Hamm tackles what many consider the most challenging subject of all: drawing humans. From basic anatomy and proportions to details of male and female faces, hands,
feet, movement, and clothing, this book addresses most everything necessary to effectively draw people.
Review
Only recently did I start attempting to represent humans and humanoids in my artwork. I guess I've always been more interested in animals and other things than my
own species, at least for artistic purposes. Now that I've started toying with the subject, I find books like this invaluable. He doesn't just used one method of doing
things, he uses several. Confusing? Not at all! It's extremely helpful - to me at least - not to get stuck in a rut (i.e., the face is always an oval, you draw human
bodies starting with X and going on to add shape Y, etc.) In truth, there is no magic formula of shapes to draw perfect people - or perfect anything. Each situation
requires a slightly different approach, so the more ways you know of tackling a subject, the better. Now that I've thoroughly confused you, I'll just suggest that you
pick up this book and read what I'm talking about for yourself.
Drawing animals and people is well and good, but they need some manner of background to go into. Landscapes and seascapes themselves can make interesting subjects
in their own right, but how does one go about creating them? Hamm offers a thorough discussion of landscapes and scenery, starting with basic composition notes and
tricks to creating perspective before moving on to trees, rocks, waves, reflections, and other subjects.
Review
Similar in format to Hamm's animal book, I find it just as informative. His emphasis is always on composition and "flow," rather than photographic accuracy; since
the artist is rarely duty-bound to give a precise rendition of a real place, he is willing to move tons of rock around if it improves the composition. Like the previous
Hamm books, it's inspiring just to open it randomly to a section and start reading. Again, I can honestly say that reading this has helped rather than hindered my
questionable artistic skills.
Most working artists will be asked to draw animals, specifically mammals, at some point in their careers. Many pros and amateurs are also attracted to them for their
own sake. Using numerous illustrations and informative text, Hamm offers instructions and pointers to artists seeking to portray mammals accurately.
Review
When I first saw this book many years ago, I was scared off by the large amount of text. Now that I've progressed beyond the basic I Can Draw... and Draw
50... drawing level, I came back to it. I'm glad I did. This is the best book on animal drawing I own. Hamm starts by pointing out universal similarities, such as the
direction of joints, the spine curvature, and the three "sections" of a mammalian body. After some general exercises, he moves on to each specific group, with a certain
amount of progression; lessons learned drawing lions, for instance, help later on in building dogs and bears. I don't read it straight through, but rather pick and choose,
going back often to what I've already read and finding something new and useful each time. This is a great book, which any aspiring artist is advised to get!
