Really great book but I do have a couple gripes. Firstly, Tom Fox is surprisingly against gesture, which is a fundamental skill that artists of all level should possess and be able to execute. Fox emphasizes structure more than rhythm which may lead some beginner artists to create stiff figures. Also, a feature of beginning drawing books that I believe is really important is subdued style/not stylizing figures. Fox's figures are very stylized which may impact beginners ability to properly express their own style down the line. Fox's book is amazing and also very fun to work from, however, I would just be wary of the ideas mentioned above.
Great point about gesture. I think gesture is best learned by observation and almost something an artist has to work through until they ‘see it’. I guess in reality no figure drawing book is a substitute for just filling pages (and pages) of sketchbooks.
Thanks for the review, I noticed the book doesn't have any "homework", I guess analyzing/copying each page is a good idea, but wondering how do you approach this kind of material!
Something smaller I’d copy the drawings, but this is so dense with information I first read the book entirely, then I went back and skimmed it, stopping on things that stood out to me. Now I’m rereading it slower, makes notes and underlining key concepts or stuff I struggled with. At the same time I am copying key illustrations and trying to incorporate these in my work. Pretty much my only time to study is during my lunch so I’m luck if I get through 4 or 5 pages.
No anatomy book has any homework in it. To be honest it's just a reference for studying. For example, Bridgeman you don't even know what he's saying in his books. You have to decipher them. Anatomy books are best used while you're taking a figure drawing course as like supplement material for practice. Basically you have to study the book then when you're then when you're drawing your own drawings, you have to apply what you've practice and learned into your drawings.
I have a tonne of books from Vilppu drawing manual, figure drawing and invention, drawing the line from a teacher at my college to Loomis, bridge man and morpho. I copying is good but best read it and apply the approach to drawing from life, photos and imagination.
Tackle it a chapter ay a time, practice from a chapter for a week or two to get through it over the course of a couple months,then start again. Each time, you will pick up something new.
