Product Description

Portrait and figure studies need convincing hands and feet to really come alive, but they can be hard to get right. Drawing and Painting Hands and Feet is the only book published that demonstrates, step by step, how to tackle these notorious trouble spots, the most difficult parts of the anatomy for any artist to draw.



First, readers are led through a unique series of helpful drawings and diagrams that illustrate the interactions between the bones, muscles, and skin of the hands and feet. Next, an extensive array of sketchbook exercises, practical examples, and hands-on diagrams help build up confidence and expertise for more detailed artistic studies. Finally, eight step-by-step illustrations detail surefire ways to paint convincing hands and feet with pastels, watercolor, acrylics, and oils.




“...deserves a place on library shelves...Fairley's book concentrates on those troublesome extremities—hands and feet. Sketchbook exercises are followed by eight detailed painting demonstrations in watercolor, oil, and other media. Fairley then continues on to portraits in which variations in age, skin tone, composition, mood, and movement are integrated...highly recommended for serious artists and comprehensive library collections.”—Library Journal, July 2001

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #376126 in Books
• Published on: 2001-05-01
• Released on: 2001-05-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

From Amazon.com
"Hands and feet are not difficult," counsels Robert E. Fairley, author of Drawing and Painting Hands and Feet, "but they do require acute observation and thinking. If you follow the exercises in this book your skills will improve, and you will start to think about your work in a fresh way." Fairley begins by exploring the structure and anatomy of hands and feet, and offers several exercises for understanding muscles in movement. The next section is composed entirely of exercises in drawing hands and feet. The author employs a refreshingly wide array of media, including charcoal and graphite, ink, silverpoint, and pastels. Several of the exercises are composed using one's own hands and feet as models. Fairley's passion for his subject comes alive in these simple exercises as he stresses and masterfully illustrates the inherent energy and expressiveness of hands and feet in movement and repose. He ends the book by exploring how to incorporate hands and feet in a natural way into one's painting, and shows his works in acrylic, watercolor, and oil by way of illustration. --Mary Ribesky

From Library Journal
It's rare to find good, comprehensive books on drawing the anatomy. Each of these the first, the return of a classic; the second, a focused study; and the third, lessons from the masters deserves a place on library shelves. Bridgman was a legendary teacher at New York's Art Students' League. There, he originated a system of drawing known as "constructive anatomy." In 1952, his seven books on anatomy were gathered into one volume, which became a standard work at art schools and universities. Published now for the first time in paperback, it holds up as an indispensable volume, with more than 200 illustrations of hands and hundreds of images of arms, shoulders, heads, torsos, legs, knees, and feet. Fairley's book concentrates on those troublesome extremities hands and feet. Sketchbook exercises are followed by eight detailed painting demonstrations in watercolor, oil, and other media. Fairley then continues on to portraits in which variations in age, skin tone, composition, mood, and movement are integrated. Advanced students will find Hale and Coyle's Anatomy Lessons from the Great Masters a rich source of inspiration. Hale, like Bridgman, was one of the great teachers at the Art Students' League. His student, Coyle, gathered together Hale's famous lectures to produce this compendium. Hale drew on principles found in 100 masterpieces by such artists as Leonardo, Michelangelo, Rubens, Raphael, D?rer, Titian, and Rembrandt. In 1995, Giovanni Civardi's trilogy Drawing Human Anatomy (Sterling, 1995), Drawing the Female Nude (Sterling, 1995), and Drawing the Male Nude (LJ 3/15/96. o.p.) reached a high standard for good, basic books in this genre. These three surpass Civardi's works and are highly recommended for serious artists and comprehensive library collections.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
Robert E. Fairley is a Scottish artist who specializes in portrait and landscape paintings, sometimes combining these two passions during his travels to Nepal and India.

Customer Reviews

Na!
Why not just take pictures of hands and feet to study from yourself. How about trying some anatomy books. I didn't find this book offered anything of real value in assisting with the ability to draw hands and feet at all. If you want to better understand how to draw hands get the book Drawing Dynamic Hands by Hogarth. His books actually assist one in gaining a better understanding of how to draw the human figure even if you don't want to draw in his style.