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| Force: Dynamic Life Drawing for Animators, Second Edition | 
 enlarge | Author: Mike Mattesi
Publisher: Focal Press
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $19.77
You Save: $10.18 (34%)
Buy New/Used from $18.75
Avg. Customer Rating:  (23 reviews)
Sales Rank: 9215
Languages: English (Original Language), German (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 248
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.8
Dimensions (in): 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.6
ISBN: 0240808452
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.018
EAN: 9780240808451
ASIN: 0240808452
Publication Date: September 22, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 This is what I was missing.. August 5, 2007
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
I have been illustrating professionally for 15 years. I am self taught, meaning I rely on books and the advice of my peers.
I've always noticed there was some elusive thing that was usually missing from my figure drawings that made them less dynamic. Burne Hogarth's books were very helpful, as in Dynamic Figure Drawing (Practical Art Books). But they didn't teach me how to get into the flow. How to make them go POW!!
Remember those John Buscema roughs in How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way? I used to think that his talent was the ONLY thing that made his work so forceful. This book gives you the direction to feel out these forces and shapes. I used to think that these things couldn't be taught.
When Mr. Mattesi's lessons click in your brain, you are truly feeling this power.
For me it makes all the difference in the world.
Brian LeBlanc
Big, Awesome. March 2, 2007
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
The way the examples are drawn in the book is through beautiful sweeping gestures, all of them very full of motion. The book contains very little analysis of the body's physical presence, but this is not a downside at all. Mattesi emphasizes the balance and weight and volume of the form instead of going back to the dreary analysis of human biology (completely necessary to know)that is in so many of my other books.
I wouldn't recommend it for the FIRST life drawing or figure drawing book, but perhaps after a year or so of study of muscular structure.
For the price, this book is huge, and an amazing deal. A must-have for any figurative artist or animator.
Mattesi is a pro. February 18, 2007
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
This book definitely is an off-shoot of James McMullan's High Focus approach to drawing, although Mattesi discusses many of his own concepts as well. It is similar to High Focus in that it teaches its readers: to see the figure as being made up of three dimensional forms, to use the all important hierarchical approach, NOT to just copy the figure using measurements and negative space estimations, to feel the forms as they are being drawn, and view drawing as a very interactive experience. It is different from McMullan's approach in that Mattesi strongly emphasizes the importance of finding directional and applied "forces" (hence the name) throughout the figure. This becomes a very important concept for animators because of the nature of animating. In the figure drawings, the forces, the squashes, and the stretches are all exagerated, just as an animator has to exagerate his or her key drawings in this manner. Also, the drawings in the book tend to reflect Mattesi's background in animation, whereas McMullan's drawings are more realistic. I believe this book is written specifically for animators. However, the classically trained artist has much to learn from this book as well.
A must have February 12, 2007
8 out of 8 found this review helpful
This is an essential book to have if you're drawing characters. The book is very well structured with a logic progression. The explanations given by the author are clear and make you understand what rule is employed to render vivid and dynamic motions. I must also aknowledge the style of M. Mattesi; it is the best in all the anatomy and drawing books (I personally hate the style of Burne Hogarth who is unfortunately still seen as a reference).
I'm using this book a lot and even offered it to my 10 years old nephew who doesn't read english. It didn't matter since the drawings are self-explanatory. He enjoyed it and uses it constantly.
Invaluable! January 24, 2007
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I was in search of a good figure drawing book with an emphasis on animation and comics and this one caught my eye. After reading through, practicing the techniques and understanding them, I'm convinced that this is the most invaluable book I have in my large collection of art books.
This book completely changed the way I draw. I've been drawing seriously for roughly 10 years and once the ideas in this book clicked, it made me feel as if I'd been drawing the wrong way for all those years. Well worth the 17 bucks or whatever it was I payed for it.
I wouldn't recommend this book to beginners however. It's not really a how to draw or a book that covers basic proportion and anatomy issues. For somebody to get the most out of this book, I think they'd need to have a solid grasp on anatomy and fundamental drawing techniques. On the other hand, a beginner may benefit from this book simply from a gesture standpoint.
Easily a 5 out of 5 for me.
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