6/21/2016 Figure Drawing: Foreshortening - The Figure in Perspective

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F IG URE DRAW ING

Notes, Illustrations and Books about Life Drawing
and the Proportions of the Human Form.

S A T UR D A Y, D EC EM B ER 2 7 , 2 0 0 8 T HE A R T S T UDENT ' S G UI DE T O T HE P R O P O R T I O NS
O F T HE HUM A N FO R M
Foreshortening - The Figure in Perspective

Engrav ing of the human body in perspectiv e by C. Cornelius

after a sculpture by Hendrik Goltzius (1 558-1 61 7 ) title The
Betrayers: Icarus at the Auckland Art Gallery , New Zealand.
Published 1 868.

Engrav ing by C. Cornelius

after a sculpture by Hendrik
Goltzius title The
Betrayers 3: Phaeto at
the Auckland Art Gallery ,
New Zealand. Published
1 868.
T he Art Student's Guide to the Proportions
of the Hum an Form A republication of Dr.
Gottfried Schadow's famous work in which thirty
plates demonstrate the proportions of the human
form. It is based on the pioneering work of the
Greek Sculptor Poly cletus. Two way s to buy this
book, download an ebook at figure-drawings.com
or buy a paperback a copy at Amazon.com

A G UI DE T O B ET T ER FI G UR E DR A W I NG B Y C EC I L E
HA R DY

This e-book shows y ou v ital tips and techniques for

making y our drawings liv ely . It is published with
the permission of the author. See more at Figure-
Drawings.com

FO LLO W ER S

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Goltzius was ex traordinarily interested in the study of the foreshortening of the human form. Here
is another ex ample and a link to an ex tensiv e post about his work from John Haber: Hendrick
Goltzius and Willem v an Tetrode. Shown are four studies of hands, and The Dragon Devouring the
Companions of Cadmus.

The nex t image is Cain Killing Abel by a contemporary , also working in the mannerist sty le and
v ery interested in foreshortening was Jan Harmensz Muller (1 57 1 -1 628). The nex t images are a
series of three studies of Mercury and Psyche from three angles.
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6/21/2016 Figure Drawing: Foreshortening - The Figure in Perspective
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T HE S T UDENT ' S G UI DE T O EX P R ES S I O N I N
HI S T O R I C A L P A I NT I NG

Johann Gottfried Schadow made a study of foreshortening and perspectiv e for drawing the head in
his book Lehre v on den Knochen und Muskeln v on den Verhaeltnissen des
Menschlichen Koerpers und v on den Verkuerzungen, which had been translated as T he
Art Student's Guide to the Bones and Muscles of the Hum an Body The School of Raphael- Wonderful engrav ings by
and Lessons on Foreshortening in it he shows the position of the features located by a series Nicholas Dorigny after Raphael's famous designs for
of parallel lines, in much the same way an architect would draft rotated v iews of a building or an the story of early Christianity for the Sistine Chapel,
engineer would draft rotated v iews of a machine or structure. This enables the artist to deriv e a the heads of the figures are used to demonstrate the
scientific approach to foreshortening using standard v iews of the head and proportions of the range of human ex pressions. Two way s to buy this
features. book: download an e-book at Figure-Drawings.com
or buy a paperback at Amazon.com

G ER A R D A UDR A N' S T HE P R O P O R T I O NS O F T HE
HUM A N B O DY

For a post on the book see: Figure Drawing -

The Art Student's Guide to the Bones and
Muscles of the Human Body and Lessons on
Foreshortening.

A printed copy is av ailable at

Amazon.com

In 1 683 Gerard Audran produced Les

Proportions du Corps Hum ain which was a
careful rendition of the famous statues of antiquity
including careful measurements of each. Y ou can
download a copy at Figure-Drawings.com or buy a
printed book at Amazon.com

T HE A R T S T UDENT ' S G UI DE T O EX T ER NA L A NA T O M Y

This picture can be found under ev ery discussion of perspectiv e. What Albrecht Durer is
demonstrating in this print is the use of a transparent grid in front of a subject, and a gridded piece
of paper, so the artist can accurately transfer what he sees on a point by point basis to the paper.
This way his preconceptions about the length of limbs and placement of features do not interfere
with his accurate representation of the foreshortened figure. To the right is another of Durer's
T he Art Student's Guide to Ex ternal
illustrations show figures array ed on a grid, another way to study the effects of perspectiv e on the
Anatom y A republished edition of Dr. Fau's book
foreshortening of the figure. The image is from his De Sym m etria Partium in Rectis Form is
which was in wide circulation with as many as ten
Hum anorum Corporum . editions in different languages and used by almost
ev ery art student in Europe in the mid nineteenth
century . The book is in full color. Two way s to buy
this book, download an ebook at Figure-
Drawings.com or a full color paperback at
Amazon.com

T HE A R T S T UDENT ' S G UI DE T O T HE B O NES A ND

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6/21/2016 Figure Drawing: Foreshortening - The Figure in Perspective
T HE A R T S T UDENT ' S G UI DE T O T HE B O NES A ND
M US C L ES O F T HE HUM A N B O DY

Two more images from De Sym m etria Partium in Rectis Form is Hum anorum The Art Student's Guide to the Bones and Muscles of
Corporum , showing how to construct a head using the same sy stem Johann Gottfried Schadow the Human Body and Lessons on Foreshortening a
republication of the 1 892 edition based on Dr.
used in his book, and showing an artist using a perspectiv e machine. This is what the publisher of a
Schadows original 1 830 guide for his students. Two
new digital edition of the book has to say about it. "De Sy mmetria is Drers beautifully illustrated
way s to buy this book, download an ebook at figure-
study of the measurements and proportions of the human form. Underwey sung der Messung is a
drawings.com or buy a printed copy at
pioneering work in scientific illustration that contains ov er 1 50 woodcuts, including outstanding
Amazon.com .
ex amples of orthographic projection and sev eral of Drers most intriguing designs. It presents a
wide range of geometric subjects, with the basics of linear, plane, and solid geometry lay ing a
foundation for practical applications for architecture and art, including the construction of T HE HUM A N HEA D
columns and the rendering of alphabets. Its most notable achiev ement is the analy sis of
perspectiv e; in that regard, Drers treatise had a major impact on Northern Renaissance art."

A new edition of Louis Bail's method of learning to

draw the head. Two way s to buy the book download
an ebook at Figure-Drawings.com, or buy a printed
copy at Amazon.com

Heinrich Lautensack wrote a treatise on perpectiv e, Des Circkels und Richtscheyts, auch der
Perspectiva und Proportion der Menscher, which owed much to Durer. The entire book can L I NK S T O FI G UR E- DR A W I NG S . C O M S I T ES

be v iewed online at Digitale Bibliothek - Munchen. Abov e figures in perspectiv e and lines showing Amazon Author Page for Figure-Drawings Books
how to create orthographic front and side v iews of a child's figure. Figure Drawing Books at Lulu.com
Figure-Drawings.com at Facebook
Figure-Drawings.com the website
Free Drawing Lessons
Human Proportions at Tumblr

FI G UR E DR A W I NG S I N C O L O R

Drawing the figure in perspectiv e from Charles X. Carlson's The Sim plified Essentials of
Charcoal Drawing .

Figure Drawings in Color features the life

drawings of Canadian Artist Cedric Fleetwood
Weav er along with step-by -step instructions about
how to make them. Two way s to buy this book,
download an ebook at Figure-Drawings.com or buy

a printed copy at Lulu.com.

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6/21/2016 Figure Drawing: Foreshortening - The Figure in Perspective

LI FE DR A W I NG B Y P I ER R E LI S S A C

Drawing the figure in perspectiv e from Charles X. Carlson's A Sim plified Art Anatom y of the
Hum an Figure link to a current reprint , and from Cliff Y oung's Figure Drawing Without a Life Drawing - Croquis de Pierre Lissac From
Model, link to another book by Cliff Y oung, Drawing Drapery from Head to Toe . the pages of La V ie Parisienne a humorous look at
artist and their models. Two way s to buy this book,
John Ev erard published a series of books similar in some way s to Edward Muy bridge 's studies of an ebook at figure-drawings.com or a full color
motion. Ev erard used static figures on a rotating table and photographed them at interv als to paperback at lulu.com.
show v iews of all sides. They serv e as ex cellent references for the effects of foreshortening on the
human body . These pictures are from Second Sitting: Another Artist's Model .

FI G UR E- DR A W I NG S B O O K S A T G O O G L E B O O K S A ND
O N A M A Z O N. CO M

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Comments

Tom Richardson. Powered by Blogger.

Here is another set from Sculptor's Model .

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6/21/2016 Figure Drawing: Foreshortening - The Figure in Perspective

A few more of his books: The Model in Mov ement , Artist's Model , Sculptor's Model: A Third
Sitting , Artist's Model , Model in Shadow , Adam's fifth rib: A collection of photographic studies
of the nude , Liv ing colour , Oriental Model .

The Art Model Books follow a similar format.

Two images from the Art

Models books, These wo
are from the newest book
Art Models 4 showing a
foreshortened female
figure in repose.

Art Models 4: Life Nude Photos for the V isual Arts (Art Models series)

Art Models 3: Life Nude Photos for the V isual Arts (Art Models series) (No. 3)

Art Models 2: Life Nude Photos for the V isual Arts (Book & CD-ROM) (No. 2)

Art Models: Life Nudes for Drawing Painting and Sculpting

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6/21/2016 Figure Drawing: Foreshortening - The Figure in Perspective

Two
twentieth
century

foreshortened figure drawings by Harry Carmean.

Harry Carmean on Ebay

William Bouguereau, The Bather, 1 87 9, showing the use of perspectiv e

and foreshortening in drawing the legs.

Foreshortening is when an object or figure

appears reduced in size when v iewed from a
particular angle. It is ex plained by the theory
of perspectiv e.

This image is from An Introduction to

Perspective Drawing and Painting by
Mr. Hay ter.

For more information about perspectiv e: How

to Draw Perspectiv e at Figure-Drawings.com.

Atlas of

Foreshortening: The Human Figure in Deep

Perspectiv e (Second Edition) at Amazon.com

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6/21/2016 Figure Drawing: Foreshortening - The Figure in Perspective
Foreshortened Mary Magdalene by Jules Joseph Lefebv re.

Le Reveil de Diane by Jules Joseph

Lefebv re.

Foreshortened Christ by Andrea Mantegna.

The photograph is by Sam Haskins, it shows Gill, one of the

models from his book FIVE GIRLS , y ou can read about it at
his blog post Conv ersation and at another post The Age Of The
Understatement about one of the photos being used on an
album cov er. Also check out one of the images from his book
Novem ber Girl also at his blog, this post is titled: Winter Blues.

African Im age another book by Sam Haskins. A new v ersion is going to be published this y ear.
One book still in print is: Cowboy Kate and Other Stories: Director's Cut .

For
sale
on
Ebay
are
many
figure
water colors by William Reginald Watkins.
These show the use of foreshortening in
rendering the limbs. William Reginald
Watkins was born in Manchester, England
and later studied at the Mary land Institute in
Baltimore Mary land. There he studied under
artists such as Hans Schuler, C.W. Turner and
Max well Miller. He was a member of the
Baltimore Watercolor Club, the London
Roy al Society of Art, Baltimore Art Director
Club, National Art Director and the
Mary land Institute Alumni Board. His work was ex hibited both nationally and internationally . He
was best know for landscapes, snowscenes, still life, portraits, and marine paintings. These are
figure studies ex ecuted to keep up his craft.There is a listing at Askart.com.
For more water color figure paintings by William Reginald Watkins see: Water Color Figure
Painting.

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6/21/2016 Figure Drawing: Foreshortening - The Figure in Perspective

Series of
foreshortened
figure studies by
John Singer
Sargent.

Joseph Mallord William Turner - Study of a Supine Male Nude

Seen Foreshortened circa 1 7 99-1 805.

Foreshortened figure at a life drawing class in Birmingham,

England.

Foreshortened figure by John Peri.

Two foreshortened v iews of

a model from Ev ely n
Brandt's website.

Figure in perspectiv e by German

writer Karl Heinrich Waggerl.

Perspectiv e Photograph of a model

by Ronald Puhle.

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6/21/2016 Figure Drawing: Foreshortening - The Figure in Perspective

Seated Foreshortening

A few
more

ex amples of the human body in perspectiv e in foreshortened figure drawings.

Watercolor perspectiv e of nude by Roger

Hay ward.

Foreshortened figure from Reimar Boernicke's site.

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6/21/2016 Figure Drawing: Foreshortening - The Figure in Perspective

Classic Human Anatomy : The Artist's Guide to Form, Function, and

Mov ement

More drawings of foreshortened figures by

Charles Despiau.

Books related to Charles Despiau:

CHARLES DESPIAU

Charles Despiau: Zeichnungen (German Edition)

Despiau (Univ erse sculpture series)

Chefs-D'oeuv res Des Collections Suisses De Manet a Picasso; Orangerie Des Tuileries, Paris 1 967 :
L'Impressionisme; Cezanne, Gauguin Et V an Gogh; Les Nabis Et Les Pointillistes; Les Fauv es;
L'Ecole De Paris; Les Cubistes (Charles Despiau; Renoir; Degas)

Rodin: The Shape of Genius

Andr Salmon on French Modern Art

Female model foreshortening at WetCanv as Forums.

Ex treme foreshortening: V eselinka Beba McLarnon's Blog post on figure drawing.

Franois-Lon Benouv ille - The Wrath of Achilles.

Frederic, Lord Leighton - life study .

Here is a another blog's post on Luis Ricardo Falro's Departure of the

Witches showing lots of figures in v arious degrees of foreshortening.

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6/21/2016 Figure Drawing: Foreshortening - The Figure in Perspective

Luis Ricardo Falero Oriental

Luis Ricardo Falero A Fairy Under

Starry Skies

Falero's work reminds me of Jules-

Joseph Lefebv re's. Here is a site
dev oted to his work.

Jules-Joseph Lefebv re, The Dream, an engrav ing after his

painting "Le Reveil de Diane," 1 87 9.

Albert Arthur Allen Study

of a figure showing
foreshortening across the
torso. More Albert Arthur
Allen figure studies.

Moise Kisling with a model, also see another post, Moise Kisling
- Nudes.

Roderic O'Conor, seated nude around 1 925.

Roderic O'Conor, Nu Allonge, 1 924.

Roderic O'Conor, Reclining Nude on a Chaise Lounge, 1 91 5.

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6/21/2016 Figure Drawing: Foreshortening - The Figure in Perspective

Pose File 8: Abov e & Below (Pose File, V ol 8)

Atlas of Foreshortening: The Human

Figure in Deep Perspectiv e (First Edition)

Goltzius and the Third Dimension (Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute)
Goltzius and the
Third Dimension (Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute)

HENDRICK GOLTZIUS 1 558-1 61 7 DRAWINGS PRINTS AND PAINTINGS

Hendrik Goltzius, 1 558-1 61 7 : The Complete Engrav ings and Woodcuts. 2 v olumes.

Goltzius-studies: (Hendrick Goltzius, 1 558-1 61 7 ) (Nederlands kunsthistorisch jaarboek) (Dutch

Edition)

How to Draw People at Figure-Drawings.com

How to Draw Proportions at Figure-Drawings.com

From Three Angles - Japanese Book about Foreshortening

Blog about the book:

3
...

404
or

Hy per Angle - Another Japanese Book about Foreshortening

http://figure-drawings.blogspot.rs/2008/12/foreshortening.html 12/16
6/21/2016 Figure Drawing: Foreshortening - The Figure in Perspective

...

1,385 999
or 2,484 or 2,484
75pt 75pt

Foreshortened pose

Art Models 7 : Dy namic Figures for the V isual Arts (Art Models series)

Mandy 51 4 Art Models Pose

Jenni050 Art Models Pose

More pictures of this model at this post.

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6/21/2016 Figure Drawing: Foreshortening - The Figure in Perspective
Thomas Eakins, self portrait, lowering female model to the floor. Another photo by Eakins here,
and more here.

1 8th Century Flemish academic drawings using foreshortening.

Here's a photo of a male reclining from Flickr and a woman running, and a reclining female, a
kneeling female, another kneeling female.

A T 9: 15 P M LA B ELS : A K T M O DELL, A R T I S T ' S M O DEL, FI G UR E DR A W I NG , FI G UR E ENG R A V I NG S ,

FO R ES HO R T EN, FO R ES HO R T ENED FEM A LE, FO R ES HO R T ENI NG , HO W T O DR A W . LI FE DR A W I NG , HUM A N DR A W I NG
P ER S P ECT I V E, P ER S P ECT I EF, P ER S P ECT I V E FI G UR ES
R EA CT I O NS : didn't know that (0) interesting (0) useful (1) cool (0) like this (0)

5 C O M M E NT S:

Jos Tuesday , Nov ember 30, 201 0

Hi,

Foreshortening is one of the aspects that I most appreciated in figure drawing.

Mantegna's Christ is a wonderful work and one of my fav ourites.
Congratulations for the great work that y ou hav e been doing, and I hope that y ou continue
to do so in the future.

Best regards,

Jos
Reply

Am arty a Ghosh Saturday , December 1 7 , 201 1

i like this.
Reply

Anony m ous Friday , February 08, 201 3

Thank y ou for this online resource.
Reply

GARVEL Friday , June 21 , 201 3

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Reply

Anony m ous Wednesday , January 01 , 201 4

Gostei demais desse blog.V oc esta de parabns.Abrao.
Reply

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HOW TO DRA W A V OL U ME STU DY OF THE HU MA N F I GU RE - L I F E DRA WI N G

A V OL U ME STU DY OF THE HU MA N F I GU RE I S U SED I N L I F E DRA WI N G OR F I GU RE
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...

F ORESHORTEN I N G - THE F I GU RE I N P ERSP ECTI V E

EN GRA V I N G OF THE HU MA N BODY I N P ERSP ECTI V E BY C. CORN EL I U S A F TER A
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HU MA N A N A TOMY F OR A RTI STS A N D DRA WI N G P ROP ORTI ON S OF THE HU MA N BODY

TWO STEEL EN GRA V I N GS SHOW EXA MP L ES OF HOW TO DRA W HU MA N P ROP ORTI ON S.
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P OSTU RE P I CTU RES

I N THE 1 9 4 0 S, THE U S N A V Y P REF L I GHT TRA I N I N G SCHOOL TOOK
I DEN TI TY / P OSTU RE P HOTOGRA P HS OF RECRU I TS. OTHER EXA MP L ES OF THESE TY P E
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