Artist Resources
Anatomy for Sculptors
Uldis Zarins with Sandis Kondrats
I own quite a few anatomy books, and none of them come close to this one. This isn't just a guide to human anatomy; it explains how and why the body moves and changes form, highlighting common artist errors and providing guides to help draw the human body correctly.
Everything is clear and colour-coded, showing muscles in groups, and then providing reference photos with 3D overlays.
Anatomy of Facial Expression
Uldis Zarins
Created by the same author as above, this book delves into astounding detail on how facial muscles work. It does get very technical as it lists all the muscle names (and there are so many!) but it's worth digging into for a thorough understanding of the mechanics of the human face.
After detailing the facial muscles, this book shows how they work with each major facial expression, then provides plenty of reference photographs.
Figure Drawing Design and Invention
Michael Hampton
ISBN-13 9780615272818
Life drawing is more than just looking at anatomy reference. This book takes you through understanding the line of action, balance and pose.
While anatomy books show the technical details, this book is a guide on how to bring life to the human form.
Armature Nine
Armature Nine creates incredibly articulated 3D-printed mannequins for artists. I followed their evolution from the original Kickstarter project to their current catalogue, as they made adjustments and improvements to make the most flexible and varied models I've ever seen.
Not only can their human models achieve the most contorted Yoga poses, they also provide bodies and parts for building fantasy creatures.