Artist's Guide to Human Anatomy

Giovanni Civardi was born in Milan in 1947. While training to become a sculptor, portrait artist and illustrator at the Free Life-Study School of the Accademia di Brera, he also studied medicine and surgery. For over a decade, he worked as an illustrator, producing commissions for newspapers, magazines and book covers. During frequent trips to France and Denmark, Civardi put on one-man exhibitions of this work and pursued his interest in studying the relationship between medical anatomy and the human form as depicted by the artist. His experience gained from teaching anatomy, life drawing and portraiture in schools and institutions over many years has led to the publication of numerous books in which Civardi's experiences are brought into focus.

Preface to the fourth edition 7
Preface to the first edition 9

General information about the study of anatomy 11
Definition of anatomy 11
Anatomy and art: historical notes 11
The morphological method 14
Concepts of normality and variation 15
Anatomical topography and terminology 16
Evolution, race, constitutional types, sexual dimorphism 22
Notes on the macroscopic structure 30
Notes on the microscopic structure 32
General information about the shape of the human body 33
General information about the proportions of the human body 34
The historical development of proportional canons 37

Anatomy of the locomotor system: general information 42
The skeletal component: osteology 42
The articular component: arthrology 51
The muscular component: myology 54
Bone and muscle reference points on the nude body 66
The integumentary system 66
Superficial veins 68
Subcutaneous adipose tissue 68

SYSTEMATIC SURFACE ANATOMY OF THE LOCOMOTOR SYSTEM
Introduction 72
The head 75
- Notes on external morphology 75
- Osteology 77
- Arthrology 88
- Myology 89
- Head muscles of interest for artistic representation 91
- The eye 100
- The nose 102
- The lips 103
- The ear 104
- The function of facial muscles in expressions 106
The trunk 109
- Notes on external morphology 109
The spine 112
- Osteology 112
- Arthrology 114
- Myology 117
The neck 118
- Osteology 118
- Arthrology 118
The chest 119
- Osteology 119
- Arthrology 120
The abdomen 123
- Osteology 123
- Arthrology 123
- Myology 124
- Trunk muscles of interest for artistic representation 132
- The neck 159
- The shoulder 161
- The armpit 162
- The breast 163
- The navel 165
- The external genital organs 165
- The buttock 166
The upper limbs 168
- Notes on external morphology 168
- Osteology 169
- Arthrology 172
- Myology 174
- Muscles of the upper limbof interest for artistic representation 181
- The arm 196
- The elbow 197
- The forearm 198
- The wrist 199
- The hand 200
The lower limbs 203
- Notes on external morphology 203
- Osteology 205
- Arthrology 208
- Myology 209
- Muscles of the lower limb of interest for artistic representation 218
- The thigh 232
- The knee 233
- The leg 234
- The ankle 235
- The foot 236

APPENDIX
Anatomy and drawing: from structure to shape 240
Notes on static and dynamic dimensions of the human body 242
Bibliography 250
Anatomical index 252

Artbookreview.net

Im not absolutely sure whether this is a new book or one of the older titles that has been reissued. To a very large extent, thats not relevant, as these reissues appear to have all new origination and are often in a larger format. Quite simply, if you have an old and well-thumbed copy, youll probably want this anyway.

Giovanni has, of course, produced books on just about every aspect of figure drawing, but this one fills in the gap for those who need more about the actual structure of the human body. Inevitably, theres a medical aspect to some of this, and many artists may feel that it gives them more information than they need. At the same time, this is written in Giovannis characteristic straightforward style and is definitely for the lay reader rather than the specialist.

There is no doubt that its thorough. Theres plenty of information about bone and muscle structure as well as how everything fits together and sustains the outward pose. Beyond the technicality theres a wealth of aesthetic material thats of fundamental use to the artist.

If you want to know what underpins the figures youre drawing, how and why they appear the way they do, theres no better guide, from an artistic point of view, than this.

Leisure Painter

Best-selling author and artist, Giovanni Civardi brings us his latest instruction book - Artist's Guide to Human Anatomy, providing the perfect introduction to drawing the human form. Beginning with information on how artists through the centuries have captured the human body, the author then describes how bones and muscles play a part in the shape and movement of our bodies. Photography and diagrams complement Civardi's beautiful drawings.