Figure It Out: A thin book on Figure Drawing Paperback – May 23, 2015

This book is a great, concise book on how to improve your figure drawing skills.The chapter progression is easy to follow and well thought out. It starts with the basics (high level things to look out for, how to sharpen your charcoal pencil, lines vs tones, etc) and then goes on to general body proportions, bones, muscles, head drawing, and then finally lighting and perspective.Each chapter contains lots of example drawings accompanied by detailed tips and tricks. Anatomy is discussed pretty extensively but not excessively. The focus is on understanding muscles and bones so that it helps you improve your drawing, not for passing an anatomy exam.Highly recommended for anyone looking to get to the next level with their figure drawing. Nothing will replace actual practice (to get better at drawing, you have to.... draw), but the tips in this book will expedite things.

I've gone through a lot of different art books that are either too simple (draw basic shapes) to too complex (pretty much anatomy textbooks). This is one of the first books I've seen that manages to tie the concepts together. If you're just starting, this will be too complex. But if you want to understand how artists think when doing figure drawings, what too look for, and how to apply it, this is the book. There's a lot of figure drawings at all angles to show body landmarks, and how to approach them. It's pretty, much like having an artist looking over your shoulder giving you pointers. I also like that the materials are simple. Just get some charcoal pencils, an eraser, exacto-knife or a box cutter (to sharpen the pencil, and some paper. Keep it simple, and focus on the body.

In this concise and beautifully illustrated reference guide to life drawing, the author has created a work that will be turned to again and again to address questions and problems that are faced when working with the figure. From the basics of how to best hold your pencil, to the complex aspects of how to represent human form including proportion, gesture and anatomy - all are covered in clear, easily understood examples and text. A great tool to improve your life drawing.

This artist learned to draw as a boy copying comic books. All I did was read them.. I think really looking at comic books is how to "figure it out." Get used to seeing dynamic poses and learning basic anatomy at a young age can really affect the course of your life. Some helpful tips but you really have to draw as much as he does to get this good. He draws everywhere.. in restaurants, buses, you name it.

This is a great book, but for whom? Not for those interested in drawings. It contains beautiful hhort pose drawings like the one on the cover, but similar and better can be found online . It is for experienced artists, and the author admits as much. By experienced I mean really experienced and almost as good as the author himself. This can sound misleading, but in most cases the difference between a great draftsman and onw nearly as good is very little, except that it's all the difference on the world. So by experienced I mean pretty good. Having said this, I don't men to imply only the very advanced can learn from it, just that only they will get the best benefit. Novices through intermediate draftsmen can do much better with Loomis and many others.

This is an excellent little book. Though it does not claim to be definitive, it offers some suggestions not offered elsewhere. The wonderful thing is the drawings. If you like the cover drawing you will not be disappointed. It is full of richly modulated short pose charcoal drawings.

Very thin book content compared to other books in the market on the same subject.

An excellent introduction to the basics of figure drawing. Clear, down-to earth insights and techniques. Clear presentation of the principles.