Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing From Life: Over 1,000 Illustrations

346 Pages·2001·81.8 MB·English

BRIDGMAN’S
Complete Guide
to oe from

EDITOR’S NOTE

For more than thirty years thousands of art students crowded into George
Bridgman’s classes at the Art Students’ League in New York to learn at fist
hhand the method of crawing from life which was his personal contribe
to art education and which in his own lifetime had hecome famous. Many of
the best known names in contemporary painting and sculpture and commer-
sial art were enrolled in those classes.

Bridgman’s vivid and acticulate personality brought lively interest to the
study of anatomy. His beautiful drawings of musculature and bone struc-
(ure have provided a truly new literature cn the subject. These were
anatomical drawings made not for the medical student or the doctor but
specifically for the artist. How the body moves, bends, how its parts coordi-
nate, how the hands clutch, pull, or push, are among the countless bodily

ts he illustrated and analyzed.

Great artists nave, in the past, illustrated the phases of anatomy that
related to one or another portion of the human body. In the new “COMPLETE
BRIDGMAN” it is clear that all of the constructive anatomy of the human
figure is gathered into one volume.

Bridgman invented a terminology which grapbically describes the twist-
ing and turning of the human body. The term “Wedging” likewise is his
‘own; it describes how one group of muscles integrates with another. By sim-
plifying forms and giving them inereased definition, he makes his pacticular
‘method an easy one to remember, In a

nse these drawings of the human
figure are peopled with a special kind of man, essentially Bridgman’s own
creation, Like the great master of tae Renaissance, Michelangelo, (whom
Bridgman closely studied) he does not personalize or individualize. But his
immense knowledge of structure is put to work. In tais book one learns (0
foreshorten the forms and to articulate the limbs in a direct comprehensible
‘manner because the reasons for change of form and shape are diagrammatic.
ally and dramatically explained. Muscles actually change in shape as they
react, How they move the structure by contraction and how they appear from
various points of view are explained with countless other facts in precise
fashion,

George Bridgman’ life was devoted to making clear these complex move-
ments of human anatomy so that artist, art student and teecher may find an
inexhaustible mine of information that touches every phase of their study.

The COMPLETE BRIDGMAN is meant to he used as well as read.
analysis of the hand, for instarce,
these pages. Over two hundred drawings of the hand with its enor-
‘ious variety of movement and position are shown. And there ate explana
tions, as wel, ofits muscles at every plane,

There are innumerable drawings both of structure and movement inte
rated with the text and a complete study of folds and draperies as they
relate to the human form.

In this book is the heart of Bridgman’s system of constructive anatomy,
hh life drawing and his work oa the structure of head and featurss. The
entire work of his long lifetne in art instruction and practice is included here,

It was necessary up to the present to acquire a separate book «in each
Phase of Bridgman’s art instruction. In the new COMPLETE BRIDGMAN is
resented for the first time a comprehensive volume that includes all the
specialized art instruction in a form that can be readily consulted and is
allinelusive

Howard Simon
TABLE OF CONTENTS

HOW TO DRAW THE FIGURE =
PROPORTIONS OF THE HUMAN FIGURE -
MEASUREMENTS =~

Movchle Maszoe oe
WEDGING, PASSING AND LOCKING

Lee
Pe
TURNING OR TWISTING = =

LIGHT AND SHADE =~
DISTRIBUTION OF THE MASSES
BULLDING THE FIGURE =~

Perebincs
THE HUMAN HEAD» ==
paerintene

Drowing the Wead .
Perspective of the Head ~~
Diariburion of Masse of the Head. ~
Gonsruction of the Head ==
Plines of the Head ===
The Head in Profle = = +

Above Eye Lev - :
Below Eye Leve! ~ ates
Roxnd Forms o} he Head = +
owned and Square Forms of the Head =
Cube Connon
Oval Corsiruciom=

‘The Head in Light und Shade ~~
Compurive Measurements of the Head
The Chid’s Head ital
Muscles of the Face =
Expression ~ eae
Ghani sbesiceted ae anriaad
The Bye ~~ :
1s Fae os a ese ie
Planes of the Ber = +
Bighorn eer Dna of-80 ee
The Mouth =~ ‘
MAE eee
Front of the Neck = = =
Back of the Neck= = =

THE TORSO—Front View -

‘Masses idee:
Planes of the Torso—Front View +
perapey PEO eee
Toro—Profle =

Bites: So
‘THE TORSO—Back View

“Mechausm of the Torso and Mis

Shoulder Gidle

‘THE. SCAPUT.AMECHANISM OF THE SHOULDER

THE ARM =~
Mechanism of the Arm =
The Forewm-— =

Masses ofthe Shoulder and Arms

Pronator and Supinator
Bucy ee

THE ARMPIT ~~

THEHAND- =
Expressions of the Hand
The Weis and the Hand =

Mechanism oj the Hand and Arm

‘Anatomy of the Hand ~
Moscies of the Hand —
The Hand Bask View -
Construction of the Hand
Thumb Side of te Baral ~
Lith Finger Side of the Banal
The Fist =~
Knuchle o} the Hand -
Hara ofthe Baby ~

THE PELVIS ~~
The ip- > =

‘THE LOWER LIMBS
The Thigh and the Leg ~
The Knee i

GRE OUT © ee
“Abduction and Adduction

Bones and Muscles of the Foot

Toes ~ g

DRAPING
fia Lees
Composition = =
Dreping the Figure -
ne ee ee
Types of Folds
Diener Patten ~~
Pion or Cord Fold ~

Cpe. -
Spiral Feldy =
Wal-Lack Rolle = =
Inert Pole ==
Rijtm

INDEX and GLOSSARY =
Tis ns ot the oct mas for vee te tenia, ving
Be sis cl ohn el he Sate et peer lau ated
fay, The dee sge are sanged ini soaeace fon “How 1
Daw th gr" fo te “Balance of Light and Shade Is pupae 3
Be cae areal at pectin ar
Iisboped a thes comeyedn be revng en et of hs bak may
fateh ede fo canyon 1 independent ea
How to Draw the Figure

Birtessea aus enor or ain wie eee ncn aor
want dra. Tn our minis ecsy to have an dea of what he gre
tbe dv is dong. Sly the mol from dierent angles Soe he eae
snc contin ofthe ution oration Thi cones the eal Dgining
fy deere

2
Give due consideration to the placing of your drawing
‘on the paper, for balance and arrangement.
Make two marks to indicate the length of the drawing

Block in with straight lines the outline of the head, Turn
i carefully on the neck, marking its center by drawing
a line from the Adam's apple to the pit between the
collar bones.

From the pit of the neck make one line giving the direc.
tion of the shoulders, keeping in mind the marking of
its cemer, which should be the pit between de collar
‘bones.

Tndicste the general direction of the body by outlining.
to the hip and thigh, at its outermost point, the sige that
carties the weight,
Follow this by outlining the opposite inactive side of the
ody, comparing the width with the head

‘Then, crossing again to the action side of the fgure, drop
a line to the foot. You now have determined the balance,
or equilibrium of the figure,

side (0 the knee, over and
3 figure.

Carry she line of the
upward to the middle

On the outer side, drop a line to the other foot.