These are some of my favorite anatomy references. I collect anatomy books, so this is by no means a list of everything that I own, but they are the ones that are my recommendations and favorites. A longer list is the Bibliography for my Anatomy for Artists workshops.
Recommended for art students (of any age and experience)
Books
– Anatomy for Sculptors (Zarins)
If you are only going to buy one anatomy book, this is the one. Available in Hardcover, Paperback, and PDF. Significantly cheaper if you buy it directly from the Publisher instead of Amazon.
– Atlas of Human Anatomy (Peck) [Amazon Affiliate]
Of the traditional art anatomy books, this one is a classic, and one of my favorites. Beautiful illustrations and detailed information. My copy is well worn, covered in clay, paint, and ink.
Optional references for advanced studies
– Anatomy of Facial Expression (Zarins)
Available in Hardcover, Paperback, and PDF.
And for the sheer beauty of anatomy and the figure
– Anatomy for the Artist (Simblet) [Amazon Affiliate]
– Anatomy: A Complete Guide for Artists (Sheppard) [Amazon Affiliate]
Online Resources
General Anatomy
- New Masters Academy
- Subscription-based, online education. High quality instruction videos on drawing, sculpting, and painting. If you enjoy the content, I recommend you invest in the life-time subscription.
- Excellent Anatomy for Artist course (17+ hrs) by Rey Bustos (17 hrs), walking through how to create a sculptural ecorche.
- Proko
- Tutorial webinars. High quality production with humor. Includes references, 3D models, videos, animations, and demonstrations. Expensive, but worth it.
- Anatomy of the Human Body Course
Head and Neck Anatomy
- New Masters Academy [subscription]
Study Resources
- Netter’s Anatomy Coloring Book [Amaton Affiliate]
- Netter’s Anatomy Flash Cards [Amazon Affiliate]
- Hosford Muscle Tables [purchase PDF]
- List of all skeletal muscles, origins, insertions, and action
Mobile Applications
- 3D Anatomy for the Artist (http://www.anatomyfortheartist.com/)
- This is the one that I use personally, and for class demonstrations.
- Complete Anatomy (https://3d4medical.com/)
- Overkill. Has the level of detail required for medical use.
- Skelly (https://www.proko.com/skellyapp/)
- Useful tool for posing skeleton and as a visual reference, not for learning anatomy per se.
