Morpho: Anatomy for Artists

I'm on my quest to draw the figure. This is a great compliment to other resources on figure drawing but is unique in a few ways: 1. It's fairly small so you can pack it in your work bag for study on the train 2. It has a really nice back "flap" that opens up with numbered labels of the various parts of the anatomy e.g. scapula, deltoid, etc. This table has the proper name, function, and insertion points. Every drawing is labelled with some of these and if you habitually glance over at the flap as you read, you start to find yourself memorizing insertion points through repetition. 3. The drawings are done in a looser sketchier style which is great for actually learning how one might build up such a drawing (as opposed to wondering if they've done several iterations to get an unrealistically refined final drawing) 4. Price is reasonable at about $20 for the dead tree version. 5. The author is really talented and knows his 'ish about how these anatomical forms work together.I use these in tandem with other resource like the Robert Beverly Hale books on learning from masters (drawing and anatomy), Glen Vilppu manual, Michael Hampton figure drawing book, the Sheppard anatomy for artists book, and a few more popular books for anatomy in drawing circles. I don't think this is a buy just one book on anatomy type of book, but a pretty much mandatory supplement in terms of the features I've mentioned above. No affiliation; just like this book!Fwiw, I first ordered the electronic version and enjoy sketching to that given I can zoom in/out with my computer. However, I had some frustration not having the tables and downloading that separately as a print out seemed cumbersome as I can never keep track of loose papers like this. That said, I'm happy with having both formats.

Loved this book! It does not focus on anatomical correctness like a doctor, but rather what you need as an artist and what works for the sake of a detailed picture.

Amazing anatomy book for artists. It was exactly what I've been looking for. Its just small enough to be portable, but not too small. The detail is very clear, and labeled. I saw mentions of the book coming damaged, but mine was in perfect condition.

As a Full Tenured Professor of Art, the “Morpho Anatomy for Artists” book, specifically the “Anatomy for Artist”, is a great quality reference book. It is visually impactful and visually draws the anatomy of the human body very well. One of the bigger and thicker books in the series, it does visually communicate the various parts of the body with great detail. I purchased this book to use in my college classroom as a quick reference guide. It is lightweight for the size and easy to access. The book gives a breakdown of problem solving anatomy quickly. I highly recommend for upper level high school to college level junior. Outstanding book!

Useful, with lots of illustrations and pertinent descriptions (like what bone is pressing on the visible part to produce that projection.) A quick reference and not too heavy or large to keep where it can be at hand.

Ohh this book! It’s at the top of my list of books about art and even artists. I have a pretty extensive library of art books. I do because I am an artist myself and because I love art. It is what drives me, excites me and has helped me evolve as a human being. I hope that’s not too dramatic but I believe art brings us to an understanding of who we are. That and finding our breath.Michel Lauricella is a magnificent artist!How is it possible that a book of drawings, ones of anatomy no less, could possibly convey passion? It’s astounding to me really. The sensitivity is felt on each page. Incredible.I only wish the entire series of Morpho books had been larger! Honestly, why weren’t they produced with that honor? Still, despite the size and the fact that another Morpho book I received, not even in a language I understand, holds a precious, respectful place on a shelf in my library.I had ordered, received and returned some of the other, even smaller Morph books, by Michel Lauricella, it’s irritating that they are so small. Still, now that I’ve received the larger ones, I can see I’m going to need the smaller ones in my library. Such glorious sensitivity cannot be dismissed.

I'm a teacher of drawing and painting, and as such I have a vast library of anatomical resources for drawing the figure. If there's one figure/anatomy resource I'd recommend above all others, this is it. It's a small volume but you get many, many views of each part of the body in different actions, so no matter what angle you're looking for, you'll find it in this book. The poses are gestural and natural, what you really see in life, rather than in a medical setting. There is just enough detail in the structures to identify what they are, but enough generalization to inspire you to research them in more detail. The major muscles are all indexed and numbered in most drawings, but others don't number them--so you can actually test your understanding and recognition. As a teacher, I give this my highest recommendation. Skip Bridgman, and use a good specialized anatomy book for further research. Make this one your go-to. It's compact and easy to carry, beautifully bound for extended use. Carry it with you and draw from it. As Hale said, first we draw what we see, then we draw what we know. Finally, we see what we know. This book will help you see.