Constructive Anatomy: With Almost 500 Illustrations (Dover Anatomy for Artists) Paperback – 1 Feb. 2000

I learned more in a few pages in this book than the whole of other books like this. If you're going to learn anatomy, start here. It can be quite difficult to get your head around some of it as it's quite theoretical as apose to exercise based but it gets to the core of the subject and sticks in your mind. If like me you just like looking at pictures it may take a few months to read but it is worth it. It's better than going to all the bother of trying to buy a cadaver and skinning it in the basement.

Great

I’ve heard that Bridgman is the gold standard for understanding the physical anatomy of the human form - and I’m inclined to agree, I learned more about hands from this book in one evening than I have in decades of owning a pair of them.It should however be noted that this is not, in my view, an absolute beginners book, and should be studied along side more traditional medical anatomy. Much of the text is technical, and concise.The drawings were reportedly created with graphite on the end of a very long stick and are not perfect but plenty communicative. Take them with some few grains of salt.Only what you need is here and the onus is on you to learn more. As a result, it’s dryer than chalk but that’s balanced against it being very short.All that being said the print and paper quality leave a lot to be desired. In my view, this is a work book to be used and abused and studied over and over.

I like to use this as an early to mid stage reference when digitally sculpting realistic characters. As opposed to having a Pinterest wall up of anatomy boards.It's all hand drawings which helps to focus on form, rather than getting drawn in to detail.Each body part has an accompanying break down/explanation, much of which may seem rudimentary, though I always pick up a few new ways to look at or think about its construction.This is the type of book you can keep to hand without worrying about how battered or stained it will get. It's a pretty cheap paper back, with only 170 pages. So you aren't worried about bending it or propping it open in a nefarious way like you are with some of the other War and Peace style offerings.That said, and as such I would not consider this a complete guide by any means, you will need many other references. Though with the internet this is not much of an issue at all.

At first I thought this was outdated (but I said what the heck try it). I've been drawing a lot of anatomy, though I am not looking for the "realistic" look. But this book is still perfect for everyone. The parts that we must focus are made so that are immediately seen by our eyes. Understanding a human body is not making those perfect shapes, it's about understanding how everything is constructed. I regret saying that this book is "old", it's actually what every student will need in the future. Even those who feel that they know anatomy should at least read this.

For those who draw, this is the book for you, if you find anatomy a problem to draw. It explains simply how to find ways to cope with the subject . It is very easy to read and understand. The subject can be mastered with this help. Excellent product. Thanks

Here is a book by someone whose drawings actually made me want to reach for the charcoal BEFORE I read it! His approach is much about volume and movement. His commentary is concise, no words are wasted. Similarly his illustrations of muscles are of the main groups rather than the Grey's anatomy approach. Written over 80 years ago I am not surprised it has stood the test of time along with Ruskin's 'Elements of Drawing'.

I bought the book second hand and it arrived promptly and in good condition.The content is good because it teaches anatomy and interesting, useful ways to construct the body parts being described in the book. However, the book's content is almost 100 years old and it shows. The dialogue in the book is extremely difficult to understand. It uses language, terminology and sentence structure that would be considered unnecessarily convoluted in today's age.In addition the images are not alongside the descriptions which can lead to the book layout being confusing.If you are familiar with the language then you might have a better time understanding. However, for readers that are not familiar you may have a harder time deciphering what Bridgman is trying to explain.There are gold nuggets in this book however you will have to judge whether you can spend the time reading, comprehending and maybe even taking notes on what is being said.