The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing: A Contemporary Master Reveals the Secrets of Drawing the Human Form

by Anthony Ryder

Book Overview

Many of us want to learn "how to draw." But as artist Anthony Ryder explains, it's much more important to learn what to draw. In other words, to observe and draw what we actually see, rather than what we think we see. When it comes to drawing the human figure, this means letting go of learned ideas and expectation of what the figure should look like. It means carefully observing the interplay of form and light, shape and line, that combine to create...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0823003035
• ISBN13: 9780823003037
• Release Date: June 1999
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 1.17 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.2" x 10.8"

Customer Reviews

Beautiful people, beautiful pictures.

If you are looking for an introductory book to ease you into being a whiz in life class, this is not it.The techniques described are time-consuming and require a steady eye and hand - not something the average beginner has a lot of, with five or twenty minute poses and a wobbly easel.But if you can get a model to hold the same pose for hours, possibly over several sessions, and you have some experience in figure drawing, then you may find this book extremely valuable.Anthony Ryder talks the reader through the techniques, step by detailed step, aiming for understanding rather than slavish repetition. His method is logical and elegant, and if understood and practised, may result in some extremely good drawings.Don't expect overnight success, however - there is a lot that is required before you can even start with this book. You'll need to know basic techniques with your media, be able to judge angles and proportions, have a good understanding of anatomy, and probably be able to handle a model in adopting the same pose session after session.There is a good reason why most of the drawings in this book are of reclining models. Standing poses simply cannot be held for the amount of time it takes to achieve the same results. You'll need at least half an hour just to achieve the basic outline, probably more.But having said all of the above, I must now state that this book is proof positive that Ryder's techniques work, are reproducible and can result in images of stunning beauty.You still have to select a model and a pose, and this is another basic skill required, but Ryder is obviously a master at this, and the book is filled with drawings of the nude that are simply breathtaking in their beauty. Model, pose, arrangement and execution are all perfect. Classically elegant.This is a book that rewards the eye as much as the mind, and it is a feast for both. If you aspire to greatness in your figure drawing, then buy this book, study it, and apply the lessons.Recommended for artists of moderate experience. Highly recommended.

An Approach to Drawing

Although I wouldn't recommend Ryder's book to be the very first instruction book to use if you're just beginning to learn to draw, it definitely should be the second one. (If you're just starting to learn to draw realistically, I would recommend beginning with a book like Edwards' "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain," which, despite flaws, can give you faster results and motivate you to keep drawing.) Ryder doesn't say much more than the bare essentials about nuts-and-bolts technical matters (like what sort of pencils to use, etc.), but rather concentrates on describing a general approach to drawing- how to look at your model and transfer what you see to the paper. He does this with an economy of style that can get dense at times, but at the same time he avoids talking down to you or trying to make good drawing seem easier than it is. As he repeatedly emphasizes, it can take many hours of persistence and re-working to make a good drawing (or even a mediocre one if you're a beginner), and in fact it is that persistence- rather than some special ability- that makes it possible to draw well. Too many "teach yourself to draw" books aim you toward producing cartoonish or soft-focus drawings like you can buy from that guy with a portrait booth in the mall. The excellence of Ryder's drawings- which, as other reviewers have noted, are worth the price of the book by themselves- show that he probably has more important things to say and higher goals than most authors of art instruction books. Even if you don't understand everything right away, this books rewards re-reading as you progress and get a better hand-on sense the issues and techniques of drawing that Ryder talks about.

THE definitive work on quality figure drawing!

As a practicing artist I have to say that this is the finest book of its kind I've come across. If you are serious about taking a traditional approach to figure drawing and want to produce artwork of the finest quality, this is the book to look at. If you just want to learn to do quick sketches then you might look elsewhere, since the approach discussed is time-consuming and painstaking. But it is THE way to go if you are serious about fine art. If I was only allowed to have one book on my shelf this would be it.

Beginners to expect some learning curve. Great book though!

I just finished reading this book at one sitting of several hours straight. It is a great book, and without any hesitation, I'd like to give it a FIVE-STAR. The following are my opinions to readers who have not read the book. These opinions are NOT based on beautiful works presented in the book, although they are also a strength of this book.1) I enjoy a lot the method presented by Mr. Ryder. Incidentally, it is also my approach in life figure drawing. To me, this approach is very NATURAL and INTUITIVE, and largely based on the artist's OBSERVATIONS of the objects. This may be the key to the approach, as the author emphasized not on "how to draw", but more on "WHAT TO DRAW".2) Figure-drawing beginners, who expect to learn from the book how to use simplified 3D shapes, such as an egg (for the head) or deformed cylinders (for torsos, limbs, etc...), will NOT see those techniques in this book. Instead, they may find it NOT TOO EASY to learn the "block-in", "contour", and "drawing the inside" presented in the book. A learning curve is expected, but in the end, it will pay off when this approach has been mastered. Readers who follow this approach would be able to draw "what they see" in a very natural manner (like a pro artist!)3) I enjoy most the chapter about shading. In my humble opinion, however, it will be the most challenging task for beginners to distiguish and render different shading shapes and tones.4) Keen observations seem to come naturally in the so-called "borned artists". For the rest, it takes practice. This is a good guideline for any of us artists (borned or not) who would like to sharpen our observational skills in drawing such complex (yet intriguing) objects as human figures.

The Best How To Draw Book

Tony's book The Artists Complete Guide to Figure Drawing is full of beautiful illustrations and directions on how to draw the human form. It's written in a way that makes it easy to visualize what he's teaching. This book is really a treasure I find myself referring back to it all the time. The instrucions are specific the steps are methodical. Its easy to understand but it does take practice. I really love the way Tony illustrates how to draw the human figure and fill in with specific directions to complete a beautifuly renderded form. His examples and metaphores are unique. I can actually pretend that I'm in class and hear his voice.The drawings are incredible there is something new to discover every time you turn the page.This book is the best I've read on how to. It's a must in every students library and it's worth every penny.Thank you Tony for a great book.