The human figure is considered one of the most challenging and most satisfying subjects an artist can tackle. No other single subject offers as much opportunity for the artist to study grace, strength, and the power of emotion. And it's no more difficult to learn to capture the human form than it is to learn to capture other subjects. Of course, to draw the figure well, you will have to work at your craft, but we believe you can begin to see satisfying results from the start. Figure drawing is a learnable skill, and it can be easier than you think, especially if your earlier efforts were frustrating.

The key to successfully drawing the human form is to practice one concept at a time, as well as developing an understanding of the form and structure of the human body. This book will help you explore the human form and learn the rules that helped the "masters" produce figure drawings of unforgettable strength and beauty.

We have assembled this book from some of the best teaching available on figure drawing. In the first chapter you will find useful information on materials and basic techniques. The remaining chapters teach the basic principles of rendering the form on paper, capturing gesture, drawing from models, utilizing the rules of proportion, and drawing details, such as hands and facial features. The only additional ingredient you will need is practice and the knowledge that interest and effort overcome any lack of that elusive quality we call "talent."

Introduction

Chapter One: Getting Started

Materials

Notes on Media

Erasing as a Drawing Method

Chapter Two: Gesture

Warming-Up Drawings

Studying Gesture

Gesture Variations

Use Ink and Cotton Swabs

Use the Side of the Charcoal

Mummy Drawing

Weight and Mass Drawing I

Weight and Mass Drawing II

Chapter Three: Seeing

Sighting

Finding the Midpoint

Alignments—Using Plumb and Level

Taking Comparative Measurements

Proportions

Chapter Four: Form

Drawing the Basic Figure

Construction

Movable Parts

Exercise in Motion

Foreshortening

Practical Uses

Definitions

Dos and Don'ts

Chapter Five: Structure

Muscles

Joints

Chapter Six: Details of the Figure

Torso

Key Shapes

Details of the Leg

Details of the Arm

Details of the Hand

Chapter Seven: The Head

Blocking in the Head

The Head in Different Positions

Planes of the Head

Individual Variations

Chapter Eight: Hands

Forms of the Hand

Blocking in the Hand

Humanizing the Block Forms

The Hand from Different Viewpoints

Dos and Don'ts

Index