Drawing The Head And figure by Jack Hamm

Paperback: 128 pages

Publisher: Perigee Trade (January 15, 1983)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0399507914

ISBN-13: 978-0399507915

Download Drawing The Head And figure by Jack Hamm Pdf  163,8 Mb

"Drawing the Head & Figure" by Jack Hamm I rate #1 of the top four figure drawing books!

It is said that the Rennaissance Masters passed around "pattern books" for their students, with figures drawn in charcoal as simple cube shapes. This is that kind of book.

"Practice the rough"! Hamm writes. Jack Hamm's book is refreshingly straightforward. This is the best beginner's drawing book on the market today, and it will endure for many years. There's nothing here for the "drawing on the right side of my ambition" crowd. Hamm's freehand illustrations are absolutely PACKED into this book, from 10 to 25 illustrations generally, on each and every page with brief but concise text. The vast number of illustrations ensure that this book will be unchallenged as the formost of "how to draw" books for beginners.

Hamm's presentation does not overwhelm the beginner bebause he does not use a confusing style of teaching. His chapters are in sequential order. It's as though he took Stephen Peck's "Atlas of Anatomy for the Artist" and reduced it to its bare essential text, while at the same time, increasing the number of illustrations in the book. I'm truly amazed at how much good basic instruction Hamm has packed into only 120 pages. He is to be complimented.

$11.95 is the list price, but Amazon discounts that down to $9.56, and with the many clunky HOW-TO-DRAW books approaching $20 and $30, this is one of the best bargains on the market.

Want to know how to draw the shoulder, the "six-pack" (abdomen), the pectorals, upper body and the neck? Hamm shows how better than 95% of the drawing books on the market today.

Hamm devotes an entire page each, to show how to draw lips, nose, eyes, etc. If you look carefully, you will find that most books on FIGURE DRAWING have little or nothing on head & face / portraiture. Likewise, there is an entire page to show closed hands, and another entire page to show the open hand. No other book comes close.
[Some authors say that beginners should do hands when first starting the figure] The Nose page shows 21 different styles of noses. And on page 41, Hamm shows the SIMPLIFIED FIGURETTE, with an Egg-shaped head, egg-shaped chest, egg-shaped pelvis, a couple of stick legs and arms, and illustrates its use in dynamic action poses. BRAVO!

Better still, Hamm does not just show us "one way" to draw the SIMPLIFIED FIGURETTE. He shows us several ways that various artists have worked with down through the centuries. He shows the figurette as drawn with LINE, OVALS, SQUARES, and TRIANGLES. No matter what method works for you, Jack Hamm is giving you a basic methodology, and one will fit your style of expression.

Another feature I like about Hamm is that he has acheived clear mental focus. When he offers a book on "drawing" there's nothing in there on Working With Color, or Painting, or Composition, or worse, attempts to burden the student by imposing metaphysical ideas. Hamm approaches the student with respect. When he titles his book "DRAWING" then drawing is exactly the subject he treats, and not other complicated and non-essential matters. By the way, Hamm does offer separate books on the subjects of:

"Still-Life Drawing and Painting" "How to Draw Animals"
"Drawing Scenery: Landscapes and Seascapes" etc. all at bargain prices.

Hamm reminds me of the working draftsmen of the Rennaissance era with his CLASSICAL TRADITION teaching method, and he's a teacher for the working day. If I could rate it higher, I certainly would. Jack Hamm's book belongs #1 of all beginner figure drawing books.

Inside the eBook you can find: