Reddit Reddit reviews Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life

We found 24 Reddit comments about Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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Figure Drawing Guides
Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life
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24 Reddit comments about Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life:

u/OnlyTim · 29 pointsr/Art

Thank you! Here's a quick list of the ones I can recall. :)

Figure drawing - Michael Hampton

alla prima - Richard Schmid

figure drawing for all it's worth - Andrew Loomis

drawing from life - George Bridgman

Color and light - James Gurney

As for videos, a whole lot of youtube ones, specifically from these channels;

Bugmeyer

Feng Zhu

Stylusmonkey

and a few workshop videos by Whit Brachna, Brad Rigney and Donato Giancola.

hope it helps some. thanks for the interest! :)

u/funisher · 7 pointsr/ArtistLounge

I'm a big fan of George Bridgman's "Complete Guide to Drawing from Life" and Gottfried Bammes "Complete Guide to Life Drawing" is also pretty great.

Also, here are all of my figure structure drawings from college. It's a little sloppy, but it's free. :)

u/Fey_fox · 4 pointsr/learnart

Holey muffins yes, without the basics you will never improve.

In order to draw something you must be able to (in an artistic sense) understand it's nature. Like how a cylinder sits in space, how to draw light, how muscles and bones sit in the body (anatomy), all that.

A good cartoonist always has learned to draw realistically first. To give a cartoon body a sense of realism you need to get how real bodies work. Basically you got to know the rules before you can break them.

You can go to a used book store and go to the art section and pick up anatomy books and life drawing books pretty easily. If you see anything by this author, grab it. When you draw from life, start with simple stuff first like just a ball, or an opaque glass like a mug, or even a box where you can see the interior. Don't smudge the graphite, and don't press too hard with it either. Learn how to create light and shadow with the graphite alone.

The more you draw realistically the better you will get. It may not be the topics that excite you, but these exercises that don't seem as much fun are the way to get you to get better at drawing the stuff that is fun.

Good luck

u/tiaphoto · 3 pointsr/animation

Amazing list! All of these are essential. These are also my favorites for animation:

Force: Dynamic Life Drawing for Animators (Force Drawing Series)

Timing for Animation


Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life

Bridgman's was a must for me when it came to learning anatomy.

u/stilesjp · 3 pointsr/Filmmakers

Drawing life isn't easy, but it's something that can be learned.

You'll need to learn a few things. One is people. I would find a Bridgman anatomy book, get some tracing paper, and trace the entire book three times.

Most importantly, you'll learn how to draw faces and hands this way.

If you have a continuing education organization near you, see if they have a drawing perspective class. That'll help with drawing interiors and exteriors, buildings, rooms, all that. A life drawing class will be very helpful, too.

You can do the tracing of that as well, after you learn the basics. From print ads, movie stills. Just trace it until you figure things out for yourself.

The third thing you should do is find as many storyboards as you can and study how they're created, and watch the footage to see why they did what.

u/Axikita · 3 pointsr/learnart

Gotcha! Some resources that might be helpful:

Loomis has some good (free) books on constructive figure drawing, which is what you want to learn if you're interested in drawing characters out of your head. I'd recommend Figure Drawing for What It's Worth in particular.

Ctrl+paint is another great resource for learning the art fundamentals that are specifically relevant to illustration. He also has a lot of great information on how to get into Photoshop.

If you want to be drawing characters, it would probably be good to thoroughly learn anatomy. I've seen scattered tutorials for this, but I've had better luck with books- Burne Hogarth and Bridgeman are good, and I've also found Netter's anatomy useful for learning the names of bones and muscles.

For color theory, I would recommend Gurney's Color and Light.

Also check out the sidebar, there's a ton of educational material under "useful links."

I would recommend starting with ctrl+paint or Loomis, and working from there. Both sources will give you an overview of a lot of topics that you can go on to explore in more depth. And of course, keep up the practice.

Best of luck!

u/broken_point · 3 pointsr/ipad

Apple Notes is great for sketching, if you want to go further then yes definitely Procreate, best bang for your buck and my personal favourite.

I can't recommend any apps for learning how to draw, but I can recommend these books to get you started, that is if you'll be interested in designing characters or drawing people etc;

Bridgmans Complete Guide Drawing From Life

Force by Mike Mattesi

The Silver Way by Stephen Silver

u/Bobby_Newmark · 3 pointsr/comicbookart

Big thing: learn how to draw figures in space. Right now your drawings look flat. In particular, you need to be able to show how one part of the human anatomy overlaps another part. This is actually really hard to do, because it requires you to keep a three dimensional model (of some sort) in your head. That's why these are so popular.

Jim Lee actually breaks down the human body into three dimensional shapes and places them in order from front to back. The only place to learn this sort of thing is drawing from life, but even then that doesn't quite give you a framework to use. Personally, I suggest Bridgman's works, but he puts a surprising premium on explaining rather than showing.

When you get this down you'll find that your art becomes much more dynamic. Also, it'll allow you to create believable action shots with more than once person.

Check these out, because they're great examples of figures in space and overlapping anatomy (you'll see that I love me some X-Men):

u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/learnart

Just an idea:

Make a sculpture of the human face using Bridgman's guide to drawing as a reference. Then draw the sculpture in many different angles, light settings.

u/encyclopediapocrypha · 2 pointsr/NoStupidQuestions

Hey, Retlih!
How awesome that you're looking to start drawing! You've gotten some good advice in the thread already(taking your time, especially) but in the event that you're looking to learn more, I've got some great books to suggest you work through.

Andrew Loomis - Figure Drawing for All Its Worth

Bridgman - Complete Guide to Drawing from Life

While they may seem very human anatomy-focused(and in a way, they are), they also describe some great general principles and advice to start your journey down pencil road. They also heavily emphasize looking - no, I mean really looking - at things in everyday life and doing your outmost to depict them, which is a great exercise of the hand, the eye and the mind. (practicing this will make you much better over time, but it will take time, much, MUCH more than a month. I'm a concept artist by trade, and I have never met a person even half-decent at drawing who wasn't already a few years or decades into drawing)

If you're serious about this, do avoid focusing too heavily on making and sharing - be it facebook or instagram - pretty portraits of celebrities or dogs or cats or fruit, or you'll be forever trapped in mediocre-pencil-portrait-land where praise comes easy and you'll always feel like an impostor and/or artistically handicapped charlatan. Learn to draw for yourself and in your own pace, making sure not to rush through the process. Think of how you would train your muscles; don't immediately go and try to pull an airliner with your teeth, start with the core and work from there - let it take time, and find ways to make the journey enjoyable.

u/aghzombies · 2 pointsr/Art

Okay, speaking as a disabled person, if you're going to be around this kid a fair bit you need to completely let go of this notion that his disabilities make him less capable of honing his talents. Not because you'll necessarily interfere with the development of his skills but because that attitude is incredibly toxic. He isn't talented despite being disabled, he is both talented and disabled. Happens all the time.

I would suggest buying him some books, like maybe this one Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1402766785/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_rS5AybXHBE8CN or How to Draw Cool Stuff: A Drawing Guide for Teachers and Students https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0615991424/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_ET5Ayb7CCF5ZN - find something that matches what he likes to draw or would like to draw. Make sure he has decent materials - they don't have to be top of the line, just decent. Take him with you to get the materials, let him start learning what's out there and figuring out what he wants to try working with next. Let him interact with the shop assistants as much as possible. Let this be his thing, and he will hopefully gradually expand his own horizons.

u/evilanimator1138 · 2 pointsr/animation
u/Strangersaurus · 2 pointsr/learnart

Probably Bridgman. George Brant Bridgman. Heard great things about his books, though I can't say I've added them to my collection yet. Here are some links to them on amazon.

Box set of three books(Bridgman's Life Drawing | The Book of a Hundred Hands | Heads, Features and Faces)

Constructive Anatomy

The Human Machine(Has quite a few bad reviews concerning the print quality, I'm afraid.)

Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life(This one is kind of a combination of all his other books, taking the best from each of them, though leaving some bits out.)

u/CaptainPixel · 2 pointsr/h1z1

Not really.

In an adult male with normal proportions the distance between the top of the head and the groin is the same as the distance between the groin and the feet. The original player model has these proportions. In your mock-up the torso is too short.

http://www.foundation3d.com/uploads/instruction/2008/10/17-10-622362.jpg

You'll also notice in this proportion chart that distance between the navel (which is in line with the elbow) and the knee is roughly the same as the distance between the shoulder and the groin. Once again the original model has these proportions and your altered image does not.

I think there is a bit of over-saturation with games that use exaggerated character models. You get used to it so when you see something that has correct anatomy it feels different. That doesn't make it wrong. I think what's "off" about the model that people are noticing is the rigging might need some work and the animations are a bit stiff. As far as I'm aware they're already reanimating the walk and run cycles.

Source: I studied Animation Arts and Design, been working as a CG artist for over 10 years.

Edit: These two books are excellent resources for anyone who is interested proportions and figure construction

Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life

http://www.amazon.com/Bridgmans-Complete-Guide-Drawing-Life/dp/1402766785/ref=sr_1_32?ie=UTF8&qid=1410012003&sr=8-32&keywords=figure+drawing

and

Vilppu Drawing Manual

http://www.amazon.com/Vilppu-Drawing-Manual-Vol-Drawings-ebook/dp/B00A0ZU4BA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1410012025&sr=8-2&keywords=vilppu

u/Kriket308 · 1 pointr/ZBrush

I would suggest picking up a couple anatomy books and simply copying them. Like I said, you'd be surprised at how much this teaches you. First, take a look at Bridgman's guide It's very loose and probably easier to learn from because of it. But there is complete accuracy in the looseness of his drawings, so I know I learned a ton about the figure from him.

Secondly, I'd pick up Richer's Artistic Anatomy This is a ton more informational, and the drawings are much tighter, but spot on figures and great info. This is one of my teacher's favorite reference books, and he's been published in Spectrum 13 times, and worked for George Lucas.

u/dogsarefun · 1 pointr/Illustration

George Bridgeman's books are probably the gold standard for figure drawing. Here they are compiled into one book.

u/PancakesForDinner · 1 pointr/SketchDaily

I mainly switch between Andrew Loomis and George Bridgman.

u/ez617 · 1 pointr/Random_Acts_Of_Amazon

I think you should get yourself either this adorable little pikachu coin pouch, or this book to help you with your drawing. OR, you could get this adorable Up funko (not on your list, but I thought you might like it). Happy birthday! :)

swaggybananas

u/LoseEgoFindSelf · 1 pointr/learntodraw

I picked up this book Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life https://www.amazon.com/dp/1402766785/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_AXcNzb6626FC3 to learn anatomy. Is that good?

u/Batmana · 1 pointr/Art

The best thing you can do is get a few books/e-books or like Kissnellie suggests online guides.

I suggest Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life , I also like Anatomy: A Complete Guide for Artists by Sheppard.

Basically just draw all of the images over and over again, they are like maps to the human body. Sure they won't be exact for every person - but getting an idea of how it looks will help you shape it better. Drawing figures (and anything) is about understanding it and yadda yadda.

Draw from life, gesture often from pixelovely, and Posemaniacs

If you practice for a while, you'll get a good understanding of the human figure pretty well :D

I might have some anatomy e-books if you're interested - drop me a message. I am currently taking a life drawing class, so it's all good fun if I can help others =3

u/SalmonellaSam · 1 pointr/battlestations

Bridgman's Drawing from Life. I highly recommend this for any artist. I keep it within an arms reach at most times.

u/TwoToedTerror · 1 pointr/learnart

Glad I could be of help!

Watts Atelier is really amazing. It is beginner friendly - anatomy knowledge helps, but you wont be drawing the figure immediately. It will still be a good idea to learn anatomy while you continue through the program - I'll link you to some great anatomy resources.

To give you a rough breakdown of how the course works, you start by drawing simple shapes (spheres, cylinders, boxes, cones) focusing on form and value. Then you will start drawing other simple geometric forms applying the same principles. Then drawing fundamentals is finished with still life drawing. Next you move into portrait drawing fundamentals, then figure. If you are interested in painting, you can continue the course to portrait and figure painting, along with other specialized classes (landscape, drapery, composition, etc.)

On the issue of sizing, that is a problem that will solve itself naturally over time. It has to do with proportions and measuring, which is a skill that takes time and practice to get a handle on. Eventually you can visualize where everything goes and place it on the page in the right spot. But yeah, Watts Atelier will definitely help.

The difference between Watts and other free tutorials online is 1.) professionalism and structure: The course is taught by the founder of the atelier Jeff Watts, and it is structured like a true academic art class. Learning online gives you random bits of information which are helpful, but you can't contextualize them. The course is designed to take you from beginner to master. The tutorials online are fun, but don't have that structure.

2.) The teachers are world class artists. To give context, here is some of Jeff Watts work. You may not want to be a painter, but you can be confident that you are learning from a master. You can also google his drawings, they will blow you away. Also, the guy Stan Prokopenko who I recommended - and is often mentioned in this sub - was trained at the Watts Atelier by Jeff Watts.

You probably get the picture, its a great program. My experience with it has been an absolute joy. I wish I could go back in time two years when I started pursuing a career in art and taken these classes immediately. It would have saved me so much time and effort wasted trying to figure out how to grow as an artist on my own. What I do is pay for a month and watch all the videos and print out the handouts for the module (currently on portrait II), and then spend however long I need to get a good handle on it before I spend the 100$ for the next month. Also, if you have the cash to blow, you can spend extra money to get 1 on 1 coaching with teachers at the atelier.

I will note that it can get boring drawing spheres and still life all the time, so make sure you schedule time to draw stuff you love. Once you get into portrait and figure things get way more fun, but just be ready for that in the early stages.

Anyway, glad I could help at all! Feel free to PM me at any time, I have tons of resources I've hoarded over the years that can be helpful. Here are some links that might be helpful:

Here is a video of Jeff Watts drawing and answering questions, it will give you an idea of what his teaching style is like and who he is. Also the drawing is really good.

New Masters Academy is another great tool that has been huge for me. The anatomy and figure drawing courses are amazing. They aren't as structured as Watts, but can be very useful for when you have specific areas you want help for.

This book is superb for figure drawing. Also, this book is the equally amazing book on perspective. Also, a lot of books don't talk about drawing the clothed figure (which is pretty dumb considering most of the time, commercial art has to do with clothed people), which is why I also love this book. You are probably familiar with Bridgman's book, but if you don't have it - get it.

A lot of professional artists in many different industries (concept art, comics, film, animation, 3D, etc.) make gumroad tutorials for a decent price, here is a massive list of tons of these great tutorials.

If you want some inspiration while you work, I love listening to Creative Trek and Chris Oatley's Artcast. They both are mostly interviews with other professional artists and contain all sorts of wisdom and inspiration to help you out.

I have more, but I'll leave it there. I hope the best for you man! Keep up the hard work! Feel free to PM me for whatever reason.

u/I_am_godzilla · 1 pointr/DigitalPainting

Definitely classes. If you're not doing classes for whatever reason. I suggest making these three books your bible.

How to draw - Scott Robertson

Color and light

And finally

Bridgman's Drawing from life

No need to get them all at once. But these three books are chock full of lessons that you will revisit over and over as you progress in your art. Strongly recommended.