Hi, I'm Franklin Einspruch. Welcome to Art Anatomy. Get started here, or read on.

I'm an artist and writer, and I've had a two-decade career in teaching at the university level, spanning a wide range of topics from traditional art to web development. (I believe that I'm unique in having taught college courses in both Renaissance painting methods and MySQL.) That combined knowledge brings this book to you.

I spent many of those years teaching figure drawing, including anatomy for figure drawing. Anatomy is a hard topic for art students, who often find the technical language and necessity for memorization off-putting. This is understandableif they were comfortable with that sort of thing, they likely would have gone into another field. But as such, I've never been entirely satisfied with the available books on the topic. Most of them are too comprehensive, don't help enough with the terminology, and don't go far enough into the why of anatomy. So you can locate the medial epicondyle of the humerus on the figure by sight; what do you do with that?

This book, in contrast, is a minimalist introduction to anatomy, written with the artist in mind, and written with the artist's mind in mind. I concentrate exclusively on forms that can be seen on the surface, rendering the medical language plain, and I discuss at length how to use an understanding of anatomy to draw better. By all means, investigate further once you gain a handle on this material, but start here.

This book is designed to evolve. Because of the way it's set up, I can revise it at will, so if you think I could explain something better, please contact me and I'll do so.

Illustrations are forthcoming. I'm going to start with photographs, then add drawings, and then add 3D models, interactive graphics, and video demonstrations as time goes on. To keep up with these additions and any other developments, subscribe to the email list and follow Art Anatomy on Twitter @art_anatomy.

I'm available to teach individual, group, and online classes. I've also lectured widely. If you'd like to schedule something, get in touch.

Drawing, like all of life's higher pleasures, is an exacting pursuit. I hope Art Anatomy furthers you along your road. Proceed to the table of contents or dive right in.

Best,

Franklin

Read more here:
Art Anatomy - Welcome