Figure Drawing

Friday, December 11, 2009

Arthur Zaidenberg - Studies in Figure Drawing

Arthur Zaidenberg was a teacher and author in New York City. He was born in New York City in 1908. He studied at the Art Student League in New York City, and at the National Academy of Design, Beaux Arts in Paris, Kunstakademie in Munich and the American Academy in Rome.

Arthur Zaidenberg's drawings appear to build on the drawings and paintings of Paul Cezanne because he builds his figures by observing the planes that make up the figure. His teaching also emphasizes the construction of object by combining simple shapes to build the whole.

From the New York Times obituary: "In 1938, Mr. Zaidenberg published his revolutionary techniques, which were based on his theory that a person who could write the alphabet could combine simple shapes and draw. He was also the first teacher at New York University to use nude models in his life drawing classes."

The images here are from Studies in figure drawing.

A copy is for sale on Ebay. Click here to see the book for sale on Ebay.

He was an incredibly prolific author. Amazon's listing of his books. One title still in print is Draw Anything. Scans of some of the pages from Anyone Can Draw are at Fulltable.com. Amazon's search for books by Arthur Zaidenberg

A similar book is Drawing the Human Figure, you can find it and others on Ebay. Click here to see the books for sale on Ebay.

A really rare book by Arthur Zaidenberg combines photographs by Alexander Paal, with analytical sketches by Arthur Zaidenberg, Body in art, by Alexander Paal; with twenty-four studies sketched and analyzed by Arthur Zaidenberg, another copy is also at Amazon.com

Examples from Anyone Can Draw at Fulltable.

Body in Art by Alexander Paal and Arthur Zaidenberg at Abebooks.com.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

How to Draw the Human Head - Louis Bail's Drawing System

The Human Head: A Correct Delineation of the Anatomy, Expressions, Features, Proportions and Positions of the Head and Face, a new e-book by Prof. Louis Bail, graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, who was a famous advocate of teaching drawing in the schools, is available at Figure-Drawings.com.

It is titled The Human Head and has 64 illustrations in the manner made famous by Prof. Bail's system of Drawing Charts which were widely adopted by schools throughout the country to teach drawing to young students.

The Drawing Charts proceeded from drawing lines to drawing angles, then drawing curves, double curves, using the squares and angles to draw dwellings, drawing leaves, circles, ellipses and thenusing all of the above to draw simple, then more complicated ornaments. His goal was to train American students in the drawing arts so that they could become ornamental designers and have productive careers. His argument for the study of drawing was not very different from the argument people make today about improving American education. He made this argument about the teaching of mechanical drawing:

There is too much guess work in our mechanical operations, that can only be obviated by such instruction as you propose. A great deal of time is wasted in "cutting and fitting," and making things only "about right," when absolute certainty and correctness of plan should have been secured beforehand. There is no form, however complex, that cannot be indicated by drawing in such a manner that an intelligent workman, who is competent to read or, understand drawings, can execute the object represented with absolute certainty. The simple ability to read plans and drawings fit a man for a good position. In fact the foreman of a shop is often the only man able to do this. By leaving our mechanics in this semi-barbarous condition we lose much money and credit, and lower the intellectual and moral condition of our artisans. The more mind a man brings to bear upon his business the more respectable and self-respecting he will become.

The complete text from the Special Report of the Commissioner of Education on the Condition and Improvement of Public Schools in the District of Columbia By United States. Dept. of Education, Henry Barnard, 1870 is here.

The lessons on drawing heads proceed the same way from the simple form, to proportions of the head, to the muscular structure of the head to drawing the head from different angles to incorporating expression and character in the drawing of the head.

There was a preoccupation in the mid-1800s with drawing the head in profile and establishing the angle of the head. this picture illustrates one of Bail's drawings like that. The impact of the theory of physiognomy is discussed in an article titled Life Drawing from Ape to Human: Charles Darwin's Theories of Evolution and William Rimmer's Art Anatomy by Elliott Bostwick Davis

The plates of heads illustrate these subjects:

The Human Skull from the side.
The Human Skull from the front.
The Muscles of the Human Head from the side.
The Muscles of the Human Head from the front.
How to Draw the Mouth.
How to Draw Eyes from the side.
How to Draw Eyes from the front.
How to Draw Ears.
Facial Angles - 4 plates.
The Outline and Proportions of the Human Head in Profile.
The Outline and Proportions of the Human Head from the front.
The Head Looking Down.

The Head Looking Up.
Three-Quarters View of the Head - 2 plates.
Three-Quarters View of the Head looking down - 2 plates.
Three-Quarters View of the Head looking up - 3 plates.
Sample Drawings of Heads Illustrating the Principles of Drawing - 17 plates.
How to Draw a Caucasian.
How to Draw a African.
How to Draw Old Age - 2 plates.
How to Draw Infancy - 2 plates.
How to Draw Sobriety.
How to Draw Laughter - 3 plates.
How to Draw Discontent.
How to Draw Severity.
How to Draw Fright.
How to Draw Anxious Watchfulness.
How to Draw Bodily Fear.
How to Draw Weeping.
How to Draw Terror.
How to Draw Prayer - 2 plates.
How to Draw Innocence.
How to Draw a Misanthrope.
How to Draw Surprise.
How to Draw Great Pain.
How to Draw Rage.

Here is a notation from the Illinois School Journal of 1883 where Prof. Bail is among the judges for a