Octopus Books, 2001, hardcover, A4 format, illustrated, index, 142 pages, condition: as new.
Throughout time, artists have always been fascinated and inspired by the nude figure. As a subject, the human form presents certain challenges. Some knowledge of anatomy and how a body moves is required to prevent static and unnatural images. Your course of study begins with a look at a selection of nudes by some of history's most important painters. The works shown display a wide range of styles and will surely fire your imagination as you get to work on your own projects using pencils, pastels, watercolor, acrylics, and oils. From realistic images that highlight every mark and curve to simple celebrations of the naked human form, you will enjoy focusing on this age-old and most natural of topics.
It's rare to find a series of basic instructional books that are well executed, comprehensive, and attractively priced. Each of the volumes in Hamlyn's "Step-by-Step Art School" series explores the evolution of a genre, its tools, and its methods. The series avoids the usual pitfall of so many beginners' books pretty pictures accompanied by brief, mediocre text. Instead, its carefully graded exercises are thoughtfully illustrated and packed with cogent advice for the novice. Buchan and Baker's book on still life, for example, contains a wonderful historical survey with examples ranging from Caravaggio, Manet, and van Gogh to Picasso and Warhol. Demonstrations utilize ink, pencil, watercolor, acrylics, and oils in various styles. One can experiment with realistic, abstract, and surreal treatments of a basket of fruit, an old telephone, or a collection of bottles. The quality of this series is consistent, and Hamlyn is, wisely, also reprinting earlier fine entries like Patricia Monahan's Step-by-Step Art School: Watercolour.
