Archive for category Series: The Art Of Drawing
The Nude || Giovanni Civardi
Posted by henry in Author: Giovanni Civardi, Medium: Drawing, Medium: Pencil, Publisher: Search Press, Series: The Art Of Drawing, Subject: Figure, Subject: Nude on April 30, 2007
There’s a lot to be said for a book on figure drawing that finishes after 64 pages. This is, of course, a huge subject and some equally huge and all-encompassing books have been written about it which are both exhaustive and exhausting.
In a series of wonderfully sensitive pencil drawings, Giovanni looks at the practice of figure drawing, explaining the main form, proportion, basic anatomy, muscle structure, perspective and pose. The limited extent of the book means that everything has to be done succinctly and you don’t get page after page of almost identical analyses of muscles or barely-changed poses.
The converse of this is, of course, that the book can only really scratch the surface but, if you want a well thought-out introduction to a huge subject that can be a lifetime’s study in itself, there really is no better place to start.
First published 2007
£8.99
Drawing Light & Shade: Understanding Chiaroscuro || Giovanni Civardi
Posted by henry in Author: Giovanni Civardi, Medium: Drawing, Publisher: Search Press, Series: The Art Of Drawing on August 22, 2006
Search Press have been issuing books from this Italian author for quite some time and it’s quietly building up into a comprehensive encyclopaedia of techniques for people, faces and figures.
Classical in style and very slightly old-fashioned in their approach, the books and the instructional material are nevertheless very well presented and quite easy to follow.
Chiaroscuro is, simply, light and shade. It’s about using cross-lighting to create shadows that provide instant modelling on any subject and it’s the technique most associated with Rembrandt portraits. Used to excess, it soon looks hackneyed and care needs to be taken in its execution to avoid being heavy-handed. Used thoughtfully, it can instantly introduce natural modelling and a lifelike appearance. For the beginner struggling to avoid portraits that look flat as a pancake, it has great appeal and over-use will inevitably follow. However, practice makes perfect and more subtle handling will come with greater experience.
It isn’t possible to provide a complete guide in only 64 pages, but this book will give the reader a solid grounding in technique as well as point the way for further study and practice.
First published 2006
£8.99
