Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended
Review: By far the best book on human anatomy for artists. Anatomy can be a dry subject, but Mr. Peck has a way of presenting the information so it can be remembered, applied and enjoyed. This is the one book EVERY artist should have on anatomy.

Rating:
Summary: a hidden treasure
Review: Copyright 1951? Wow, what a stimulating discovery, and what fun! Besides the skeletal and musculature illustrations, "Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist" is full of Peck's own drawings of basic anatomical features. These are not just the "final" drawings, like the master prints in Hale, but the beginning "rough sketches". I find this delightful because every beginner needs some inspirational guidance in drawing's first steps. A simple rough sketch of a nose, with shading; or bones drawn as a simple hinge joint, an arm or leg.... Peck's general reduction of the human figure to basic shapes is of inestimable help. The reader may just find himself saying, "Hey, I can do THAT!!!" And that is the wonderful thing about PECK's book.

Peck has impeccable credentials and must be compared to Robert Beverly Hale. Peck's is not merely an alternate duplication of the same material Hale covers. There is a 'personal' touch in Peck; but the problem with any/all anatomy books, for beginners, is that they are simply intimidating, in their detail, their precision, their absolute realism. PECK overcomes this anatomical intimidation. I would venture that PECK ought to be included in at least the first several "drawing" books that one acquires. Sometimes it seems that several pages offer more practical instruction to a new student than entire chapters in the books coming out in recent years with gimmicky titles.

"Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist," in combination with any beginning book on figure drawing is a must. With Famous Artist's school, Willy Pogany, Walt Reed, Jack Hamm and similar instruction, any book-buyer/beginning artist will find themselves forward. I rate this in the top 4 of figure drawing books for the beginner.

The chapter on "Distinctions of Age, Sex, And Race" is highly useful. PECK may be in danger of getting shoved aside with time and the publication of new pablum texts containing nothing new or vital; but PECK has written a timeless text that commands respect. CARPE DIEM [Seize the day!] I rate this book a very deserved 5 stars*

Rating:
Summary: a hidden treasure
Review: Copyright 1951? Wow, what a stimulating discovery, and what fun! Besides the skeletal and musculature illustrations, "Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist" is full of Peck's own drawings of basic anatomical features. These are not just the "final" drawings, like the master prints in Hale, but the beginning "rough sketches". I find this delightful because every beginner needs some inspirational guidance in drawing's first steps. A simple rough sketch of a nose, with shading; or bones drawn as a simple hinge joint, an arm or leg.... Peck's general reduction of the human figure to basic shapes is of inestimable help. The reader may just find himself saying, "Hey, I can do THAT!!!" And that is the wonderful thing about PECK's book.

Peck has impeccable credentials and must be compared to Robert Beverly Hale. Peck's is not merely an alternate duplication of the same material Hale covers. There is a 'personal' touch in Peck; but the problem with any/all anatomy books, for beginners, is that they are simply intimidating, in their detail, their precision, their absolute realism. PECK overcomes this anatomical intimidation. I would venture that PECK ought to be included in at least the first several "drawing" books that one acquires. Sometimes it seems that several pages offer more practical instruction to a new student than entire chapters in the books coming out in recent years with gimmicky titles.

"Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist," in combination with any beginning book on figure drawing is a must. With Famous Artist's school, Willy Pogany, Walt Reed, Jack Hamm and similar instruction, any book-buyer/beginning artist will find themselves forward. I rate this in the top 4 of figure drawing books for the beginner.

The chapter on "Distinctions of Age, Sex, And Race" is highly useful. PECK may be in danger of getting shoved aside with time and the publication of new pablum texts containing nothing new or vital; but PECK has written a timeless text that commands respect. CARPE DIEM [Seize the day!] I rate this book a very deserved 5 stars*

Rating:
Summary: Looking for a Reference book?
Review: I bought this book for reference but when I wanted to look at the bones and muscles in detail, the pictures were too dark and not clear. I ended up buying "The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing : A Contemporary Perspective on the Classical Tradition"

Rating:
Summary: good for the price
Review: I guess I shouldn't admit to this, but I use this as the textbook for my figure drawing class. The book is pretty [inexpensive], and it's pretty clear, and I haven't found something better that doesn't cost a whole lot more. It was published in the 50s, and it hasn't been changed one bit, so the usual number of cornball drawings are included (they look VERY 50s). And the racial and gender characterizations are incredibly goofy and/or offensive. I'm a woman, and believe me, I've seen worse characterizations, but still. The racial characterizations are truly amazing: really booga booga (oddly, no women are included in the photographs of the races). Lest white men think they're off the hook, they're not. Many of them get the Ken-doll treatement (blurred-out genetalia: at least I hope they've just been blurred out).
Still, the price of the book is right and has lots of good basic information (I like the descriptions of joints and how they work: very 50s and very easy to understand.
It SURE would be nice if somebody would publish lots of pictures of skeletons next to muscle overlays next to photos of real people in natural poses (all kinds of normal people, and skeleton, muscle, and humans side by side). So far, everything I find is so stupid. Barcsay is still probably the best book, but lacking in some cohesiveness.

Rating:
Summary: The best anatomy book I have ever found!
Review: I refer to the book constantly. The illustrations are clear and have just enough detail without getting you queezy. There are photos demonstrating different poses, facial expressions, age, and racial differences in thier facial features. Together with Bridgeman's Constructive Anatomy, you understand form and content under the skin. How can you learn how to dipict the skin if you don't know what is underneath it or how it works?

Rating:
Summary: After reviewing MANY anatomy/artist books, this is awesome!
Review: I teach at a photography/art school in Ohio, and after reviewing and buying many anatomy for the artist books, this book is the best I've seen. The illustrations are top notch, the many views given leave nothing to doubt, and everything is clearly labelled. We're ordering several copies of this book for use in our Studio Techniques 2 class next quarter (Figure Drawing class). John [e-mail]

Rating:
Summary: the best anatomy book i've seen
Review: I've never actually seen a five-star anatomy book; each is different and has its own strengths and weaknesses, but this is the best and most balanced book I've found.

The muscle and bone diagrams are good, but seem very stiff. Fortunately, he supplements them with his own soft pencil drawings on other pages, and he includes detailed (and surprisingly readable and relevant) descriptions of how different bones and muscles connect. He does give the proper names for muscles and bones, but he doesn't bore us with overly scientific discussion.

The few photographs don't illustrate much, but they serve as fair examples for differing body types and positions. Peck puts uncommon effort into facial features and expressions: he doesn't just draw the muscles on the face, but he indicates the directions they pull and how they work to express temperament.

A previous reviewer expressed dislike for the racial comparisons - but I liked them. I don't think Peck means to say "all white people look like this, all black people look like this, etc." but he gives the artist characteristics to watch for when drawing from life (to base your own drawings off of his descriptions, well, yes, that would be silly).

He also describes proportions and motion in good detail. If you're going to buy one anatomy book, make it this one.

Rating:
Summary: I take it with me to class
Review: It's a great reference for anyone doing figure drawing. I am currently taking a class and it has helped me tremendously. I like the different angles and small sketches he has of each part of the anatomy. I also liked the nude pictures in the back(not in a wierd way) - they're good to practice with when you don't have a live model. Really worth buying for any artist!

Rating:
Summary: Great on Anatomy but Beware the Racism and Sexism
Review: Originaly published in 1951, the Complete Atlas, while probably the best and most comprehensive anatomy book available for artists, betrays its age with what is now clearly objectionable racist and sexist content. Illustrations and photographs of male models and body structure outnumber those of women by at least ten to one. Incidentally, sexist prioritization places the female form in a small section toward the back of the book.

This sexist bias extends to the text, which describes the female body in less than glowing terms while lauding the ideal nature of the male form. An example from page 175 on the navel: "In the female a large deposit of fat, especially below the navel, causes the pit to be deep and obscure in detail. The navel of a lean, muscular male is distinct and firmly rimmed."

The short section on racial features contains perhaps even more offensive language, describing dark-skinned people as having a "muzzle"! I assumed that this must be a technical anatomical term applicable to all human beings but the only other reference to it in the book occurs in a note on genetic defects. As might be expected, illustration of racial types also starts with the Nordic male and whiter peoples first, in tacit hierarchy.

While the racism and sexism of Peck's book may be mild for its time, it seems that our enlightened sensibilites demand an updating of the text. I am not an individual who supports political correctness but I believe these issues need to be addressed in their own right and before giving the book a perfect five stars.