Frazetta

As has been stated many times before, Frank Frazetta is a GOD. The book of his rough sketches, appropriately titled Rough Work, is like liquid gold to me. Just like the old renaissance masters, the rough sketches of a pro are almost more interesting to me than the finished works. I like seeing the different approaches to figuring out an idea at its conception.

One sketch (out of many) caught my eye as a good example of solid drawing principles:

 Pure, solid drawing.

 All lines lead to the head which leads down the arm, then to the arrow point, or the arrow can lead to the head. I think they're both important.

But the overall lines of action are clear.

 In silhouette it's still easily readable as an Indian shooting an arrow, muscles flexing and everything.

I think it's also worth mentioning just how organic all of his stuff is. With the proliferation of anime there seems to be a tendency these days to straighten things out and sharpen corners on the human body (to streamline it):

 

Anime is a style, Frazetta is nature.