Drawing the Head and Figure

Drawing the Head and Figure
Average customer rating:

Comic book, manga, fine artists - LISTEN UP!

A Slim Volume, But Densely Packed with Knowledge

Easy to follow step-by-step guide

I'm not an artist, but.....my daughter is.

Packed full of information and illustrations

Drawing the Head and Figure
Jack Hamm
Manufacturer: Perigee Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Figure Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Drawing Scenery: Landscapes and Seascapes

How to Draw Animals

Cartooning the Head and Figure

How to Draw the Human Figure: Famous Artists School, Step-by-Step Method (Famous Artists School : Step-By-Step Method)

Perspective Made Easy

ASIN: 0399507914

Customer Reviews:

Comic book, manga, fine artists - LISTEN UP!.......2007-08-08

If Amazon had a 6 star rating, I'd give it.

I had initially dismissed Mr. Hamm's book on drawing the human figure because of its small size. I had assumed a book with about 100 pages would only cover the basics and ignore the finer aspects of figure drawing.

Imagine my shock (not to mention shame) when I finally sat down and went through it to discover how much the book really covers. No space is wasted in the layout, as every available inch is filled with information.

The illustrations are very clear(unlike Bridgman)and the text supplements them perfectly (unlike Hogarth). Bones, tendons, and ligaments are not overshadowed in importance by muscles - something I see in a lot of other books. Surface anatomy is stressed in this book. Knowing how every muscle looks by itself is useless unless you can also render the bones and other anatomical aspects that are present on the body surface(i.e. kneecaps, ribs, collarbones, elbows, etc. Many anatomy books just give you generic heads as examples. Mr. Hamm's book has TONS of variations of both male and female heads. Those of you who want a little variety in your people, this is for you!

This book will become a permanent desktop fixture(as is mine) for the fine artist or comic book artist. Even you, manga fans! I've flipped through much of the horrendously overpriced "How to draw manga" books pertaining to anatomy and let me tell you, they don't even compare. Any artist can use the raw information in this book and twist it to meet his or her own style. If you want to really know the body's features this book will help you learn it from the inside out.

I've got a challenge for you - sit down with this book and count how many times you hear yourself say "Oh, so THAT'S how it works!" You'll be surprised (not to mention humbled) at just how much you don't know. Because honestly, who DOESN'T want to know just how many bone projections there are on the human elbow?

In short? Buy this book. If you don't have enough money, then sell a kidney. Pick bottles. DO SOMETHING!

A Slim Volume, But Densely Packed with Knowledge.......2007-08-08

Don't be fooled into thinking that this book is just "another" book for the beginning artist - there is plently here for novice and veteran alike. In Drawing the Head and Figure, Jack Hamm has produced an essential, encyclopedic volume that will show you how to accurately draw the anatomical details that will take your drawings from ordinary to insightful. Hamm proves himself to be an expert of anatomy in this work, ably showing how to draw and detail some of the most difficult body parts to get right. I am continuously impressed by the depth of this book and how helpful it is. It does have its off points - Hamm's section on drawing clothing is less than impressive, and his section on drawing hands isn't particularly helpful; additionally, the clothing and hairstyles that Hamm uses as examples demonstrates the age of this book (although this is more of a superficial point). All in all, a superb resource that the artist will find himself or herself returning to again and again. Highly recommended.

Easy to follow step-by-step guide.......2007-06-26

.
Jack Hamm's book is a revelation for both accomplished and novice artists. The first section of the book is the face. These are the dominant parts of the face, and you need to practice each of them. Imagine learning to draw the head - perfectly - in 6 steps. This section includes construction through double circles, the front view - even accents through a flattened pencil. Practice, practice, practice -- that is the biggest key to improving your art.

Once you have mastered just the head, Hamm guides you through shaping the eyes to fit the face you have sketched. Create dimensions with shading. Next, you can learn to draw the parts of the female mouth, which are similar to, but different from, the male mouth. Why? Study the faces of the men and women around you - you can see that some lips are full, some wide, some pressed tight, some open and warm. In the 40's the valentine mouth was popular, now we look to beauties like Angelina Jolie who would look silly with a perky little valentine lips. Study your characters.

However, noses are the same, on the female they tend to be smaller, and fewer have sustained breaks in the growing up years. You can build the nose with very few lines; the more lines, the more prominent the nose will be. Do not forget the ears. Some are shells while others are wings, or so it seems.

Hair has texture and natural fall to it. Is it curly, does it stick out all over, is the head bald or with a comb over? Hamm's book helps you see hair so that you can then draw it. Remember it has many strands or lines.

This is just a quick summation of the book; filled with interesting writing and incredible images. If you want to draw figures, this is a must.

I'm not an artist, but.....my daughter is........2007-06-06

I bought this book for my daughter (a tattoo artist), and her drawings of people improved so dramatically (overnight)that even I noticed.
In her opinion, this book is excellent for learning to draw human figures.

Packed full of information and illustrations.......2007-01-13

Though maybe packed a little too much with stuff; it's up to the reader to find some order among all the arrows, side-bars, comments, etc. It would probably have been better, also, to save the hyper-detail on drawing eyes and ears until after the discussion on drawing basic figures and sketches.

Nevertheless, an excellent book for beginners, as are all of Hamm's books. Contrary to what some self-proclaimed experts may tell you ("Don't bother with how-to-draw books; just go out there and draw. If you can't seem to get the hang of it, it means you're not an artist,"), instructional books on drawing ARE necessary for the beginner. Many of the best-known illustrators out there praise the works of Jack Hamm and Andrew Loomis, and have testified to their necessity when they were first learning to draw.)

Average customer rating:

The greatest intoduction to CARTOONING ever written
Effective and Enjoyable
Great book
Excellent!
A must for people learning illustration

Cartooning the Head and Figure
Jack Hamm
Manufacturer: Perigee Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Drawing the Head and Figure
How to Draw Animals
Drawing Scenery: Landscapes and Seascapes
How To Draw Caricatures
Big Book of Cartooning

ASIN: 0399508031

Customer Reviews:

The greatest intoduction to CARTOONING ever written.......2006-12-14

"Cartooning the Head & Figure" --by Jack Hamm

Artist and Christian minister Jack Hamm passed from this world at the age of 81. He illustrated the notable cartoon strip characters "BUGS BUNNY" and "ALLEY OOP" early in his career as an artist. He wrote and illustrated over 25 books on drawing. He pioneered an early TV show on drawing instruction in the Dallas/Houston Texas area.

I admit I am not an expert on fine art, but after reviewing many books which teach beginners HOW-TO-DRAW, it is my sincere opinion that Jack Hamm is the finest instructor America ever produced. Hamm almost never composed text, or used wordy explanations about drawing something. Hamm drew you a picture or series of pictures and showed how it might be done. He did not do this ..."sometimes" in his books. Hamm did this ALL THE TIME, whether it was cartoon figures, seascapes, landscapes, or drawing the human figure.

That is why any effort to list all the contents of his book, "CARTOONING THE HEAD & FIGURE" staggers the human imagination. I might be sitting at the computer for several hours, just listing the contents. Hamm shows how to draw every possible human emotion. Pages 22 & 23 alone are specific instructions in how to draw particular parts of the face to yield a human feeling.

The amazing thing is, Hamm is offering a book not only that adults can use; rather, Hamm is offering a book that CHILDREN can use. This book is in a class by itself, just as is Hamm's classic on drawing the human figure. Hamm's books are one of the richest treasures ever produced on American soil.

Effective and Enjoyable.......2006-11-05

We learn to draw for several reasons. Animation, 3D modeling, illustration, painting, draw cartoons, write comics books..or just for the fun of it..and we stumble into cartooning sooner or later.

In order to use something, first of all we need trust, and we should try honestly. couple of years back after buying this book, and after spending some time trying to copy some of the drawings, I put it aside saying this is for some non serious people. I went on to learn from Kimon Nicholaides, Glenn Vilppu, Loomis and the lot.. true life drawing though challenging can be rewarding. It was a difficult path, consumed lot of time, but grew my confindence.

The key is confidence. getting rid of that shakiness, the doubt about the "correctness" and so on..and quite frankly practice is the only tool that will build us confidence.
Kimon's book taught that. just boldly and confidently scribble your way to learn drawing. mistakes after mistakes takes us closer to where we want to go,and one fine day we would have shaken off all that doubt and our pencils will start drawing what we want them to.
Glenn Vilppu is another master teacher, his DVDs and his Drawing manual are Gems! you can spend that money just to learn how to hold that pencil properly..seriously.

Recently I dusted out 'Cartooning the Head and Figure' from my closet, and boy! I found a treasure. this book is so densely made, it needs some real overall plan of approach to make good use of it. Plenty of step by step approaches to achieve individual results are presented.

It has all that you ever need to create your cartoons. and so simply and clearly made.

We just need to spend time at each step. practise.practise.practise..and one can very quickly gain confidence in cartooning. When Jack presents us a 100 different noses, we need to *use* them on our own figure.. when he presents us countless numer of expressions, we need to *build* them on our own figure.

The large collection of different artifacts needed .. heads,eyes, brows, eyeglasses,noses, mouth, moustaches, hats,hairstyles, expressions, heads,hands,feets,bodytypes,dresses.. Wow!! It is truley encyclopedic in some sense. We just need to *use* them properly to learn it all.

I would suggest that we should prepare our own sets of exercises based on our interests, maybe develop a set of characters, first just the face and then apply all these to them, example, create a character..with specific headtype,eyes, nose mustache etc.. and then apply those endless expressions on them.. amazing, how effective and enjoyable this book becomes.

The key is to study the drawings to seek the differences in styles, expressions and to effectively apply them. There is no copying..only analysing and re constructing..

Nowadays I keep this book at my bedside, and before going to sleep,draw a few based on this book. so much fun!

Great book.......2004-09-17

Learning to cartoon and draw caricatures can be a daunting task, but the late Jack Hamm makes it all come together. From dozens and dozens of facial expressions and basic anatomy, animation and advertising, even political and editorial cartoons, the artist takes you step by step the world of drawing "funny pictures". Regardless of style or genre there is plenty to learn here.

Excellent!.......2004-09-08

I own most of Mr. Hamm's books now and all of them are excellent.

Some caution though for comic book artists wannabes, this book
doesn't teach you action oriented cartoons. Get "Action!
Cartooning" by Ben Caldwell instead.

However, Mr. Hamm's book is a classic because it's not just a
how-to book but rather a book founded on good art principles
considering Mr. Hamm isn't just a "cartoonist" but a true
artist.

Get this book! You won't be disappointed.

A must for people learning illustration.......2004-05-04

I think I've read this book more than 100 times. It is one of my favorite references for illustrating the human figure.

Figure Drawing for All It's Worth (How to draw and paint)

Average customer rating:

This book is not for beginners....
Considered one of the best-ever on figure drawing
An unsung classic
All you need is Loomis!
Simply The Best

Figure Drawing for All It's Worth (How to draw and paint)
Andrew Loomis
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Drawing: The Head (HT197)
Drawing: Figures in Action (HT191)
Heads, Features and Faces
The Human Figure
Sargent Portrait Drawings: 42 Works by John Singer Sargent (Dover Art Library)

ASIN: 067031255X

Customer Reviews:

This book is not for beginners...........2006-09-14

This book is more of a high intermediate to advanced level book in which Loomis shows you a somewhat elaborate construction process to building the figure primarily from life. He really misses the gesture + building form portions which are the most important, with the exception of passively mentioning in a couple sentences that its important you 'feel' it.

All the Loomis books I feel are purely mechanical in nature with the exception of Fun With a Pencil. If you really need to refine your mechanics AFTER you've acquired the natural element to drawing this text is very valuable. Examples of beginner texts include the Vilppu Drawing Manual, Nicolaides' Natural Way to Draw, and Edwards' Drawing on The Right Side of the Brain. In order to do drawing you need core elements like a scaling element, feeling/ building form element, etc. which all the above mentioned texts are best in giving.

Considered one of the best-ever on figure drawing.......2006-09-11

...and it's an intermediate-level classic! As I understand it, this book went out of print sometime during the 1980's- which was before my time in art school and before the Internet came into popular use. A number of my art instructors had recommended this book, yet at that time I couldn't get my hands on a copy. Now that the Internet is up and running (thanks!), word has spread pretty quickly, and you'd think it wouldn't be hard to keep this thing in print. Many professionals *today* cite this book as being an inspiration in their work. It's 9" x 12" and 204 pages- which is very different looking than his slim & tall Walter Foster collections. Its content is similar to Willy Pogany's The Art of Drawing, and Jack Hamm's excellent Drawing the Head and Figure- very much a classic, mid-20th century style. In any case, this is an *intermediate-level effort* on drawing figures from memory & life, geared towards people aspiring to a career in professional illustration. Included within is his famous *ball/sphere-based* method of head construction, but it's in an abbreviated form here- His Heads collection for Walter Foster really does a *much* better, in-depth job of covering this particular area. Still, Loomis here shows how all figures can be constructed using simplified forms & shapes- He constantly emphasizes how these figures can be placed in perspective, and then rendered to a professional degree. He's very three dimensional in his approach, yet his drawings are mainly realistic looking. This is in great contrast to Burne Hogarth's excellent style, which is also very three dimensional- yet the drawings in Dynamic Figure Drawing are highly stylized in exaggerated 3-D, for exceedingly precise understanding of foreshortening. Loomis' work is *far* more natural & direct; it's especially great for life drawing and commercial illustration- definitely worth considering! P.S. In these pages (p.65)- Loomis himself recommends the excellent books by George Bridgman- certainly a great idea!

An unsung classic .......2004-11-20

Everybody that does or aspires to draw the human figure from imagination, not particularly from live study, should run, not walk, to get this book. A long time secret classic for people working with cartoons, concept art, character design and so forth. If you think you are covered because you got Burne Hogarth's books on the human figure, think again. Not to dis Hogarth, but this one is the real thing.

All you need is Loomis!.......2004-04-14

This book left me speechless. There's not enough stars in the ratings for me to express to you just how great this book is. And the strange thing is, no matter in which branch of art you work, you'll feel as though Andrew Loomis wrote this book just for you.

If you're serious about your art, be you illustrator, comic book artist, animator, fashion designer, or even a games designer, you need to have this book in your library. The text and illustration work together to take you on an odyssey of discovery, a thousand and one techniques that will make your life easier, and your art so much better.

The original was printed in 1943 and has come to be recognised as the bible of figure artists. Although it's out of print now, you can still find a number of great condition reprints. Get one! Keep it by the drawing board and you'll never again be stuck on how to draw a figure, work with horizon lines, and place figures in space so that they relate perfectly to each other and their surroundings.

Ignore the price and get one ASAP. Don't eat for a couple of weeks if needs be, but acquire a copy of this book as soon as you find one.

I'm off to read mine now. You guys don't know what you're missing!

Simply The Best.......2004-02-23

I wish there were 10 stars.

Having stood the test of time, it was first published in the 30's, this book teaches you all that is there to figure drawing.

Andrew Loomis is one of those rare, gifted artists who can articulate as clearly and truthfully using words as he could with lines.

Using very simple tools to define the structure of the human body, essentially the skeleton as the foundation, he teaches how fantastically easy it is to draw the human body from any angle, in any action, and of any type.

This is not one of those 'feel good' books that teaches you to do 'yet another thing'. This is a grand text. absolutely dedicated work, you can see the earnestness in Loomis' anxious words about getting across the details to the reader.

Kimon's 'Natural Way to Draw' is a classic in a different way, where he asks us to discover almost everything. Loomis gives us the crutches. I think a combination of these two approaches can be terrific. thats what I am finding out.

It has been very fullfilling , since I can pick up the artifacts of drawing the figure, and infact drawing anything for that matter, Loomis will lead you to explore and expand, the techniques are amazingly simple, yet absolutely powerful.

He reiterates to see the structure beneath anything, the skeleton, and how it aids us in construction.

Note: the book is out of print, but several online versions are scattered across the Net.

Henry Yan's Figure Drawing, Techniques and Tips
Average customer rating:

A required reference work on the figure for your growth and development!

A master class in figurative drawing

Wonderful and inspiring book!

The difference between art and replica

wonderful artwork !!

Henry Yan's Figure Drawing, Techniques and Tips
Henry Yan
Manufacturer: Aardvark Global Publition
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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John Singer Sargent: Figures and Landscapes, 1874-1882; Complete Paintings: Volume IV (John Singer Sargent)

ASIN: 1427610231

Product Description

This book is focused on various techniques and styles in drawing human figures and portraits. The book has 192 pages, each page includes one or more figure/head drawings done from live models. There are about 20 step-by-step demonstrations from detailed and traditional approaches to fast and painterly styles. Along with the step-by-step demonstrations and examples, the book is filled with detailed description of methods of using charcoal pencil, vine charcoal and compressed charcoal. The text also includes opinions, tips, ways of thinking and observing. It's a book that will benefit both beginners and advanced learners.

Customer Reviews:

A required reference work on the figure for your growth and development!.......2007-08-30

Henry's book opened up a new world of drawing to me and looks to be - regardless of price - the deal of the century given what some works of similar cost offer the reader or artist.

Henry's astounding level of line quality, and his ability to see - in an elegant way - what should be recorded on the page set his work and this collection of his drawings apart. While they are different in many ways, I put this book up with my Burton Silverman books as an oft' considered reference. Amazing and wonderful just to leaf through.. and fantastic as a learning tool! A Classic!

A master class in figurative drawing.......2007-06-19

As one of the great draughtsman and artists of our time, Mr. Yan has compiled a book which really encapsulates what figure drawing should be all about.
A beautifully laid out book, Mr. Yan covers in a thoughtful and methodical way how to approach drawing the figure in several of the major classical styles, his thought process and step by step instructions on how to do so.
In saying that, his work transcends mere technique and has an energy that comes from being truly free to express one's self. He provides you the tools to do this, the rest is up to you!

Wonderful and inspiring book!.......2007-06-11

I bought this book as a gift to my father, Francisco Lopes. His opinion about it is:
"This is a book that inspires the artist to express in his drawings a sense of living energy to the figure. You should have Henry Yan's book in your library even if you are a professional artist or not. It is an important and complete course of charcoal drawing."

The difference between art and replica.......2007-06-10

I have been studying figurative art for several years and own most of the figurative books on the market. The difference between other books and Mr. Yan's book is that other books teach you how to copy the figure where as Mr. Yan's book show you how to create figurative art. The powerful drawings in this book make me think about values in a new way. If you are into figurative drawings, this book is a must have.

wonderful artwork !!.......2007-06-07

Henry Yan's figure drawing gives you a great approach on how to work with lines, proportions and structural shapes to achieve volume in your drawings, but as well to work with a more painterly approach using mass and the use of shadows and lights to shape the form... it's illustrated with great examples of these two approaches, and you'll also see how he combines those two approaches line and mass in his examples.
You will find in this book Henry Yan's different steps to achieve such splendid drawings. Aside the explanations on his method of work, it's abondantly illustrated(portraits as well as figure drawings). There is to me a real quality in his line, composition of image and use of lights. Besides his great technicity,I find his work filled with a search of sensibility and mood in the capture of the model's pose.... that goes beyond just achieving "perfect technicity" so to speak, but in search of what the model's pose and scene inspires you, far more than just simply "copying" things. I have so far never seen a figure drawing book like this, it will defenately remain a source of inspiration to me. His "painterly" approach in his figure drawings is a great inspiration on how to use this method in colored paintings as well. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in figure drawings and in art in general.

The Artist's Complete Guide to Drawing the Head

Average customer rating:

Very good book.
Excellent drawing book
Maughan's book is great.
drawing the head
Not a Complete Guide

The Artist's Complete Guide to Drawing the Head
William Maughan
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Study & Teaching | Reference | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Figure Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0823003590

Book Description

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.

Customer Reviews:

Very good book........2007-09-17

Its really a good book.
What i liked about it . is how its simple yet advanced.
Really diversed , which can serve well the beginners and the skilled artists.

Excellent drawing book.......2007-07-16

A teacher of 30 years experience, William Maughan encourages the reader to move beyond linear drawing of the head to a value (chiarscuro) oriented approach. The book is well written and illustrated with the authors beautful drawings. I've been drawing regularly for over 10 years now as a discipline for my painting and I have adopted this book as my text for advancement. Well worth purchasing.

Maughan's book is great........2007-05-07

There is a reason why this book is requested in the finest Ateliers in the world: it's the real knowledge of what you are seeking as an artist.

drawing the head.......2007-04-11

I did not find this book very helpful to me. I did not like the pictures .They did not provide good examples to follow.

Not a Complete Guide.......2006-12-12

This book is not for beginners or even those who are not beginners, but who have no experience with pastel. There are so-called "step by step" instructions but it is difficult to understand how the instructor gets from the first drawing to the final one.

There is little variation between the poses or the expressions on the models faces. If you want to draw something besides a three quarter pose with an unsmiling face you won't find it here. On the other hand if you are interested in drawing monsters, there is a whole chapter on that.

A lot of space is given to discussing chiaroscuro with much repetition.

If you are looking for a "complete" guide to drawing the head, this is not the book.

Average customer rating:

A popular standard in learning to draw heads from memory...
walter foster publishing ruins what they touch
bringing the diffucult within reach
A very, very good book!!!
Best book in the world!!

Drawing: The Head (HT197)
Andrew Loomis
Manufacturer: Walter Foster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Figure Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Drawing: Figures in Action (HT191)
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ASIN: 1560100109

Book Description

Here is an essential guide that is head and shoulders above the rest! In The Head, expert Andrew Loomis teaches you the basics of drawing the human head, including detailed drawings of a variety of male and female models in different poses. First he covers the basic proportions of the head and the proper placement of facial features. Then he shows you how to render light and shadow, as well as exploring simple techniques for capturing an array of facial expressions and depicting differences in type and character. This comprehensive guide is a welcome addition to any artist's drawing reference library!

Customer Reviews:

A popular standard in learning to draw heads from memory..........2006-09-17

...for beginners & intermediates in ability. It's 32 pages taken from several of his original books- easily my favorite Loomis collection!

In recent decades there have been 3 main teachers in learning to draw heads from memory. For cube-based construction we have George Bridgman. For ball/sphere-based construction we have Andrew Loomis. And for oval/ellipse-based construction, we have the famous teacher of the Dynamic Drawing series- comicbook artist Burne Hogarth. Many of today's Japanese animation & comicbook instructionals are using these very same principles, along with some of the teachings by the Famous Artists School. My current interest is in oval & cube-based construction, but it's Loomis' famous *ball/sphere-based* construction here that many people consider to be the BEST. All artists, from beginners to even professionals(!), could easily benefit in learning these 3 popular standards.
In any case, this is a great work *in pencil* on heads of all kinds. All popular aspects of construction are covered: men, women, children, teens, elderly, fashion-models, proportions, rythmic lines, planes, anatomy, bone structure, simple lines & shapes, perspective, common actions, expressions, clear line drawings, and even full-blown tonal studies (whew!). That's a lot in just 32 pages. It's all done in a classic mid-20th century style, similar to Jack Hamm's excellent Drawing The Head And Figure. My favorite pages here are p.26, p.27, and p.30, because these are his clearest & most detailed pure line drawings- exceedingly great to copy & learn from. A tremendous help for anyone interested in learning to draw from memory- get this great book today!

P.S. ...just so you know: this reviews page is shared by 2 Loomis books. The 1st is his slim & tall, 32-page Walter Foster paperback collection currently entitled Drawing: The Head (HT197). This HT197 guide was also known as Heads/2. My review is for this Walter Foster collection. The 2nd book this reviews page is linked to is Loomis' original hardcover called Drawing the Head and Hands; a full-blown book- more than 32 pages. At this writing, this 2nd book is out of print. The real reason these 2 books share these reviews is that the shorter, Walter Foster collection takes a few pages from several books, including pages from this full-blown Drawing the Head and Hands.
As I understand it, Loomis actually *created* ball/sphere-based construction for heads, printed in Fun With A Pencil circa 1939- and I see no evidence to contradict this. And today it's one of the most popular methods around. His books being out of print confuses many! That's why I give this 5 stars: instead of slamming Walter Foster's publications for their lack of completeness, we should thank them for keeping Loomis' name alive(!). If it weren't for this Drawing: The Head collection, I might never have given his Figure Drawing For All It's Worth a chance. Now I have both- thank goodness!

walter foster publishing ruins what they touch.......2002-06-14

I held Andrew Loomis's books in the highest esteem. Then walter foster came along and decided to cut cost by publishing every third page and discarding everything in between. Think this statement is absurd! Compare Andrew Loomis's books BEFORE and AFTER walter foster got his hands on them.

bringing the diffucult within reach.......2002-04-29

The human body is the hardest thing to sketch, and of its parts, the head and hands are most intimidating. Loomis found a way to bring these challenges into the realm of the achievable for amateurs, with a text that, while a bit old fashioned in style, feeds the drawing brain.
As a bonus, Loomis'own pieces, particularly the finished sketches, are deeply satiafying to view. To be sure, the style is genre-past, but the evocation is sweet, recent, and wholly American. One can see in the sketched heads the tender, yearbook faces of our parents now aged or departed.

A very, very good book!!!.......2001-02-23

"Drawing Heads" by Andrew Loomis is a very thorough and comprehensive book that has amazingly been crammed into under 70 pages.

There is no waste whatsoever in any of the pages. The illustrations are beautiful and it contains simplified, easy to understand approaches to drawing the head as well as basic anatomy and facial planes. Also contained are the proportions for small children, babies and teens.

It would have to be the best book on drawing the head i have come across and is at a bargain price. It is a "must have" for anyone serious about learning how to draw the head.

Best book in the world!!.......2000-09-13

I've owned this book for quite some time now,but the only thing is that it's a translated chinese version of it & the translatiton was done very badly.Still with the well drawn images,I was able to learn everything on drawing of the head & hands.It's a great book & everyone should at least flip over the book to see how faces should be drawn well.Sorry for those who wants this book,I'll never sell it away(May be after I've got the english version of it).

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Drawing People Illus (The Complete Idiot's Guide)

Average customer rating:

I'm really glad I picked this up
THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO DRAWING PEOPLE ILLUS.
Great drawing book
Great Book
Better than anything that I learned in school or college!

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Drawing People Illus (The Complete Idiot's Guide)
Brenda Hoddinott
Manufacturer: Alpha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Drawing for Dummies
Complete Idiot's Guide to Drawing
Drawing People: How to Portray the Clothed Figure
Draw Real People! (Discover Drawing Series)
Secrets to Drawing Realistic Faces

ASIN: 1592572235
Release Date: 2004-08-03

Book Description

The fine points of faces and figures...

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Drawing People Illustrated expands upon the success and ease-of-use of the successful The Complete Idiot's Guide to Drawing Illustrated, but focuses entirely on the process and techniques of drawing people. This book covers each step between the first stroke and the last, including composing portraits, creating three-dimensional reality, creating light and shadow, blending techniques, rendering the human figure, and much more.

Customer Reviews:

I'm really glad I picked this up.......2007-09-28

I have several books on portrait drawing. Some of them are great and some are not. This one falls into the great catagory. What I really like is the first part of the book gives you guidence and exercises to help you learn the skills you need to draw portraits. Some books will tell you a head is shaped like an egg and the eyes are in the middle. Ok great, you know where they go, but if you don't know how to draw an eye, it doesn't help much. I really like the shading section as well. I've done some nice portraits only to mess them up by not shading them correctly. Drawing portraits can be very rewarding and stressful. This book has really helped me overcome some of the more difficult aspects of this art. I think having some drawing experiance is a plus and will lead to better results faster, but even beginners will really benefit from what this book teaches.

THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO DRAWING PEOPLE ILLUS........2007-08-31

So far, this is a very good book on the drawing of figures. Lots of good information on the measurements of the human body parts, and a lot of instructions on the hands, feet, and every area of the human body. I still have a lot to explore in this book.
Exellent!

Great drawing book.......2007-01-19

Way better than most art books, Covers so many necessary points. The author has a great website too.

Great Book.......2006-11-10

Great book, gives you very good instruction for drawing people. A must for budding artists.

Better than anything that I learned in school or college!.......2005-04-13

I am a stay at home mom of 4 boys and after 13 years of staying home, I thought that I would start refreshing my memory. I am a graduate of the Art Institute of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia and this book did more for me than my anatomy or fashion illustration classes ever did! I had always struggled with my faces and proportions and I bought Brenda's book and in minutes I had a face drawn, proportions correct and it didn't take me the hours or days that it used to and I have even used it with my Adobe Illustrator 10 software! I recommend this book for everyone, because I had always been taught that if you can master the human face or body, you can draw anything!

Average customer rating:

An exceptional guide for the novice
Vincent Coniglario
Better than his first book, but just barely.

Secrets to Drawing Heads
Allan Kraayvanger
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Figure Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Similar Items:

Figure Drawing Workshop
Draw Naturally: How a New Way of Seeing Can Improve Your Drawing Skills
Classical Drawing Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice
The Artist's Complete Guide to Drawing the Head
The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing: A Contemporary Perspective on the Classical Tradition

ASIN: 1402747438

Book Description

It’s the first thing anyone looks at when there’s a figure in a painting: the details of the human head and face. There’s far more to creating an accurate portrait than meets the eye, and that’s exactly what this extremely focused, richly visual guide teaches artists. The amount of information here is truly astounding, and it offers help for anyone struggling to master the technique. The study starts with the basic shapes, planes, forms, and values of the head. There’s a “map” to follow as a model, a discussion of anatomy, suggestions for capturing profiles and angled views, advice on recognizing what makes a face individual, historical photos to examine, and so much more. No other art book is its equal on the subject.

Customer Reviews:

An exceptional guide for the novice.......2007-05-04

Capturing the quintessence of the human head and face, as well as character of the individual, is the "holy grail" of all techniques, to most artists; also the most complicated and challenging to achieve. This is mainly due to the fact that most struggle with the tendency towards drawing things symbolically, rather than what is actually seen. Allan Kraayvanger's Secrets to Drawing Heads is a classic of simplicity, yet exceptionally focused, when it comes to helpful direction in this exceptional art, especially for the absolute novice attempting to develop their skills in portrait drawing.

An easy-to-read condensed art tutorial, Secrets to Drawing Head's 112 pages are copiously illustrated with over 230 drawings, including step-by-step instructions and text outlining the core techniques that will help the budding artist reason on why such methods are taken. The reader is shown the building block of an accurate portrait and mastering the techniques in applying the study of basic components such as skin values, geometric shapes, shadows and lighting, perspective, and planes, to develop visual awareness. Advice offered on "individualizing" a face is also exceedingly helpful in capturing the subjects `character' and personal aura in a portrait.

Extremely helpful in guiding and nudging the burgeoning artist beyond the lifeless one-dimensional line drawing, the complexities of the human face and head are abridged to their simplest structures to accommodate easy comprehension. It should be said that, while accurate and recognizable, the final result is akin to a loose sketch, rather than a detailed and refined portrait. Therefore, its richly visual instruction and references are geared more towards the beginner or intermediate, as opposed to the seasoned artist who is looking for a greater echelon of detail in a finished drawing.

Also included are discussions capturing realistic anatomy by understanding bone and muscle structure, advice on capturing tipped profiles and angled views accurately, as well as the use of symbolism. A comprehensive index in the back of the book also aids in rapid look-up of particular topics of interest.

Kraayvanger's own drawing illustrations, coupled with his pointed text and guidance in Secrets to Drawing Heads, strike a perfect equilibrium, as he demonstrates the quick, rewarding way to master the fundamentals of a favorite genre of expression. The beginner artist will appreciate how the author reduces complexities with fun and easy-to-follow instructions. This book is highly recommended to the artist endeavoring to gain confidence in drawing an accurate likeness.

Vincent Coniglario.......2006-01-05

I cannot say enough about the value of this book for anyone who draws the human head and figure. This author seems to have found the perfect balance between too much and too little in both the text and the drawings. He takes you by the hand and leads you through the complexities of this most difficult subject without one second of boredom. His drawings speak for themselves.I only wish this book was available thirty years ago, it would have saved me a great deal of hard study.

[............]

Vincent Coniglario, Chicago, Il

Better than his first book, but just barely........2005-10-11

I approached this book with some trepidation because the Mr. Kraayvanger's first book, "FIGURE DRAWING WORKSHOP", is one of the worst to see print and I expected more of the same here. Surprisingly, this book isn't quite as awful as his first; I'm not claiming that it's perfect by anyone's standards but while it may not be the best book available on drawing the head and it definitely can't be considered a classic or even good by any consideration it does have enough going for it to merit a little attention. I have no doubt that an absolute beginner will find it a somewhat helpful introduction because its profusely illustrated 7 chapters and 112 pages provides basic, if incomplete and diffused, common sense information in a condensed form.

Unfortunately, not only is the information offered incomplete and often very abbreviated, it is presented in a disorganized scatter shot method with vital techniques given short shrift at the end of the book when they would be better served toward the beginning. For example, the "secret" promised in the title boils down to, as the author writes "...this is the secret to professional drawing. I consider the shape factor in drawing so important...". By shape the author means a silhouette of the head, including hair, which is then subdivided into to hair/face and then is further subdivided into features using the skull's structure as guide. Doing this properly not only requires knowing the structural elements which make up the head but also requires the artist to measure these elements against one another to find their proper proportion. The author doesn't bother to mention measuring until page 105. Where he explains his rationale for placing it late in the book: "It's probably a good idea to learn how to use this method (measuring), but I must admit, it bores me to death." And on page 107, after giving it a cursory description, he confesses "To me, measuring ... takes the fun out of it (drawing)....I'm sure that I never learned to do it properly because it makes so little sense to me."

The author's inept drawings attest to this fact. This is the second problem with the book: the drawings are at best amateurish and sloppy; at worst, lazy. They're an improvement from the drawings in his first book but still less than professional, let alone inspiring. He's an adequate sketch artist and this book can help you to be adequate too, but if you aspire to higher skills I suggest you pass this one by and look elsewhere. There are plenty of books around that will provide better instruction.

A more appropriate title for this book would be "The Lazy Person's Guide to Sketching the Head." This is my qualified recommendation: if you're lazy person who fancies sketching the head, this book is for you!

Average customer rating:

Drawing Drapery from Head to Toe
Cliff Young
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Harding's Lessons on Drawing: A Classic Approach (Dover Books on Art Instruction)
How to Draw the Head in Light and Shade

ASIN: 0486455912

Book Description

One of the few books on the subject, Young's completely illustrated manual gives expert guidance on how to draw shirts, pants, skirts, gloves, hats, coats, and undergarments on the human figure. He covers folds in relation to the body, the figure's supporting surfaces, effects of pull and crush, action folds, and more. Over 200 drawings.

Draw from Your Head: A Step-By-Step System for Drawing the Human Figure Without a Model

Average customer rating:

extremely helpful
One Possible Starting Point
extremely practical and helpful

Draw from Your Head: A Step-By-Step System for Drawing the Human Figure Without a Model
Doug Jamieson
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Figure Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Dynamic Figure Drawing (Practical Art Books)
Classical Drawing Atelier: A Contemporary Guide to Traditional Studio Practice
Figure Drawing Without a Model
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels

ASIN: 082301374X

Customer Reviews:

extremely helpful.......2007-04-21

I wish I had found this book 20 books ago. The simplified figure is extremely helpful to say the least and together with the Bargue, and the Hogarth dynamic figure, I believe you have everything you need to draw the human figure from your imagination. It's a shame it's out of print, but I believe it was worth every penny I spent for it. Forget the overpriced goldfugue and such...this is the one you need.

One Possible Starting Point.......2005-09-26

Uses a system of a properly constructed stick figure to rough in your ideas, from which a finished figure can be built up. I find this speeds the process of sorting ideas, working up thumbnails, and roughing in crowd scenes, though I still rely on Hogarth for anything beyond that point. If Hogarth's dynamism (his trees writhe with energy) doesn't sit well with you, this big book is a passable alternative, though it does not cover as much as _Dynamic Figure Drawing_ does: things like foreshortening, the extremely tucked figure, or female [...] are not covered. A little too much time is spent on detailing small bones and deep muscles that make no difference in the drawing of what is visible.

extremely practical and helpful.......1998-07-15

This is the first book I'd recommend to anyone wanting to study artistic anatomy. After slogging through other anatomy books,I found this one explaining everything I needed to know with simplicity and thoroughness. Not that other books are without merit, but this is the place to start. A treasure if you can find it!

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