if you want to learn to draw well you will have to study human anatomy. you should practice a lot of life drawing sessions with long poses and quick gestures.
but drawing from life is only half the battle. You also need in-depth knowledge of human anatomy to build realistic muscles, bones, and joints. you can learn by memorizing the figure, but anatomy books have much more information and are easier to access.
You are reading: Anatomy books for artists
In this post I have compiled the 10 best anatomy books for artists. this includes raw anatomical dictionaries along with more stylized books to accompany rote memorization.
As such, I have divided this post into two sections: the first is raw anatomy books and the second is more ancillary content to help you in your studies & drawing efforts of life.
basic anatomy books
every artist should have at least a basic anatomy book. this is the cornerstone of self-study and a book full of anatomical information will be crucial the more you practice life drawing.
if you want multiple references, I would obviously recommend that as well.
but most people just need a solid book, and in that case, I’d suggest one from this list.
atlas of human anatomy for the artist
One of the most recommended books for mastering the figure is Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist. It comes with 272 pages full of illustrations showing the bones, muscles, tendons, and how they all connect.
every artist needs to know these things, and sometimes a technical book is the best way to do it.
you will learn about the differences in human anatomy when it comes to children, adults, men & women, plus different body sizes. you learn by studying from real photographs and illustrations that demonstrate how to accurately represent anatomical parts.
While it’s an amazing reference manual, it doesn’t work as a teaching tool.
You will not learn how to draw figures with this book. however, it will show you the human figure from a technical point of view, something valuable that every artist must understand.
See Also: Philip Roth – Book Series In Order
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human anatomy for artists: the elements of form
Eliot Goldfinger is the author of Human Anatomy for Artists and this tome of anatomy is my #1 recommendation for artists.
I’ll start by saying that this book is dense. it has a total of 368 pages and covers almost all aspects of human anatomy. Although the title of the book says that it is for artists, everything can seem like a scientific magazine.
I wouldn’t sit around reading this for fun, but I would (and do) refer to it frequently as a study guide. no one can learn anatomy all at once, so you’ll constantly be learning more as you go.
Human Anatomy for Artists might be the only book you own on human anatomy.
covers everything like bones, muscles, fascia, tendons/ligaments, and joints, plus photos to help you understand each part along the way.
This book doesn’t have bodies in flexed poses, so it can feel quite static. but for a brief anatomical reference guide to the human figure, I can’t think of a better book.
See Also: Philip Roth – Book Series In Order
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anatomy for the artist
One reason you’d get this book is to just learn about human anatomy. Another reason is to study the hi-res photos and use these as references for your own drawings.
anatomy for the artist contains over 200 pages of color photographs and diagrams superimposed on these photographs. you can see layers of bone, muscle, and fascia as they form under the skin. Each photo is of very high quality, so you will have no problem studying the content.
However, I don’t think this book is as detailed as goldfinger’s previous one.
I would almost say that Anatomy for the Artist acts more like a coffee table for human anatomy than a detailed reference guide.
Transparent overlays are a lot of fun and can help you visualize how to see the figure accurately. but this book probably won’t help you master all the little intricacies like you get with human anatomy for artists.
See Also: Philip Roth – Book Series In Order
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anatomy series for sculptors
This series takes a detailed look at individual body parts which get split up into different books. I’d imagine that most artists don’t want to pay extra for individual anatomy books.
but the good thing is that you can choose the anatomy for the sculptors based on what exactly you need, be it the torso, upper limbs, lower limbs or the face & neck muscles.
Each book goes into detail about the construction and behavior of each body part. The content is aimed at 3D sculptors, but the writing is so detailed that it easily applies to 2D artists and illustrators as well.
Please note that these books are surprisingly short and are mostly available in digital Kindle format. I would not recommend this complete set as a replacement for any other anatomy book.
however, if you need to brush up on just one area of human anatomy, then you can pick up a specific book in this series.
See Also: Philip Roth – Book Series In Order
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anatomy: a complete guide for artists
I like a lot of the Dover books because they’re often very high quality and surprisingly affordable. Anatomy: A Complete Guide for Artists is a somewhat older book dating back to the early 1990s.
Fortunately, the human figure has not changed much since the end of the 20th century, so all the information is still applicable.
The author does not teach anatomy from a point of forced memorization. instead, he gets a series of exercises based on individual body parts like arms, legs, torso, etc. he will have more refined sketches and drawings for each chapter to help you see how these anatomical details should be represented.
the author joseph sheppard is a renowned artist with decades of experience. his writing style is quick but precise.
sheppard’s goal is to help you learn anatomy through exercise and a little memorization. but this book is much easier to understand if she has read other anatomy books in the past.
See Also: Philip Roth – Book Series In Order
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auxiliary books
In addition to basic anatomy books, I also recommend getting figure/anatomy books. These don’t help you memorize pure anatomy, but they can teach anatomy along with figure drawing techniques.
These are my favorite figure books that address anatomy and work well in conjunction with an anatomy reference guide.
complete guide to drawing from life
This is the newest book in my post and the material really shows. The author Gottfried Bammes covers a wide variety of content from body types, ages, sexes, and even proportions for different body types.
the complete guide to life drawing is half reference guide, half drawing tutorial guide.
In the first few chapters, you’ll learn about gestures, fluidity, and how to capture the figure. then in later chapters you’ll learn about more detailed anatomy and how it should fit into your drawing workflow.
You’ll get lots of illustrations from bammes and other artists explaining the concepts in each chapter.
with a total of 312 pages you will get a lot for your money with this title.
each chapter draws you in more and the presentation of information in this book is hard to find elsewhere.
See Also: Philip Roth – Book Series In Order
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force: dynamic life drawing for animators
If you’re an aspiring animator then this book is a must-have item. Most animators take life drawing classes with the aim of studying weight, balance, movement, and gesture.
This is why force: dynamic life drawing for animators can be such a powerful book for anyone learning anatomy.
It is crucial that you learn all the muscles, bones and how they connect.
See Also: Elena Ferrante – Book Series In Order
Muscles pull on bones to help the skeleton move. animation is just a cartoonish way of mimicking real movements, and to do it accurately you need to know how the human figure moves.
This book will not teach you perfect precision or anatomy. however, you will build on his anatomy lessons to help you draw natural, flowing lines of motion with each pose.
Animators need to be fast and the exercises in this book will help you with that. but don’t make this your only anatomy book or you’ll miss all the minor details that make the animations look real.
See Also: Philip Roth – Book Series In Order
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figure drawing for all it’s worth
I have to throw in a recommendation for Loomis because he’s one of the great modern teachers. His books span the globe and have been around for decades, still popular to this day for good reason.
Shape Drawing For All It’s Worth teaches you how to approach the shape room with practical exercises and the right mindset. you will learn how to take precise measurements and how to consider the final goal of a drawing (short or long pose).
However, I don’t think this book is ideal for absolute beginners. Loomis can have a very rough teaching style that doesn’t hold your hand all the time.
I would recommend that you already have experience drawing figures before reading this book. can be incredibly useful, but you have to be prepared for the lessons.
For complete beginners with no prior experience, I always recommend the proko figurine course which I reviewed in detail if you’d like more information.
See Also: Philip Roth – Book Series In Order
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figure drawing: design and invention
This incredible book by Michael Hampton is often referenced as a premiere figure drawing resource. It will not teach you everything about anatomy. But it will help you simplify anatomy so that you can draw quicker and with more confidence.
Figure Drawing: Design and Invention teaches you to see the human figure using shapes and masses. you’re not just copying what you’re seeing. instead, he is learning to accurately see the human figure as a three-dimensional shape of muscles and bones.
the book has no pictures, so you will learn strictly through hampton’s illustrations. but it’s best used as an exercise book to help you learn new techniques to break down the figure drawing process.
I highly recommend you pick up this book if you want to get more out of your imagination. This is a necessary skill for animators and concept artists, but the skill also requires fundamental knowledge in drawing from life.
Also, this book is not very beginner-friendly as the exercises do not have the typical step-by-step approach. if you pick up this book, also consider getting another figure book like principles of figure drawing to help you along a more enriching path.
See Also: Philip Roth – Book Series In Order
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constructive anatomy
I’ve seen a lot of mixed reviews for this book. Bridgman is a talented artist and many of his books are widely regarded as the best in their field.
While constructive anatomy offers much in the way of thinking about figure drawing, it can also be difficult to understand. it’s a fairly old book and hasn’t been updated in decades.
however, bridgman is meticulous with every aspect of aesthetic anatomy that can be seen, from the forehead line to the toes and heels. he will learn how to see, how to render and how to understand each part of the anatomy in detail.
Unfortunately, language presents a high barrier to entry. I still have it listed here because the information is exquisite. but if you don’t want to get into confusing terminology, I recommend you skip this one instead of pretty much every other book in this publication.
Learning anatomy along with figure drawing is usually the best approach. You can study books all day, but there’s nothing like seeing muscles in action when studying live models or photos of models.
See Also: Philip Roth – Book Series In Order
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I would recommend that every aspiring artist obtain at least an anatomy reference guide and a couple of figure drawing books to help develop a clear understanding of the human figure.
I recently did a post on the best figure books and they all go very well with the rough anatomy books mentioned above.
If you just need an anatomy book for intense study, I’d definitely suggest Human Anatomy for Artists. it is dense, precise, and appreciated by amateurs and professionals alike as the best resource for studying human anatomy.
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