Figure Drawing for Artists by Steve Huston – Flexibound: 192 pages; Rockport Publishers (Jun 1, 2016) Best SellerThough there are many books on drawing the human figure, none teach how to draw a figure from the first few marks of the quick sketch to the last virtuosic stroke of the finished masterpiece, let alone through a convincing, easy-to-understand method.
Figure Drawing Atelier: An Instructional Sketchbook by Juliette Aristides – Hardcover: 128 pages; Monacelli Studio (Sep 17, 2019) Best Seller Figure Drawing Atelier offers a comprehensive, contemporary twist to the very traditional atelier approach to the methods that instruct artists on the techniques they need to successfully draw and ultimately paint the figure.
How to Draw Portraits in Charcoal Nathan Fowkes – Paperback: 180 pages; Design Studio Press (Nov 30, 2016) Best SellerNathan Fowkes is a world-renowned entertainment and fine artist who has been teaching life drawing, portrait painting, color, and design for the past fifteen years. He studied traditional painting and entertainment design at the prestigious Art Center College of Design and graduated with honors. Currently a conceptual artist for animated films, his clients include DreamWorks, Disney, and Blue Sky; and his film credits include such popular movies as The Prince of Egypt, Spirit, several projects within the Shrek Universe, How to Train Your Dragon, and Puss in Boots.
Classic Human Anatomy in Motion by Valerie L. Winslow – Hardcover: 304 pages; Watson-Guptill (Aug 4, 2015) Best SellerThis essential companion book to the bestselling Classic Human Anatomy provides artists and art students with a deeper understanding of human anatomy and different types of motion, inspiring more realistic and energetic figurative art.
How To Draw Lifelike Portraits From Photographs Paperback: 160 pages; North Light Books; Second edition (Nov 1, 2010) Best SellerFocusing first on individual facial features, you'll follow her easy three-step process for realistically rendering even the most challenging eyes, noses and mouths. From there, you'll use Lee's basic grid techniques to master proportion and put the features together, then gradually blend and shade your way to amazingly lifelike portraits. It's that simple!
Cast Drawing Using the Sight-Size Approach by Darren R. Rousar – Paperback: 116 pages; Velatura Press, LLC (Nov 12, 2007) Best Seller The first book of its kind, Cast Drawing Using the Sight-Size Approach teaches the student a systematic way to meet the challenges of drawing. Traditionally taught in classical art ateliers, Sight-Size is an approach to drawing and painting from life.
Complete Book of Drawing: Essential Skills for Every Artist by Barrington Barber – Paperback: 352 pages; Arcturus Publishing Limited (Jul 15, 2012) What does an artist need to know about drawing? And what has to be mastered in order to achieve the drawings you want? In this book Barrington Barber shows you, offering advice and tips as he takes you through the various stages.
Anatomy for the Artist by Sarah Simblet – Hardcover: 255 pages; DK Publishing; 1st edition (Oct 1, 2001) Best Seller Unlock your inner artist and learn how to draw the human body in this beautifully illustrated art book by celebrated artist and teacher Sarah Simblet.
Drawing Atelier – The Figure: How to Draw in a Classical Style by Steve Huston – Hardcover: 176 pages; North Light Books (Mar 23, 2016) Best Seller Arguably the most challenging of subjects for the artist, the human figure also offers opportunities for works of incredible beauty and complexity. In this book, one of today's leading figurative artists shares techniques and approaches for drawing the human form. With a reverent grounding in the methods of the Old Masters and keen perspective developed over Jon DeMartin's 20+ years of making and teaching art, this comprehensive workshop focuses on the power of line and how it can be used to achieve a convincing sense of dimension and life.
Figure Drawing Master Class: Lessons in Life Drawing by Dan Gheno – Hardcover: 176 pages; North Light Books (Jun 4, 2015) Best Seller Dan Gheno is a New York artist whose work can be found in many private and public collections including the Museum of the City of New York, The New Britain Museum of American Art and the Butler Institute of American Art. He teaches figure drawing and painting at the Art Students League and the National Academy School of Fine Arts, both in New York City and is a professor emeritus at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in Connecticut.
Charles Bargue and Jean-Leon Gerome: Drawing Course by Gerald M. Ackerman, Graydon Parrish, Charles Bargue (Drawings) – Hardcover: 336 pages; Art Creation Realisation; 2nd edition (Oct 31, 2007) Best Seller The Bargue-Gerome Drawing Course is a complete reprint of a famous, late nineteenth century drawing course. It contains a set of almost two hundred masterful lithographs of subjects for copying by drawing students before they attempt drawing from life or nature. Consequently it is a book that will interest artists, art students, art historians, and lovers and collectors of drawings.
Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing From Life: Over 1,000 Illustrations by George B. Bridgman Paperback: 352 pages; Sterling; (Apr 7, 2009) Best Seller The timeless classic on drawing human figures is back! Following impressive runs by Sterling’s previous editions comes a new, redesigned version of George W. Bridgman’s landmark work. It combines six well-known books by the celebrated artist and lecturer, who taught figure and anatomy drawing for many years at New York City’s Art Students League.
Drawing Portraits for the Absolute Beginner by Mark Willenbrink, Mary Willenbrink – Paperback: 128 pages; North Light Books (Jun 15, 2012) Best Seller Open this book as an absolute beginner, and come away as a proud portrait artist!
Art of Drawing People by Debra Kauffman Yaun, William Powell, Ken Goldman, Walter Foster Paperback: 144 pages; Walter Foster Publishing (Apr 1, 2008) Best Seller Packed with practical advice, helpful tips, and fundamental techniques, this comprehensive, 144-page book is an essential resource to which artists of all skill levels will refer again and again.
The Art of Portrait Drawing by Joy Thomas Hardcover: 144 pages; North Light Books (Jun 12, 2006) Learn how to turn what you see into masterful, expressive art. With the practical instruction and advice in these pages, you can develop the skills necessary to draw fine portraits in the realist tradition.
Strokes of Genius: The Best of Drawing (Hardcover) by Rachel Rubin Wolf (Editor) Hardcover: 144 pages; North Light Books (Jul 5, 2007) An incomparable source of inspiration and delight for artists and art lovers, Strokes of Genius contains hundreds of combined years of expertise, artistic breakthroughs and, above all, remarkable drawings that leave a lasting impression.
The Practice and Science of Drawing by Harold, Speed Paperback: 296 pages; Dover Publications; 3rd edition (Sep 1980) Best SellerClassic approach to the dynamics of drawing by brilliant teacher with insights and practical advice on line drawing, mass drawing, visual memory, materials and much more. 84 plates and diagrams reinforce Speeds clear presentation.
How to Draw Heads and Portraits by Jose Maria Parramon Paperback: 111 pages; Watson-Guptill (Oct 1989) In the fifth century B.C., the Greek sculptor Polyclitus studied the ideal proportions of the human body and wrote a treatise called the Canon, in which he established that the height of the ideal human figure should be seven and a half times the vertical length of the head.
You Can Draw by Lon Haverly Designed as a workbook with over 300 illustrations, it is also a literary essay with a stirring challenge to our society to re-think its perception of art and drawing. This book has something for everyone. It is for the person who thought they could not draw. It is for the beginner who wants to learn. It is for the advanced artist who wants to sharpen his skills. It is for the artist who wants to learn more about portrait drawing. It is for the art teacher who wants to enhance their curriculum. It is for a society that has the wrong idea about art. It is for the public and private art class. It is for people who just want to learn on their own. This book reveals the secrets of a successful portrait artist and shows you step-by-step how he does it. This book introduces Lon Haverly's own line first technique and the primary method of learning to draw.
Drawing The Human Form: Methods, Sources, Concepts by William A. Berry Textbook Binding: 306 pages; 2nd edition (Jan 6, 1994) Prentice Hall Focused specifically on drawing methodsrather than stylistic preferencesthis text/workbook presents drawing methods in the form of exercisesdescribing and illustrating each method in terms of student practice, drawing theory, and art historical precedent.
Drawing Expressive Portraits by Paul Leveille Hardcover: 127 pages; North Light Books; 1st edition (Mar 1, 1996) Leveille's easy-to-master techniques and friendly manner take the intimidation out of drawing portraits. This guide encourages students to "forget about creating a likeness," and instead, to concentrate on seeing and drawing the big shapes of dark and light. The likenesses will follow. Includes nine start-to-finish portrait demonstrations.
Basic Figure Drawing Techniques (North Light Basic Painting) by Greg Albert (Editor) 1st Edition, Paperback: 122 pages: North Light Books, 1994 The publisher: Diagrams and illustrations are used to see what happens when the reader chooses a route that enables him or her to draw a figure reasonably well in his or her own way. Albert covers the typical beginning-drawing territory without being too directive. Observation and self-evaluation are urged. Discussion of one's work, Albert says, helps one to evaluate.
How to Draw the Human Figure: Famous Artists School, Step-by-Step Method (Famous Artists School: Step-By-Step Method) by Cortina Famous Schools Staff Paperback: 98 pages; Cortina (Sep 15, 1990) This book introduces you to an exciting approach to figure drawing. It was especially created by a group of America's most eminent artists who have demonstrated the methods they have used in their distinguished careers.You, too, will find that figure drawing is one of the areas of art that can bring you much fun and excitement.
The Craft of Old-Master Drawings by James Watrous Paperback: 184 pages; University of Wisconsin Press; 1st edition (Apr 12, 2002) The materials, tools, and techniques used by Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Picasso, Michelangelo, Holbein, Delacroix . . . Back in print by popular demand, The Craft of Old-Master Drawings is both a useful manual for contemporary artists and a historical work covering the period from the late Middle Ages to the mid-twentieth century. It presents the old masters techniques and provides specific directions for making inks, styluses, reed and quill pens, and fabricated chalks, as well as instructions for preparing grounds for metalpoint drawings. It comprises a body of knowledge that is essential to artists, students of art history, curators, and collectors.
Life Drawing in Charcoal by Douglas R. Graves Paperback: 176 pages; Dover Publications; 2nd revised edition (Nov 4, 1994) Reader review: In this book, however, the author presents an approach of drawing figures using charcoal as medium and using mass (rather than LINES) to achieve the effects. The book is well-written and very readable. I finished the book from cover to cover at one sitting of several hours. To keep it brief and helpful, the following are what covered in the book: 1) Materials 2) Values, tonal masses 3) Figure proportions; male and female distinctions 4) Foreshortening 5) Movement and muscles 6) Different modes of charcoal rendering In my opinion, painters at intermediate and advanced levels may enjoy the book more than beginners. The reason is mainly because "traditional" training usually have beginners learn to achieve likeness using lines (which, by the way, is already hard for a majority of beginners). In this case, the author presents seeing masses, tones, and values as a way to achieve likeness and gesture. Needless to say, this approach is rather familiar to folks who have done some painting in oil.
Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery by Burne Hogarth Paperback: 144 pages; Watson-Guptill Publications; New edition (Oct 1995) Reader review: I can only recommend this book to every artist out there, because it's the only one that covers this very important subject -- how to draw clothed human figure effectively. And not just sitting or posing human figure, but a figure in complex motion.
Realistic Figure Drawing by Joseph Sheppard – Paperback: 136 pages; North Light Books; 1st edition (Mar 1991) An excellent choice to supplement life-drawing instruction in the classroom. Technical information on anatomy, proportion, lighting, weight distribution, and foreshortening is discussed. Beyond this, however, Sheppard shows how to render various figure types and how to capture the figure in motion. The use of a variety of media gives the book an added dimension. Two hundred drawings done in a classical style illustrate the points. They are often accompanied by diagrams to explain the underlying form. The text is informative and written in a way that gives the feeling of having an instructor at hand. Copyright 1991 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Drawing Dynamic Hands by Burne Hogarth Paperback: 144 pages; Watson-Guptill; Reprint edition (Apr 1, 1988)
Expressive Figure Drawing: New Materials, Concepts, and Techniques by Bill Buchman – Paperback: 176 pages; Watson-Guptill (Dec 14, 2010) Throughout the history of art, figure drawing has been regarded as the very foundation of an artist’s education and the center of the art-making process. Bill Buchman’s Expressive Figure Drawing presents the classic fundamentals of this genre, but with a distinctly contemporary twist—celebrating freedom, expressiveness, and creativity.
| Life Drawing for Artists by Chris Legaspi – Paperback: 176 pages; Rockport Publishers (Dec 24, 2019) Best SellerLife Drawing for Artists teaches a contemporary approach to figure drawing that includes both the familiar poses—standing, sitting, lying down—but also how to capture figures in movement and in more dynamic and engaging positions.
Drawing Realistic Pencil Portraits by Justin Maas – Paperback: 128 pages; North Light Books (Jul 16, 2019) Best SellerDrawing is the most essential of all visual arts. Everyone, from sculptors to painters, draws in one form or another. It is also the simplest and most affordable form of artistic expression. All you need is a pencil and paper to make something magical.
Lessons in Masterful Portrait Drawing: A Classical Approach to Drawing the Head by Mau-Kun Yim – North Light Books, Hardcover: 144 pages; Mar 27, 2017 Best Seller Mau-Kun Yim learned to draw as the Old Masters did and believes that to render the essence of life in portrait drawing, one must continue to pursue the old ways. This philosophy and methodology relies on a holistic approach to observation, analysis and critical-thinking honed through time and patience.
Artist's Drawing Techniques Hardcover: 304 pages; DK (Aug 1, 2017) Best Seller Artist's Drawing Techniques is your guide to every aspect of drawing, from choosing a subject to mounting your finished masterpiece. Follow the workshops that teach you more than 80 artist's techniques, including cross-hatching, stippling, blending, and masking using pencil, charcoal, colored pencils, and pastels.
Classic Human Anatomy by Valerie L. Winslow – Hardcover: 304 pages; Watson-Guptill (Dec 23, 2008) Best SellerAfter more than thirty years of research and teaching, artist Valerie Winslow has compiled her unique methods of drawing human anatomy into one groundbreaking volume. This long-awaited book provides simple, insightful approaches to the complex subject of human anatomy,
The Human Figure by John H. Vanderpoel – 144 pages; Dover Publications; 2nd edition (Jun 1, 1958) Best Seller This great classic is still unrivaled for its clear, detailed presentation of thousands of fundamental features of the human figure.
Reader review: One of the finest books available on figure drawing, written by someone who could do it! His advice helps you look at the big picture, rather than getting lost in details. It requires some patience to read, but most worthwhile things do. A real gem!
Albinus on Anatomy by Robert Beverly Hale, Terence Coyle Paperback: 208 pages; Dover Publications; Reprint edition (Jan 1, 1989) Best Seller All 80 of the great 18th-century descriptive anatomists brilliant engravings of the human skeletal and muscular systems. With 80 full-page identification diagrams.
Life Drawing: How To Portray the Figure with Accuracy and Expression by Robert Barrett – 160 pages; North Light Books (Apr 12, 2013) Best Seller Painter, muralist and illustrator Robert Barrett is a professor of visual arts at Brigham Young University. He has exhibited in many art shows around the world and received multiple awards for his work both locally and nationally. His work has been featured in the magazines International Artist, Southwest Art, The Artist's Magazine, American Artist, Communication Arts and Print. Visit his website at http://www.roberttbarrett.com/.
Portrait Drawing by András Szunyoghy – Hardcover: 208 pages; H.F.Ullmann Publishing Gmbh (Oct 15, 2013) Best Seller Graphic artist and painter András Szunyoghy studied at the University of Visual Arts in Budapest, and is now a professor for artistic anatomy at the University of Applied Art, Budapest.
Classical Life Drawing Studio by James Lancel McElhinney, Instructors of the Arts Students League of New York, Will Barnet (Foreword) – Hardcover: 224 pages; Sterling (Aug 3, 2010) Best Seller Classical drawing is staging a comeback. The Art Students League of New York presents a unique and perfect celebration of this revival: a gallery of never-before-published 19th- and 20th-century drawings and invaluable insights from the League's figurative drawing teachers along, with exemplary works by them and their select students.
Figure It Out! Human Proportions by Christopher Hart Paperback: 144 pages; Drawing with Christopher Hart (Mar 4, 2014) Best Seller When the proportions are right, the drawing looks right! Most artists whose work features the human head and figure don't have the time or opportunity to draw directly from models, so it's essential that they acquire the skills and tools to draw them accurately without using direct reference.
Lessons in Classical Drawing: Essential Techniques from Inside the Atelier by Juliette Aristides Hardcover: 208 pages; Watson-Guptill (Nov 15, 2011) Best Seller The practice of drawing
distilled to its essential elements. In this elegant and inspiring primer, master contemporary artist and author Juliette Aristides breaks down the drawing process into small, manageable lessons; introduces time-tested principles and techniques that are easily accessible; and shares the language and context necessary to understand the artistic process and create superior, well-crafted drawings. The companion DVD enclosed inside, beautifully filmed in Florence, Italy, provides real-time drawing lessons so that any gaps in the learning process are filled in with live instruction.
The Artist's Complete Guide to Drawing the Head by William Maughan – Paperback: 160 pages; Watson-Guptill; 1st edition (Jan 1, 2004) Best Seller In this innovative guide, master art instructor William Maughan demonstrates how to create a realistic human likeness by using the classic and highly accurate modeling technique of chiaroscuro (Italian for "light and dark") developed by Leonardo da Vinci during the High Renaissance. Maughan first introduces readers to the basics of this centuries-old technique, showing how to analyze form, light, and shadow; use dark pencil, white pencil, and toned paper to create a full range of values; use the elements of design to enhance a likeness; and capture a sitter's gestures and proportions. He then demonstrates, step by step, how to draw each facial feature, develop visual awareness, and render the head in color with soft pastels.
The Language of Drawing: From an Artists Viewpoint by Sherrie Mcgraw – Paperback: 209 pages; Bright Light Publishing (Mar 30, 2005) Honored with numerous awards, McGraw's work has earned inclusion in notable collections throughout the world. In her role as instructor, McGraw has taught at the Art Students League of New York, the Loveland Academy in Colorado, the Fechin Institute in New Mexico, the Scottsdale Artists School in Arizona, and the Coppini Institute and the Fredericksburg Artists School in Texas.
Classical Drawing Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice by Juliette Aristides Hardcover: 160 pages; Watson-Guptill (Oct 13, 2006) An atelier program between the covers of a book Serious techniques for the serious art student Study the work of the Old Masters and todays top realist artists In the tradition of Watson-Guptills classic Drawing Lessons from the Old Masters
Aclassic Drawing Lessonsand now that educational model is experiencing a renaissance. These studios, a return to classical art training, are based on the nineteenth-century model of teaching artists by pairing them with a master artist over a period of years. Students begin by copying masterworks, then gradually progress to painting as their skills develop. Classical Drawing Atelier is an atelier in a bookand the master is Juliette Aristides, a classically trained artist. On every page, Aristides uses the works of works of Old Masters and todays most respected realist artists to demonstrate and teach the principles of realist drawing and painting, taking students step by step through the learning curve yet allowing them to work at their own pace. Unique and inspiring, Classical Drawing Atelier is a serious art course for serious art students.
Mastering Drawing The Human Figure From Life, Memory, Imagination by Jack Faragasso Paperback: 256 pages; Stargarden Press; 1st edition (Jan 1, 2004) Reader review: Let me say first that I am highly predjudiced in favor of this book. Also, learning to draw is DIFFICULT for most of us!! I had the good fortune to study with Mr. Faragasso about 20 years ago at the Art Students League. My father studied with Frank Reilly and Mr. Faragasso was one of his classmates. After so many years as a professional painter I can say that the knowledge that he gave to me has served me well. I am so grateful that all of this information has been assemled in one book for all to benefit from.It is also woderful that the information has been preserved (none of us are getting any younger!). The planes are clearly explained. They relate to the structures which underlie them, therefore they can be a bit challenging. However, that IS our anatomy and it is what we have to learn in order to move forward and learn to really SEE and UNDERSTAND what we are seeing. This book will be a classic.
Anatomy Lessons from the Great Masters by Robert Beverly Hale, Terence Coyle Hardcover: 271 pages; Watson-Guptill (Dec 1977) Note: Robert Beverly Hale is a former director of the Metropolitan Museum and a portrait of him can be found on Daniel Greene's web site. This classic book, whose foremost author was one of the great artistic anatomy teachers of the twentieth century, is an invaluable instructor and reference guide for any professional, amateur, or student artist who depicts the human form. Revealing the drawing principles behind one hundred inspiring masterpieces, the book presents work by Leonardo, Michelangelo, Rubens, Raphael, Titian, Rembrandt, and other greats. These superb portrayers of figures knew that the secret of drawing them was seeing how underlying bone and muscle structures mold the body's surface forms. Readers are shown how to learn from these great examples as the authors guide them through all the steps they would take in a life class or studio working with live models.
Master Class in Figure Drawing by Robert Beverly Hale Paperback: 144 pages; Watson-Guptill Publications; Reprint edition (Sep 1991) Note: Robert Beverly Hale is a former director of the Metropolitan Museum and a portrait of him can be found on Daniel Greene's web site. I have few figure drawing books that I feel compleatly happy with and this one is the best. It shows you how the masters worked with simple shapes, line, value, mass, and anatomy to represent the figure. It breaks up the chapters into body parts and each chapter deals with that specific part. By presenting works of master artists and disecting them you understand how the human form works and can be expressed. I would reccomend this book to anyone interested in drawing the figure, especially beginers.
Keys to Drawing by Bert Dodson Paperback: 224 pages; North Light Books; Reprint edition (Jun 1990) Reader review: One of the especially helpful bits about the book is that it encourages the development of self-evaluation right from the start. This means that the things one needs to think about when drawing become internalised that much quicker. It really helps the budding artist to become much more self-reliant and less dependent on others for insight into how they are doing.
Secrets to Drawing Realistic Faces by Carrie Stuart Parks – Paperback: 144 pages; North Light Books; 1st edition (Mar 2003) Artist Parks claims that even beginners can draw faces realistically by perceiving proportions and accurately rendering, via facial mapping, the features that make one face distinct from another. In Secrets to Drawing Realistic Faces, the author isolates individual features for detailed examination, using many black-and-white drawings to illustrate a range of techniques. Her useful and far-ranging discussion of materials includes an evaluation of pencils' graphite grades, kneaded and electric erasers, blending tools, and papers. Whitney Scott Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Drawing a Likeness by Douglas R. Graves Paperback: 176 pages; Watson-Guptill; New edition (Mar 1984) Reader review: The artist indeed has a true grasp on how to draw the portrait. He gives several very detailed step-by-step lessons, which are very helpful. He also illustrates and explains to the reader things like: the different shapes of the head, feature placement, and more. He makes a sincere attempt to educate to the artist on what the face is about.
The Big Book of Drawing and Painting the Figure by Muntsa Calibo I Angrill, Muntsa C. Angrill Paperback (Oct 1995) Watson-Guptill Publications Reader review: Strong examples, inspiring, and well thought out. The book gives a nice historic summary. Overall, the book is much better than most "series" books. Good for beginners to figure drawing.
The Art of Figure Drawing by Clem Robins Paperback: 144 pages; North Light Books (Jan 10, 2003) From classic figure drawing flows a complete vocabulary of skilled techniques basic to visual art. Robins' guide considers the elements– line, light and shade, mass, texture, foreshortening, and more–using basic geometric shapes to achieve accurate renderings of the nude human figure.
His explanation of equilibrium and center of gravity as applied to figure drawing is particularly helpful to the novice exploring this essential foundational skill, and the index makes for user-friendliness. Whitney Scott Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Sight-Size and the Art of Seeing NTSC; Mar 20, 2008; 75 minutes The Sight-Size approach to drawing and painting is traditionally learned through cast drawing. For those who prefer to be taught through sight and sound, the DVD Sight-Size and the Art of Seeing presents the complete cast drawing instruction described in its companion volume, Cast Drawing Using the Sight-Size Approach. Also on the DVD is a section discussing some of the history of Sight-Size.
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