Drawing Dynamic Hands

...Right along with his famous, incredibly excellent Dynamic Figure Drawing, and the 1990 printing *original* version Dynamic Anatomy. While this is certainly an attractive, *amazingly* detailed effort, I personally find The Book of a Hundred Hands by George Bridgman to be an easier & more effective work in its entirety. Both books deal with drawing from memory- drawing hands completely without a model. Here's a brief overview of Drawing Dynamic Hands, including common praises(+) & criticisms(_): + ...amazingly detailed- in pictures & anatomy. + ...*crystal clear*, small-to-large sized, black & white drawings. + ...best-ever coverage of proportions & measurements. + ...the most comprehensive book on this subject to date. + ...helps a person discover many hidden aspects of hand construction. + ...covers all main actions, angles & views involving foreshortening. + ...males, females, kids, occupations & the aging process are depicted and described. _ ...maybe *too much information*, too overwhelming & not all of it necessary. _ ...hands often look too overly detailed, exaggerated & stylized. Maybe best for illustrators- not fine artists. _ ...barely any coverage of female hands (just a few pictures). _ ...*might* inadvertently make drawing hands more complicated than it needs to be. Commercial & comicbook artists in particular *love* this book- It's not necessary for everyone though- definitely worth considering!

Fists, guitar players, the effects of age on hands from pudgy little baby paws to veiny old ones. Covers the anatomy, including the veins which are sometimes visible, foreshortening the hand, and the effects of movement on the structure. Not for the freshman artist who is still learning how to draw--anatomy books never are.

While I have learned much from this book, and the esteemed Mr. Hogarth's other instructional books, I do have one gripe that potential buyers should be aware of. It seems that this fine artist does not write for beginners. His style is obviously advanced, but so are his instructions. A new artist might not be able to avoid the feeling that he or she just isn't "getting it." Mr. Hogarth teaches through excellent sketches and explanatory paragraphs accompanying some of those. The text does not always lead from A to B. Sometimes, it leaves B, C, and D out entirely and leaps straight onward to E. Mind you, I strongly reccomend this book. However, I suggest that new students of the drawing arts do not rely on it exclusively .