have to be 20lbs overweight with buxom curves in order to be womanly. I would rather read about fact on this subject than one person's opinion.
This is NOT a Feast for Your Eyes.......1999-03-25
Nead's book examines the male gaze throughout history in the canon of visual art. She thoughtfully takes a feminist approach to deconstruct the representation of the female body in the nude.
Average customer rating:
- Fair; but better to see art by Bouguereau
- Very disappointing
- Beautiful and informative
- One of the most exciting art books ever to come our way
- Exposed: A Beautiful Book Reveals a Controvesial Subject
|
Exposed: The Victorian Nude
Alison Smith
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
European
| Regional
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Criticism
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Themes
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Museums & Collections
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Victorian
| Erotica
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Victorian Painting
-
The Art of Lord Leighton
-
J.W. Waterhouse
-
Bouguereau
-
Lawrence Alma-Tadema
ASIN: 0823016331 |
Book Description
The epitome of high culture or an assault on public morality? The nude figure was one of the most controversial issues in Victorian art. It was also one of the most conspicuous categories for the visual image at every level, from elite paintings for the Royal Academy to mass-produced photographs and magazine illustrations. Exposed: The Victorian Nude provides a fascinating overview of the nude figure-both male and female-and the intriguing role it played in Victorian art. While it concentrates on painting, sculpture, and drawing, this beautifully illustrated reference also explores the depiction of the naked body in other media-including photography, popular illustration, advertising, and caricature-and discusses the issues of morality, sexuality, and desire that are relevant even today. Since nudes were an important subject for most Victorian artists, Exposed: The Victorian Nude showcases dazzling artwork from such legendary masters as Millais, Rossetti, Burne-Jones, Whistler, and Sargent, as well as pivotal figures of early English modernism. Cutting across the conventional categories of style and period, this guide offers a fresh, engrossing vision of Victorian art and culture unmatched anywhere else.
Customer Reviews:
Fair; but better to see art by Bouguereau.......2007-03-31
Book is big but only fair. A lot of text -- somewhat interesting, but not profoundly so. The photos -- none are really titillating, if that's what you're after. The best art -- clothed or nude -- of this type is Bougeureau. See books (there are only a couple) about him. (I reviewed one.) Waterhouse is also good. But Waterhouse's women always have the same androgonous hard unfriendly faces. Bouguereau has more variety than Waterhouse very pretty faces as well as other parts. Even if all you want are titillating nudes, you are more likely to find it with Bouguereau than in this book. If lots of mood, but unpleasant faces is OK, Waterhouse gives you plenty of mood. Bouguereau also gives mood but in a greater variety. And all his body parts are beautifully rendered. If you want lots and lots of text, this book is fine. But even the text about Bouguereau is more profound than what is here.
Very disappointing.......2006-10-20
Good concept, title, and cover... but lacking good pictures. Any most pictures are very small. Lots of good writing, though.
Beautiful and informative.......2004-09-25
This is almost two books in one. The first book is just in the pictures, reproductions of paintings, photos, and even a few cartoons that celebrate the figure. The pictorial reading is hugely informative by itself. The authors place each picture in the historical or visual context that led up to it - showing related pictures that might have informed the one being discussed, or displaying cartoons that editorialize on the figure in then-contemporary art.
One thing that's hard for a modern viewer is to see the pictures through Victorian eyes, with Victorian sensibilities. Nudity often represented innocence, invoking Edenic times before modesty (and immodesty, by implication) arose. This seems true, most often, when depicting youths and children. A modern viewer is free to wonder, though - weren't a few artists, Charles Dodgson included, just a bit shrill in protesting their innocent motives?
The second reading of this book is in its explanatory text, an even partner with the imagery itself. This is what a picture book's text should be, but too rarely is. It really does add insight to the images. Sometimes the writing explains mythical references that are now obscure, sometimes it describes the artist and that artist's place in society, sometimes it explains how competing schools of thought created pictures with specific features of style. In every case, though, the reading is worthwhile, if only because it invites the reader to linger just a little longer over each of the pictures shown.
The artists represented here all honor classical human beauty in its many forms, male, female, and child. That explains one of two lacks I found in this book. First was the absence of mature figures, especially among the women. It was and often still is implicit that only the young can be beautiful. This error deprives fully adult women of their due, and deprives the viewer of a wider vision of human wonder. Second, this book emphasizes the classical, formal style of painting. I miss the other kinds of images that were also being made at the time, especially the Impressionist. The first lack I attribute to the artists of the time, but the second was introduced by the modern editors. It's a minor point, though, and does not interfere with the enjoyment of what is present.
This is a book worth having and keeping, for its inherent beauty, for its intelligent commentary, and for its presentation of painters I might not have known otherwise.
//wiredweird
One of the most exciting art books ever to come our way.......2004-06-30
If you love figurative imagery, meticulously composed and executed, you will definitely love this book
Exposed: A Beautiful Book Reveals a Controvesial Subject.......2002-11-05
Exposed: A beautiful and Informative Book about a Controversial Topic
What surprised and delighted me most, by both the exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, and by this wonderful text that accompanied the show and is now available to purchase, is the unbiased historical approach to the theme of Victorian Nudes and Sexuality. Most museums and texts that dare to present 19th century Victorian and academically rendered art (art in the realist tradition taught by the academic art schools of the period) have accompanying text that is tongue-in-cheek or satirically critical of this artwork. But this book, as the exhibition (which was organized and sponsored by the Tate Britain museum in England) gives serious insight into the Victorian controversy of nudity and sexuality. "Exposed: The Victorian Nude" explains with respect, what the artists of that era were trying to do. It analyses the social climate of the time, the innovative and daring works of the period's masters, as well as lesser artists, and shows the influence this art had on popular trends and views. The book is also rich in color plates and is a visual delight as well as a wealth of historical knowledge. There are fine examples of paintings by Frederic Leighton, Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward Coley Burne-Jones, Evelyn De Morgan, Herbert Draper, Anna Lea Merritt, Annie Swynnnerton, John William Waterhouse, Philip Hermogenes Calderon, Edward John Poynter, Albert Moore, George Frederic Watts and Earnest Normand. There are also fabulous drawings by William Mulready, William Holman Hunt, Ford Madox Brown, and John Everett Millais as well as photos of great sculpture of the period. This impressive book would make a wonderful holiday gift for anyone interested in the Victorian Era. If you are interested in my complete review of this book and show, with many examples of the colored plates from the book and descriptions of the paintings, you make find the review at www.artrenewal.org This site, The Art Renewal Center, is the largest on-line museum on the Internet and is a non-profit art educational organization. The review may be found in the top menu under Articles/latest articles/ "Exposed: The Victorian Nude" by Sherry Lazarus Ross.
Book Description
Handsomely illustrated, easy-to-follow beginners' guide provides instructions for painting the head, torso, arm and leg, as well as step-by-step demonstrations for painting seven female figures. Additional advice on planning the painting, lighting the figure, sketching with oils, and figure drawing with pencil, charcoal, and chalk.
Customer Reviews:
A good start........2001-12-28
This book is good for beginners in oil figure painting. It is thorough and instructional.
As you may see in the preview pages, it covers materials and basic techniques in the rendition of female figures in oil. It is also well-written, very readable, and full of practical advice (from how to choose materials to how to find live models). The demonstrations covered in the book are presented clearly and step-by-step (as stated in the title).
For readers who consider buying this book: In the beginning, the book covers how to paint each part of a (generic) female figure. It then moves on to showing how to paint females in different positions. In essence, the artist does a quick sketch in umber (thin wash in turpentine) or charcoal to capture the gesture of the figure. The sketching involves using simple blocks to render torso, hip, legs, etc. This method perhaps is much appreciated by readers who still have not established facility in drawing complex figure gestures. The artist then continues with a dark-to-light approach, rendering masses of shadow and flesh colors; and finishes the painting with highlighted details.
If the above is still not helpful enough, let me be more opinionated, as follows:
- There are NO shortcuts in learning to become a good oil figure painter. This book only serves well as a STARTING GUIDE for beginning oil painters, rather than a comprehensive document as to how to paint female figures.
- When starting to learn something new, as in any discipline, a beginner who follows strictly the instructions will make good progresses. In my opinion, this book will guarantee the "breakthrough" that beginners are looking for. Namely, the level of confusion in the very first figure painting session will soon be diminished, likeness (in terms of gesture and color rendition) will be improved, etc.
- On the other hand, if the readers are looking for other approaches and techniques, perhaps there are two things to do: experimenting a lot and referring themselves to other books of this genre. (See my "About You Area" for a recommended list.)
Average customer rating:
- This is an OK book
- Bridman's "other" book
- This book should not have been republished without some revision
- ...For Bridgman Completists...
|
Drawing the Female Form
George B. Bridgman , and
Ben Pinchot
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Drawing
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Figure Drawing
| Instructional & How-To
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Drawing
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Specific Objects
| Drawing
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Themes
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Themes
| Art History
| Art
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Art
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Drawing
| Instruction & Reference
| Art
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Figure Drawing
| Instruction & Reference
| Art
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Instruction & Reference
| Art
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Drawing
| Graphic Design
| Arts & Photography
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Heads, Features and Faces
-
Constructive Anatomy (Dover Books on Art Instruction)
-
Drawing the Draped Figure
-
The Book of a Hundred Hands
-
Bridgman's Life Drawing
ASIN: 0486443477 |
Book Description
An excellent reference from one of the foremost figure-drawing teachers, this classic manual provides artists with invaluable instructions on rendering the intricacies of the female figure. Bridgman's photographs and progressive drawings offer students and other beginning artists a suitable alternative to the use of costly live models. 32 black-and-white photographs; 37 drawings.
Customer Reviews:
This is an OK book.......2007-06-02
Actually I bought this book to my husband, he is a great illustrator and comics artist, he likes to buy this kind of book looking for new ways of drawing the human body... He got two or three new things from this one, what is a good sign... Well, no complains at all. It made us buy the "Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life".
Bridman's "other" book.......2007-01-09
I have a deep and abiding admiration for Bridgman and all his work. This one however is a bit of a departure from his other works. It consists of photographs of models and scetches and studies of those photographs, with no text, explainations, or breakdowns of the information. While I have always found his books more useful for their illustrations than their text, the ad hoc feeling of this text left me at sea at first. However, it is useful if you want to look at his choices in how he simplifies the form, accentuates aspects of the body and, as always uses line weight. The only reason I rate this as mediocre is that there are very few drawings and the photo reproduction is not very good.
This book should not have been republished without some revision.......2006-04-06
This book is nothing more than a few photographs from the 1950's, with a couple of very loose interpretations of the photos. There is very little detail to the sketches, and even less text. A book for the beginner this is not!
I guess for 7 bucks it's not too bad.
Rick S
...For Bridgman Completists..........2006-03-12
This book's intended target is mainly die-hard, enthusiastic, Bridgman completists- which pretty much describes me perfectly these days.
Since I actually revere Bridgman as a genius, I felt I almost *had* to get this book. In a way, I'm actually glad I did, at least for curiosity's sake(!). I now understand why this book has been out-of-print. Here's what it contains: 32 'average-quality' black & white photos- 26 of a nude female model; 4 of a nude male & female couple; and then 2 of a nude male model only. Many photos are cropped; some are completely full-figured. Two props are used: a large, shiny ball, and then a medium-sized piece of drapery. Bridgman's drawings are placed next to most photos- he usually depicts a part of the model in his famous, beautiful, and popular-classic style. The main problem here, as with many of Bridgman's works, is that the drawings are *mainly* sketchy & faded. Some of this is obviously due to this being originally printed in 1935. But here, some drawings are *shockingly* faded- almost completely useless(!). Even more odd, a few of these sketches are crystal clear, almost as if someone had re-traced them. Additionally, the quantity of drawings here is severely lacking. If it weren't for Bridgman's exceedingly popular name, it'd be a joke anyone would think this worth reprinting. Yet as a Bridgman fan, I *did* buy it- I just couldn't restrain my curiosity. And keep in mind: when I say the drawings here are *sketchy*, I mean they're even *more* so than in Bridgman's nearly-famous The Human Machine. For the highest quality Bridgman work, in my opinion at least, see The Book of a Hundred Hands, Constructive Anatomy, or Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life. These 3 are *currently* my favorite Bridgman works.
THE BOTTOM LINE- ONLY THE MOST ENTHUSIASTIC BRIDGMAN COMPLETISTS NEED APPLY.
P.S. Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life mentions *this* book as being included within its pages. However- I can't for the life of me find any of these drawings in that Complete Guide. If any *are* included, they certainly ain't easy to find!
Book Description
Uplifting eroticism while demolishing myths, "Erotic Book" offers a fresh and exhilarating perspective on the sensuality and beauty of the female body. The author provides readers of "Erotic Book" with insights on what aspects of the female body actually arouse men, and why almost every woman potentially possesses an intensely erotic body. "Erotic Book" rebels against the objectification of women, and presents an understanding of female sensuality that integrates the feminine mind with the feminine body, creating a transcending erotic presence.
Customer Reviews:
One man's views.......2007-07-18
I'm captivated by female beauty, so I was interested at the prospect of a book dedicated to the subject from an artist's perspective. Unfortuately, the author has framed some of his statements to be representative of "most men." It's annoying and sloppy. For example, commenting that many women now shave their pubic hair, he observes that "most men" actually prefer women with pubic hair (without even broaching whether its trimmed or groomed). He fails to acknowledge that preferences vary widely and offers no data to support his statement. He has a section on body piercing where he goes to some lengths to explain how he's finally come around to accept the idea, but only in certain parts of the body, and again women are better off unadorned. Opinions on that subject also vary from person to person. Rather than discussing his preferences as strictly his own (e.g. "As a painter, I prefer 'x' because...") or doing some actual psychological or historical research, this book comes across as the organized ramblings of one opinionated man (whose opinions I don't share) - not intelligent discourse about a beautiful, age-old topic. I returned the book.
A poetic hymn to the female body.......2006-11-12
This slim book is not just a delightful account of the female body, but a passionate hymn to the beauty of woman.
Intensely sensous, but not pornographic at all, it lovingly examines and exalts all the components of her body, underlining their significance from an aesthetic and erotic viewpoint.
It should be required reading for all photographers and painters alike as an introduction to the appreciation of the female body.
Art teachers had better leave anatomy manuals on the bookshelves from time to time and refer to this book as they teach life drawing classes, to arouse the students' genuine interest in what they are drawing.
Erotic Book: Erotica Secrets of Sexy Female Bodies for Men And Women.......2006-08-01
Erotic Book is an open and honest study of the female form, through the eyes of the author. Filger's background in Fine Art Photography is evident by the exquisite detail in which he views every nuance of the female form. Anyone who does not see the beauty in their own body needs to read this book.
Alan Walker
Awesome Book About Women's Bodies & Female Sensuality.......2006-07-04
This is an amazing book, more so as the author is man, but one with unusual perception when it comes to understanding the female psyche about their bodies and sexuality. Sheldon Filger presents the entire female body as an artistic tapestry, and enables the reader to understand the heavenly beauty that is the body of a woman. I really felt empowered after reading this appropriately-named "Erotic Book." Women will truly feel liberated after reading it--and men will also have new insights, and a wonderful gift for their special woman.
Erotic Book - Learn the Secrets!.......2006-05-14
I found this book very refreshing. Every woman should read this! Learn what turns men on about our bodies before you consider any augmentation, you will be pleasantly surprised. Thank you Sheldon Filger for telling us something we really needed to hear.
Book Description
Naked Women explores the subject of the female nude in photography in all its beauty and variety, with selections from ninety of the world's most renowned photographers, dating from 1850 to the present day. The reader is taken through a wide range of artistic styles from pictorialism to realism, from surrealism to postmodernism; viewing and understanding the historic images of Edward Muybridge and Bill Brandt; the established sexiness of Herb Ritts; and the quirkiness of emerging stars of the contemporary scene such as Angel Baccassino. While maintaining their individual style and interpretation of the female form, each photographer has been chosen for the impact they have made on the genre and on photography as an art, as well as for the beauty of their images, and the technical prowess with which they are achieved. Printed four-color throughout, the photographs are glorious and irresistibly eye-catching. Includes work from well-known photographers and artists such as Araki, Eve Arnold, Eugene Atget, Richard Avedon, Cecil Beaton, Brassai, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Larry Clarke, Lucien Clergue Peter Lindbergh, Irving Penn, Steven Meisel, Herb Ritts, Jan Saudek, Mario Testino, and Dorothy Wilding.
Customer Reviews:
I like "art", IF it's not boring.......2007-07-31
I did not care for this book at all. A collection of different photographers idea of "ART". In my opinion NOT erotic at all!!
Being a female photographer..........2006-08-28
I do not own this book but I viewed it at a friend's house. Would I like to have it as an item on my coffee table? The answer would be no. I found this book to be visually a great tool for the viewer to be able to make the distinction that how nude photography has changed over the years. But being a female photographer who photographs women nude I could not get this quote out of my mind when I was going through pages of this book. "The undressed is vulgar but the nude is pure". Some of the images in my view were bordering vulgar and passed along in a nude category. Shock and awe!
A Fascinating History of Changing Tastes..........2005-09-12
The female nude has been a favorite subject of photographers since the invention of the camera, and "Naked Women" is as much a statement of evolving tastes in photography, as what is defined as 'feminine beauty'. From the chubby, unabashedly provocative 19th century "French Postcard" prostitutes, who appear patently stagey and surprisingly innocent, today, a metamorphosis occurs over the years, as maturity, technological innovations, and changing mores redefines artistic goals, and this volume offers surprising, often fascinating, if sometimes disturbing definitions of the female form.
From stark, high contrast black and white to soft-focus color, from explorations of a nude in purely geometric terms, to images soft and personal, from the naive innocence of childhood to the surprising candor of age, this is a history that comes alive with each image. It is not a book for everyone; many images are not 'pretty pictures', but one must applaud Phil Braham for offering as comprehensive a one-volume history as is likely to be found.
It should be in every photographic enthusiast's collection!
Women - Not just the ones you expected........2004-12-17
As the editor points out in the intro, "nude" usually means "nude European female 20-ish, and probably thin."
This book does a lot better. Yes, the subjects are mostly or all nude, and yes they're all women. No, they are not all Anglo, as Phan, Sullivan, and Torcello show. No, they are not all young adults, as Murphy and Kander show. No, they are not all thin, as Glover, Casanave, and Perotte show.
Yes, they are fully functioning women, as O'Sullivan and Fink show, with surprising tributes to physical motherhood. And yes, the female shape is a wonderful thing, simply as a shape, as Carnegie, Lategan, and others show - whatever it is they show.
These pictures give much to think about. Saudek's "Ballerine" proves that age strikes different parts of a woman differently. Look at this portrait again, but not the face, to see what I mean - youth lasts a lot longer than you might think. Go back to Braham's Flower and allow yourself a giggle before you even see where the humor lies. Go all the way forward to Zeschin's contribution, and see why 'bigger is better' just isn't true. Not false, surely, but not true.
The book is organized alphabetically by the working name (not necessarily the born name) of the photographer. In other words, it is utterly random with respect to dates, style, subject, technique, or any other aspect of the images themselves. This emphasizes the photos, the individual women, and the spectrum of womanhood. Still, it leaves me hanging in some intellectual sense - is there some underlying order that I've missed, or is it my job to impose my own order?
I am passionate about women's beauty, as is the editor. Whatever you may have thought, this is a clearly non-erotic view of womanhood, in most cases. Being bare, even being fully sexually functional, are different from being erotic.
-- wiredweird
Diverse and wide-ranging nudes.......2002-06-11
...Despite having fewer big names, the book does not fall short with regard to the incredible breadth and variety of nude female subjects, photographic styles, and historical periods (1850 to present day). The female subjects are young and old, beautiful and grotesque, fat and skinny, white, black, and Asian. And there's at least one celebrity (Marilyn Monroe). The images can be called realistic or surreal, pictorialistic or artistic, hard-core or soft-core, experimental or intentional, clever or lucky, and serious or playful. I have to give Mr. Braham a lot of credit for bringing all this together in one book.
The following are some of my favorite and not-so-favorite nudes in the book:
Eve Arnold was the first female photographer to work for Magnum, a prominent photo agency. She was a celebrity photographer and is best known for her photos of Marilyn Monroe. Her color photo shows Marilyn sitting on a chair with her nude back facing the camera and a profile of her face.
Nick Clements' "Shaved Woman" is perhaps the book's most eye-popping (or obscene) picture. It is a stark and graphic close-up of a standing woman's clean-shaven genitals in full color.
Larry Fink shows a chest shot of a woman squeezing her left breast to spew out a few streams of breast milk into the air. Some of it apparently has been collected in a small jar which she holds in her hand.
David M. Glover's black-and-white photo titled "Joy" is of a huge, mountainous, nude woman looking up with joy with both arms reaching up toward the sky.
Nadav Kander's "Irma" is a blunt and too-real frontal portrait of an elderly, nude woman. Her breasts are drooping, and her face is deeply wrinkled along with the rest of her body. It's a hair-raising picture which shows how the human body can age. I was appalled by the deep wrinkles on the body other than the face and arms. Even my grandmother (90+ years old) was not that wrinkled other than on the face and arms.
Patrick Lichfield's "Checkered Cab" is a shot of an attractive, topless woman in a yellow, checkered taxi. She's framed by the car's window. Many of my friends liked this picture.
Paul Murphy is another artist who photographed an elderly woman, 70 years old perhaps. She's posed like a confident, glamour model with her head thrown back and chin up while her nude chest juts forward. Her wrinkled face and neck contrast well with her smooth chest.
Bob Norris created a dreamy, soft, and light-colored portrait titled "Daria." It's a head and chest shot of an attractive, blue-eye blond woman. He painted the model's skin with white paint and used 8x10 in. Polaroid film.
Erwin Olaf shows a repulsive-looking old woman (looks like an elderly Boy George when he was in Culture Club) holding a large fish to her stomach and chest. Really gross.
Philbert Ono. My black-and-white photo is called "Century Celebration." It's a nude Japanese woman jumping up in the photo studio with a white background. I...
Paul Torcello's "Sachi Bag" is a very clever, digitally-altered advertising photograph of a nude, mannequin-like woman whose buttocks were digitally replaced with the smooth, curving side of a brand-name bag which perfectly fit the contours of her derriere.
Jan Zwart's "Two Women" is one of the most intriguing and thought-provoking images in the book. It shows two women standing against a wall. One woman is a Muslim from Morocco and she is completely covered in black clothing except for her eyes and eyebrows. The other woman is a Westerner who is totally nude except for her eyes and eyebrows which are covered by a black blindfold. The obvious contrast is striking and a commentary of two different cultures.
I was a little disappointed that only one Japanese photographer (Nobuyoshi Araki) was included, and his contribution was quite tame. It's just a nude Japanese woman sitting on the floor with her back leaning against the wall next to a bedroom. It would've been great to see a few more Japanese photographers. (I'm actually a Japanese-American so I don't count as a Japanese photographer.)
Books:
- Figure Drawing for Fashion Design (Pepin Press Design Books)
- From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
- Global Feminisms: New Directions in Contemporary Art
- Graffiti World: Street Art from Five Continents
- Greene & Greene: Design Elements for the Workshop
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Wiring a House
- The Many Faces of Van Helsing
- Making Georgian Dolls' Houses
- Talking With the Turners: Conversations With Southern Folk Potters
- Skies & Clouds: The Watercolor Techniques Of 23 International Artists
- Strawberry Shortcake Murder
- The Celtic Collection: Twenty-Five Knitwear Designs for Men and Women
- American Signs: Form and Meaning on Rte. 66
- More Than Words: Illustrated Letters From The Smithsonian's Archive of American Art
- Arizona Cacti and Succulents Book 1
Ruth Bernhard: The Eternal Body: A Collection of Fifty Nudes
Poinsard: Tropical Blend
The World's Top Photographers: Nudes: And the Stories Behind Their Greatest Images (The World's Top Photographers)
Nude Photographs: Twenty Six Years
