Life Drawing A Sketch and Textbook

Richly illustrated and interactive in its approach, Life Drawing: A Sketch and Textbook is an innovative, dual-use textbook/sketchbook, combining technical instruction with the space to actually execute the lessons. Its unique format alternates between education and practice-a critical balance in studio-art courses. Concise instructions are supported by a wide assortment of examples that clearly address the basics of drawing the human figure and the application of life drawing skills in a variety of fields, including animation and the web. Ample blank space throughout the text gives students the opportunity to immediately apply what they have learned, creating a journal of drawings, ideas, and notes right in their text, for use now and later.

Margaret Lazzari is Professor of Art at the University of Southern California's Roski School of Art and Design.

Dona Schlesier is Professor Emerita of Art at Divine Word College in Epworth, Iowa.

Douglas Schlesier (1942-2016) was Professor Emeritus of Art and Director of the Quigley Gallery at Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa.

Chapter 1 Figures in History
Prehistoric Cave and Rock Drawings
Egyptian Tomb Paintings
Ancient Greek Ceramic Painting
Roman Wall Painting
Mayan Temple Frescoes
European Manuscripts from the Middle Ages
The Human Figure and Nature in Chinese Painting
The Human Figure in Renaissance Drawings
Persian Figure Drawing and Painting
Images of the Human Figure in Baroque Art in Europe
Mughal Miniature Paintings
European Figure Drawing as Studies for Large Paintings
Social Changes Reflected in European Figure Drawing
Figurative Images in India
Japan in the 19th Century
The Late 1800s in Europe
Continuing Traditions in China in the early 1900s
20th- and 21st-Century Art

Chapter 2 Gesture
Definition of Gesture Drawing
Finding the Direction and Placement of Features within the Human Form
Gestures That Capture Body Language and Movement
Cross Contours and Building Mass
Foreshortening
Critical Analysis

Chapter 3 Skeleton and Flesh
Introduction
Basic Body Proportions
The Torso
Drawing from Life, Using Observation and Consulting Muscle Diagrams
The Skeleton and Muscles
Arms and Legs
Drawing Muscles with Convex Curves
Drawing Opposing Curves in the Side View of the Body
Fat and Skin
How Much Muscle?
Drawing for Volume
Critical Analysis

Chapter 4 Face, Hands, and Feet
Introduction
Mapping the Head and Face
Skin Texture
Drawing Hands
Foreshortening the Hand
Drawing Feet
Critical Analysis: Portraiture

Chapter 5 Expression
Introduction
Rendering Emotions
Body Language
Figurative Exaggeration and Distortion
Facial Expressions
Rendering Expression through the Drawing Elements
Line
Value and Tone
Shape and Volume
Texture
Space
Color
Critical Analysis

Chapter 6 Figure and Fabric
Introduction
Kinds of Folds
Drawing Fabric Folds
Kinds of Fabric
Fabric Conforming to the Volumes under It
Textures and Patterns on Clothes
Fabric for Dramatic Visual Effect or Meaning
Critical Analysis: The Meaning of Clothing


Chapter 7 Life Drawing Projects to Develop Skills for Animation and Storytelling
Introduction
Framing and Composition
Showing Movement
Rendering Characters
Drawing on Art History
Critical Analysis

Chapter 8 Life Drawing Outside the Studio
Introduction
Everyday Scenes (Genre Drawings)
Humans and Animals
Other Life Drawing Opportunities
If Your Interest Is in AnatomyEL
Reworking Your Sketches
Critical Analysis

Chapter 9 Applying Life Drawing
Introduction
Preparatory Sketches for Painting, Printmaking, and Sculpture Studies
Street Art and Murals
Anatomy Drawings and Medical Illustrations
Costume Design
Fashion Design
Book Illustration
Story Boards, Comics, and Illustrated Novels
Animation
Information Graphics
Political and Social Commentary
Self-Reflection

Anatomy Appendix

Index