100 Best Figure Drawing Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best figure drawing books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

Featuring recommendations from Adam Robinson, Austin Kleon, Adam Robinson, and 3 other experts.
1

Figure Drawing

Design and Invention

Figure Drawing: Design and Invention is an instructional figure drawing book geared towards the novice and experienced artist alike. This book emphasizes a simplified understanding of surface anatomy, in order to clarify the mechanics of the figure, facilitate invention, and ultimately create a skill-set that can be successfully applied to other media. In addition, this book focuses very strongly on practical usage, making sure the artist is able to assimilate the steps presented here into a cohesive working process. (Fourth printing, September 2011) less

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2
A how-to handbook that makes drawing easy. Offers simplified techniques and scores of brand-new hints and helps. Step by step procedures. Hundreds of illustrations. less

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3
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 the actual appearance of human form. In The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing, amateur and experienced artists alike are guided... more

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4
Pick up your pencil, embrace your inner artist, and learn how to draw in thirty days with this approachable step-by-step guide from an Emmy award-winning PBS host.
Drawing is an acquired skill, not a talent -- anyone can learn to draw! All you need is a pencil, a piece of paper, and the willingness to tap into your hidden artistic abilities. With Emmy award-winning, longtime PBS host Mark Kistler as your guide, you'll learn the secrets of sophisticated three-dimensional renderings, and have fun along the way -- in just twenty minutes a day for a month. Inside you'll find:
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5
When Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain was first published in 1979, it hit the New York Times bestseller list within two weeks and stayed there for more than a year. In 1989, when Dr. Betty Edwards revised the book, it went straight to the Times list again. Now Dr. Edwards celebrates the twentieth anniversary of her classic book with a second revised edition.Over the last decade, Dr. Edwards has refined her material through teaching hundreds of workshops and seminars. Truly The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, this edition includes:


the...
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Recommended by Adam Robinson, Adam Robinson, and 2 others.

Adam Robinson[One of five books that confirm] there is far, far more in our unconscious mind than is dreamt of in our philosophy. (Source)

Adam Robinson[One of five books that confirm] there is far, far more in our unconscious mind than is dreamt of in our philosophy. (Source)

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6
Chris Hart has a head for figures — human figures, that is. Not only does he draw them with incredible style and flair, he also has a friendly, accessible teaching style that makes his how-to books super-sellers. In this unique figure-drawing course, Chris avoids the usual anatomy lessons that intimidate aspiring artists and gets right down to the basics young illustrators need to get started. Starting with heads and facial expressions, he moves on to full figures, male and female, ideal and average, some in fashion poses and others in dynamic action. On every page, his practical advice and... more

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7

Dynamic Figure Drawing

This powerful book offers a systematic approach to rendering action figures that seem to leap off the page.



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8
The definitive book on animation, from the Academy Award-winning animator behind Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Animation is one of the hottest areas of filmmaking today--and the master animator who bridges the old generation and the new is Richard Williams. During his fifty years in the business, Williams has been one of the true innovators, winning three Academy Awards and serving as the link between Disney's golden age of animation by hand and the new computer animation exemplified by Toy Story.

Perhaps even more important, though, has been his dedication in...
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9
The illustrator Andrew Loomis (1892-1959) is revered among artists - including comics superstar Alex Ross - for his mastery of figure drawing and clean, Realist style.

His hugely influential series of art instruction books have never been bettered, and Figure Drawing is the first in Titan's programme of facsimile editions, returning these classic titles to print for the first time in decades.
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10
Force: Dynamic Life Drawing for AnimatorsCapture the force in your life drawing subjects with this practical guide to dynamic drawing techniques - packed with superb, powerfully drawn examples that show you how to: * Bring your work to life with rhythmic drawing techniques * Create appealing and dynamic poses in your drawings* Experience the figure's energy in three dimensional space* Use the asymmetry of straight and curved lines to clarify the direction of force in the body* Build on your foundational anatomy and figure drawing skills to animate your drawings *Apply the theory of force to... more

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Don't have time to read the top Figure Drawing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
13
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. Now, thanks to Chris Hart's foolproof method, even beginners can quick-check the proportions of their head and figure drawings, identify errors, and swiftly fix mistakes. Richly illustrated with drawings from various angles, this follow-up to Hart's bestselling Figure It Out! includes step-by-step... more

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14
This handsome box set provides hours of enlightening entertainment for those curious about the natural world, farm life, and food. Best-selling author and illustrator Julia Rothman presents Farm Anatomy, Nature Anatomy, and Food Anatomy in a specially designed slipcase with 10 framable prints. Rothman’s popular line drawings offer a whimsical and educational guide to life on a farm, nature’s hidden wonders, and delectable tidbits from kitchens and pantries around the globe. less

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15
Bestselling how-to-draw author Christopher Hart helps artists fine-tune their skills with the fundamentals of drawing natural-looking figures. Eschewing the esoteric “art poses” and wooden mannequins commonly found in art books, he portrays everyday, real-life gestures on human-looking foundation figures: standing, sitting, kneeling, and reclining, with arms folded, ankles crossed, hands on hips, and more, all shown from various angles. Hart also explores deeper concepts such as perspective, illusion of depth, casting shadows, and foreshortening, and provides step-by-step tutorials that take... more

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16
Perfect for aspiring designers, Drawing and Painting Beautiful Faces is an inspiring, mixed-media workbook on how to draw and paint beautiful, fashion illustration–style faces.

Author Jane Davenport is a beloved artist and international workshop instructor known by her thousands of students and fans for her over-the-top, enthusiastic, happy, and encouraging style. In Drawing and Painting Beautiful Faces, Davenport guides you, step by step, through the foundations of drawing a face, developing successful features, creating skin tones,...
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17

How to Draw What You See

The 35th anniversary edition of the classic how-to book that has helped millions of artists learn to draw.

When it was originally published in 1970, How to Draw What You See zoomed to the top of Watson-Guptill's best-seller list--and it has remained there ever since. "I believe that you must be able to draw things as you see them--realistically," wrote Rudy de Reyna in his introduction.

Today, generations of artists have learned to draw what they see, to truly capture the world around them, using de Reyna's methods. How to Draw What You See shows...
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18

Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist

Stephen Rogers Peck's Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist remains unsurpassed as a manual for students. It includes sections on bones, muscles, surface anatomy, proportion, equilibrium, and locomotion. Other unique features are sections on the types of human physique, anatomy from birth to old age, an orientation on racial anatomy, and an analysis of facial expressions. The wealth of information offered by the Atlas ensures its place as a classic for the study of the human form.
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20
From New York Times best-selling author of the Dinotopia series, James Gurney, comes a carefully crafted and researched study on color and light in paintings. This art instruction book will accompany the acclaimed Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist.

James Gurney, New York Times best-selling author and artist of the Dinotopia series, follows Imaginative Realism with his second art-instruction book, Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter. A researched study on two of art's most fundamental themes, Color and Light bridges the gap...
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Don't have time to read the top Figure Drawing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
21
Figure Drawing for Artists: Making Every Mark Count is not a typical drawing instruction book; it explains the two-step process behind juggernauts like DreamWorks, WB and Disney.

Though 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.

That changes now!

In Figure Drawing for Artists: Making Every Mark Count, award-winning fine artist...
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22

How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way

One of the first and still one of the best, Stan Lee’s How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way has been the primary resource for any and all who want to master the art of illustrating comic books and graphic novels.

Stan Lee, the Mighty Man from Marvel, and John Buscema, active and adventuresome artist behind the Silver Surfer, Conan the Barbarian, the Mighty Thor and Spider-Man, have collaborated on this comics compendium: an encyclopedia of information for creating your own superhero comic strips. Using artwork from Marvel comics as primary examples, Buscema graphically...
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23
Draw inspiration from everywhere and everyone--a beginner's guide to drawing people for kids.

Grab a pencil and an eraser--it's time to explore the world around you and illustrate the people in it! Featuring a simple, step-by-step format for budding artists, Figure Drawing for Kids is a great way to start sketching friends and family, pop culture icons, and epic superheroes--one easy-to-draw exercise at a time.

Along the way, you'll learn helpful terms and essential drawing concepts like proportion, negative space, point of view, composition,...
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24
Using simple shapes, Ed Emberley shows would-be artists how to draw a variety of animals, including lions, frogs, mice, birds, dragons, and more! This classic book is packed with cool things that kids-and not a few adults-really want to draw. Easy and fun, the book provides hours of art-full entertainment. less

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25

Creative Illustration

During his career as one of America's most sought-after illustrators, Andrew Loomis (1889-1959) taught at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, and in 1939 he codified his lessons in his first manual, Fun with a Pencil. Four years later it had already been through six printings, and he followed up over the next two decades with a series of even more successful how-to books that remain the gold standard for artists to this day.

Creative Illustration is considered Loomis's magnum opus, which was aimed primarily at the professional-level illustrator. Divided into seven...
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27

Dynamic Anatomy

Praised by critics and teachers alike for more than 40 years, Burne Hogarth's Dynamic Anatomy is recognized worldwide as the classic, indispensable text on artistic anatomy. Now revised, expanded, and completely redesigned with 75 never-before-published drawings from the Hogarth archives and 24 pages of new material, this award-winning reference explores the expressive structure of the human form from the artist's point of view.

The 400 remarkable illustrations explain the anatomical details of male and female figures in motion and at rest, always stressing the human form in...
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28

Anatomy for the Artist

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.

This visually striking guide takes a fresh approach to drawing the human body. A combination of innovative photography and drawings, practical life-drawing lessons, and in-depth explorations of the body's surface and underlying structure are used to reveal and celebrate the human form.

Combining specially-commissioned photographs of models with historical and contemporary works of art and her own dynamic life...
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29

Principles of Creature Design

From the Actual to the Amazing

A follow up to her bestselling book, Animals Real and Imagined, Terryl Whitlatch will share the science and principles behind her captivating creature designs. Taking lessons from her online courses offered on www.talesofamalthea.com, she will lead the readers on a visual instructional journey to creating amazing creatures from one’s imagination. This title will feature 25 new images from Star Wars creature designs for Lucasfilms.
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30
In Chibi Art Class, renowned anime artist Yoaihime teaches you the art of chibi, step by adorable step.

Anime artist Yoai has captivated a huge audience with her adorable chibi drawings, and now she's ready to share her secrets with you! Chibi is Japanese slang for "short," and that's an appropriate description for these tiny doll-like creatures.

In this book, you'll find tutorials on recreating their signature features and props, including dreamy eyes, mini-skirts, vibrant hair, colorful bows, and boba cups! You'll also practice...
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Don't have time to read the top Figure Drawing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
31

Drawing the Human Head

In 300 extraordinary drawings, Hogarth shows how to draw the head from every angle, age the face from infancy to old age, and delineate every feature and wrinkle. less

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32
Using simple shapes, Ed Emberley shows would-be artists how to draw over 400 things, such as an airplane, anteater, submarine, train, kangaroo, gondola, and much much more! This classic book is packed with cool things that kids-and not a few adults-really want to draw. Easy and fun, the book provides hours of art-full entertainment.
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Recommended by Austin Kleon, and 1 others.

Austin KleonI only came to Ed Emberley’s Ed Emberley’s Drawing Book: Make A World last year, but it’s quickly become the #1 book I recommend to people I meet who say, “I can’t draw.” In it, Ed Emberley shows you how to “make a world” with just a few simple shapes, step-by-step. I love the emphasis on simplicity: if you can draw a triangle, a square, a circle, and a line, you’re good to go. (Source)

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33
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. This unique method incorporates more than 30 essential exercises, empowering you to draw the figure dramatically and with confidence, no matter your current level of skill. Filled with step-by-step demonstrations, inspiring images, and insightful text... more

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34
“An indispensable volume...published for the first time in paperback....More than 200 illustrations of hands and hundreds of images of arms, shoulders, heads, torsos, legs, knees, and feet.” —Library Journal. “It will...meet a deeply felt need to draw the human figure from a vantage point of understanding and visual acuity.”—Arts & Activities.
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35

Successful Drawing

The illustrator Andrew Loomis is revered amongst artists for his mastery of drawing technique and his clean, realist style. His hugely influential series of art instruction books have never been bettered and Successful Drawing, the third in Titan's programme of facsimile editions, returns this classic title to print for the first time in decades.

For over 60 years Successful Drawing has provided a superb resource covering all the techniques needed to master three-dimensional drawing. From the fundamentals of proportion, placement, perspective, planes and pattern, through a...
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37
Using just fingerprints and a few letters, Ed Emberley shows would-be artists how to create owls, pigs, fish, and basketball players! This colorful step-by-step book is easy and crafty, and provides hours of art-full fun. less

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38
From the award-winning artist, learn to see and shape the world in a way you never before imagined.

An award-winning fantasy artist and the creator of Dinotopia, James Gurney instructs and inspires in Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist. Renowned for his uncanny ability to incorporate amazing detail and imagination into stunningly realistic fantasy settings, James Gurney teaches budding artists and fans of fantasy art step-by-step the techniques that won him worldwide critical acclaim. This groundbreaking work examines the practical methods for...
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39
The Sketchbook of Loish offers readers a unique look into Loish’s creative processes and idea generation, providing an insight into the role her sketches play in her extremely popular work. Peek inside Loish’s sketchbook and discover how she explores gesture, stylization, and sketching for animation. Learn the different techniques she uses when sketching with traditional and digital tools, and follow the book’s two detailed tutorials on character construction and sketching digitally to improve your own processes. The book also features handy quick tips for capturing movement, using different... more

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40
This is the book that can teach anyone to draw (yes, even you!)

If you're not getting the kind of true-to-life results you want in your drawings (or if you can't even draw a straight line), Carrie and Rick Parks can help. As award-winning teachers, they have a proven game plan for helping artists of all levels overcome common problems and see immediate improvement in their work. As professional composite artists, they know the tricks and tools for achieving incredibly lifelike results. In this friendly, foolproof guide to drawing, they share it all:

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Don't have time to read the top Figure Drawing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
41
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...
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42

Anatomy for the Artist

It’s the classic in its field—a reference work of unparalleled importance for all professionals and students of art.  


 
This superb art manual is the best guide available on a subject that has fascinated artists for centuries: the human body. Jenö Barcsay, a professor who taught applied anatomy at the Budapest Academy of Fine Arts, offers a detailed portrayal of the body for the fine artist in 142 full-page plates. From the entire skeleton and the joints in and out of motion to all the muscles and even facial characteristics, every body part appears...
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43

How to Draw People

Step-by-step diagrams make it easy to draw people of all shapes and sizes, engaged in a variety of activities. By joining circles, ovals, rectangles, and other shapes, beginning artists can create a boy on a swing, a fireman, drummer, mailman, cowboy, and 25 other subjects. Includes blank practice pages. less

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44

Anatomy Lessons From the Great Masters

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...
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45
A book whose sales have not diminished but rather increased dramatically since its publication 45 years ago, this bestselling classic is the ultimate manual of drawing taught by the late Robert Beverly Hale, who’s famed lectures and classes at New York City’s Art Student League captivated artists and art educators from around the world.

Faithfully producing and methodically analyzing 100 master drawings—including works of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Rodin, Goya, and Rembrandt among others—Hale shows how these artists tackled basic problems such as line, light and planes, mass,...
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47
With bestselling author Christopher Hart as your guide, learning to draw cartoons has never been easier!
 
Thanks to Christopher Hart’s simplified process, anyone can start creating dynamic cartoon characters right away. He has developed the easiest-ever approach to drawing the basics like heads, bodies, and those super-important cartoon expressions. Hart then helps beginners apply these fundamentals to a variety of fun types and settings such as animals, under-the-sea locales, famous stock characters, and popular backgrounds. Each lesson is laid out in accessible steps and...
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48

Perspective Made Easy

Perspective, the author tells us, is easy; yet surprisingly few artists are aware of the simple rules that make it so. This easy-to-follow book — the first devoted entirely to clarifying the laws of perspective — remedies the situation. In it, the author uses over 250 simple line drawings to illustrate the concepts involved.
Beginning with clear, concise, immediately applicable discussions of the horizon, vanishing point, and the crucial relationship of eye level to perspective drawing, you'll learn how to place figures and objects in a drawing, depict interiors, create shade and...
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49
A gorgeous, easy-to-follow, and inspiring guide to stunningly realistic botanical drawing that covers everything you need to draw our natural world.

Achieve amazingly realistic and vibrant botanical illustrations, from flowers so dazzling you feel as if you might be able to smell them, to tomatoes that look as if they've just been picked from the garden. Wendy Hollender is known for her vivid, detailed, and inspiring illustrations and in The Joy of Botanical Drawing, she helps you take your art to the next level by sharing her perfected techniques through short...
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50

Albinus on Anatomy

This beautiful, enthralling book represents the rarest of human achievements: a work of great scientific merit that is a magnificent work of art as well. Bernard Siegfried Albinus was the greatest descriptive anatomist of the eighteenth century. Over a period of twenty years, he produced two volumes of drawings, Tables of the Skeleton and Muscles of the Human Body and Tables of the Human Bones, that have long been revered for their beauty, skill, artistry, and anatomical accuracy. This finely made edition makes them available to the general public at an easily affordable price... more

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Don't have time to read the top Figure Drawing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
51
Nothing brings anime artists more satisfaction than creating original characters to use in a comic strip or graphic novel. Bestselling how-to-draw author Christopher Hart helps them reach this goal by providing insight into the six most popular anime types: schoolgirls, schoolboys, preteens, vengeful bad guys, humorous personalities, and fantasy figures. He supplies templates for each; an extensive array of “menus” of head and body types, outfits, and accessories; and detailed, accessible, step-by-step demonstrations and drawing exercises. Plus, Hart showcases some of the best anime artists... more

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52

Fun with a Pencil

Andrew Loomis (1892-1959) is revered amongst artists - including comics superstar Alex Ross - for his mastery of  drawing. His first book, Fun With a Pencil, published in 1939 is a wonderfully crafted and engaging introduction to drawing, cartooning, and capturing the essence of a subject all while having fun. With delightful step-by-step instruction from Professor Blook, Loomis's charming alter ego on the page. less

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53
Discover the lessons that helped bring about a new golden age of Disney animation!Published for the first time ever, Drawn to Life is a two volume collection of the legendary lectures from long-time Disney animator Walt Stanchfield. For over twenty years, Walt helped breathe life into the new golden age of animation with these teachings at the Walt Disney Animation Studios and influenced such talented artists as Tim Burton, Brad Bird, Glen Keane, and John Lasseter. These writings represent the quintessential refresher for fine artists and film professionals, and it is a vital tutorial for... more

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54
Adults and children are irresistibly drawn to Julia Rothman’s best-selling illustrated guide to the natural world, Nature Anatomy, with its colorful drawings that awaken curiosity — and invite imitation. 

With this companion volume, Rothman leads fans deeper into nature observation with her specially designed record pages for tracking daily nature sightings throughout the seasons. Her step-by-step technique tutorials for drawing a flower, a dragonfly, a robin, and much more, along with blank sketchbook pages, will inspire nature lovers and art enthusiasts of all ages to...
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56
The most comprehensive how to draw book for kids! This children's drawing book gives you 365 things to draw every day for an entire year - animals, objects, food, plants, vehicles, sports, holidays and more. Every mini drawing lesson is broken down into easy to follow step by step instructions, so that all budding artists can create a masterpiece. This book is perfect for kids 9-12 +, but kids age 6-8 with a high interest in art will be able to follow our diagrams easily as well. The Drawing Book for Kids is the only book you'll need to turn your kids' creativity into artistic confidence! less

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57
Ateliers have produced the greatest artists of all time—and 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 book—and the master is Juliette Aristides, a classically trained artist. On every page, Aristides uses the works of works of Old Masters and today’s most... more

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58
Mitch Byrd's incredible charming artwork comes to life with this ultimate handbook on illustrating comic concepts. Notes to Draw From displays the processes of illustrating important ideas central to comics such as character mood, page layout, perspective, and much more. All this is achieved with the incredible charming artwork of Mitch Byrd, making for a pleasurable reading experience. Byrd's narratives of step by step visuals create an environment ideal for learning new techniques and ideas. less

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59
In this superb guidebook, a skilled practitioner of figure drawing demonstrates how to achieve mastery of anatomy through careful, knowledgeable articulation of the muscles and bones lying beneath the skin. Joseph Sheppard's concise instructions have been carefully integrated with over 250 halftone illustrations and over 180 line drawings to lead artists one step at a time through the techniques required in rendering human anatomy convincingly.
The opening chapter of the book presents the special techniques involved in mastering human proportion.The chapters that follow each deal with a...
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60

The Natural Way to Draw

Great for the beginner and the expert, this book offers readers exercises to improve their work. less

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Don't have time to read the top Figure Drawing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
61

Drawing with Sports Illustrated Kids

Blast a mammoth home run, slam a monster dunk, or sprint for a touchdown. Capture the action and excitement of the sports world by drawing yourself into the scene! less

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62

Art Forms in Nature

The geometric shapes and natural forms, captured with exceptional precision in Ernst Haeckel's prints, still influence artists and designers to this day. This volume highlights the research and findings of this natural scientist. Powerful modern microscopes have confirmed the accuracy of Haeckel's prints, which even in their day, became world famous. Haeckel's portfolio, first published between 1899 and 1904 in separate installments, is described in the opening essays. The plates illustrate Haeckel's fundamental monistic notion of the -unity of all living things- and the wide variety of forms... more

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63

Anatomy for Sculptors, Understanding the Human Figure

226 page most easy-to-use human anatomy guide for artists, explaining the human body in a simple manner. The book contains keys to figuring out construction in a direct, easy-to-follow, and highly visual manner. Art students, 3D sculptors and illustrators alike will find this manual a practical foundation upon which to build their knowledge of anatomy - an essential background for anyone wishing to draw or sculpt easily and with confidence! In this book you will find the most the important muscles, functions and actions of the human body. Over 500 drawings illustrate the range from simple... more

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64
You can be a fashion designer and create the wardrobe of your dream with The Fashion Sketchpad.

Spend less time struggling to draw proportional figures and more time designing gorgeous looks:
The Fashion Sketchpad is the ultimate fashion sketchbook for the aspiring designers who love to sketch clothes but don't have the skills (or the patience!) to draw proportional figures. This fashion design book is more than just a sketchpad. It has many additional features, including:

• 420 figure templates in 20 fashion-forward poses to inspire and motivate...
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65
I don't trust words, I even question actions, but I never doubt patterns.

Put good vibes and motivation back into your day with this coloring book for adults. It also includes a variety of pretty patterns to make your life more relaxed and enjoyable.

You don't need any special skills. Even if you haven't drawn anything, ever, you will enjoy coloring in this booklet.

Let your inner artist out.

Guaranteed hours of pleasure, relaxation and relief from stress.

Each drawing is on a separate page, so you can share.
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66

Fabulous Figures

Start with a heart shape . . . and end with a beautiful finished piece of art!You’ll love Jane Davenport’s fabulous, fun, and amazingly easy technique for drawing figures.
 
For aspiring artists, drawing people can be intimidating—but it doesn’t have to be. Over years working as a fashion illustrator, Jane Davenport devised her own method of creating in-proportion figures. Her clever core technique involves using equal-size hearts to build the body’s structure. And Jane’s results have been astounding: her students go from “I can’t draw a stick figure” to producing...
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67
"As long as humans have been alive, we have drawn." Justin Maas

Drawing 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.

But to create a successful portrait, one must understand how to capture a person's likeness--their spirit--and portray it in graphite.

In Drawing Realistic Pencil Portraits, artist and teacher Justin Maas provides a step-by-step guide for...
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68
The addition to bestselling author Christopher Hart’s Figure It Out! series offers essential tips and tricks that simplify the basics of drawing people.
 
This is the easy way to learn how to draw people! Chris Hart offers straightforward instruction designed to solve common figure-drawing problems that aspiring artists encounter. His accessible, practical techniques include focusing on the body’s natural curves, as opposed to drawing muscles, and breaking the torso down into three distinct, understandable areas. With this book, anyone can immediately grasp the...
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69

Fashion Sketchbook

With new and revised illustrations and instructions, this edition of 'Fashion Sketchbook' continues to provide students with a comprehensive course on sketching the fashion figure, fabric shapes, and garment details. less

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71

Ben's Trumpet

The story of Ben is fiction, but it could be the story of more than one jazz musician who grew up in the twenties. Using the art-deco style of the period, Rachel Isadora not only captures the poignancy and yearning of a youthful talent, but in page after page of striking art seems to convey the very sound of music. less

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73
Woodworkers interested in woodburning will build their skill level through these three step-by-step projects for beginner, intermediate, and advanced burners. They will learn how to prepare wood surfaces before burning, how to transfer a design or pattern, and how to select materials for burning, coloring, and finishing a project. Methods for burning onto wood, leather, paper, bark, and antlers are detailed alongside ample pictures of pyrography on the various materials that will inspire novice woodburners. Numerous techniques are also discussed, including solar, negative, relief, engraving,... more

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74
Looking to level-up your art and impress your clients and peers?

Skulls & Anatomy, Copyright Free Vintage Illustrations for Artists & Designers is a collection of 180 high quality, digitised, anatomical drawings for use in personal or commercial creative projects. This is an essential resource to take your art and design to the next level and give you a competitive advantage over your peers.

Vault Editions' team of professional designers and illustrators have spent a lifetime hunting and restoring vintage woodcuts and engravings from around the...
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77
Is there art after modernism? Many of today's art students and professionals are finding the answer — "yes" — lies in the long-neglected field of figurative sculpture, a demanding form of expression that requires extremely rigorous technical training. Most modern schools, however, are simply not equipped to provide the necessary technical background. The republication of this highly valuable text by Edouard Lanteri, renowned teacher, sculptor, and intimate friend of Rodin (Rodin called him "my dear master, my dear friend"), makes it possible for serious students to gain the requisite skills... more

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78
Welcome to your very own Figure Drawing Studio, where artist Butch Krieger guides you through the fundamentals of learning to draw and paint the human form using photographs taken of live art models posing as they would for an art class. Innovative step-by-step exercises based on these images, from the popular Art Models series, will boost your skills and prepare you to draw from life. A companion disk features more than 1,500 high-resolution full-color photos to work with. less

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80
The Ultimate Beginner's Guide to Drawing Figures!

To draw an anatomical figure, you don't need a stack of weighty anatomy books. Just take it step by step!

In How to Draw People, author Jeff Mellem teaches beginning artists how to draw the human figure, from stick figure to anatomically accurate person, in clear, easy-to-follow lessons. More than just a reference, this book provides the step-by-step instruction to teach you to draw the human figure and the anatomical knowledge to draw it realistically.

In each chapter, called "levels," you'll...
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Don't have time to read the top Figure Drawing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
81

Figure It Out! Workbook

This essential companion to the popular Figure It Out series—created by bestselling author Christopher Hart—is perfect for artists on the go!
 
As both an introduction to figure-drawing concepts and a refresher for more seasoned artists, The Figure It Out Workbook is an engaging resource for anyone eager to pick up a pencil and start drawing. Combining content from Hart’s three previous Figure It Out titles, this handy, travel-sized workbook offers artists step-by-step tutorials plus blank pages for practice. It begins with the basics of drawing the head and...
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82

Manga Art for Beginners

How to Create Your Own Manga Drawings

Designed for how people learn—makes drawing manga easy
The ideal manga drawing book for beginners—eyes, hands, feet, body shapes, and more
Includes ideas for how to draw your own graphic novel

Have you spent years admiring manga drawing and wondering how to draw cool stuff, but you haven’t known how to draw it on your own? This book by Danica Davidson and illustrated by the amazing Melanie Westin will guide you to drawing your own manga. These two help you find your way and include how to draw for adult beginners in this book. They also include how to draw anime for...
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83

Cours de Dessin

The Charles Bargue and Jean-L�on G�r�me drawing course was originally published by Goupil & Cie between 1866-1871 and consisted of 187 individual lithographs meant for copying by students at atelier art schools. Many famous artists copied from these plates as part of their art studies including Picasso, Van Gogh, and John Singer Sargent. This books contains 130 illustrations from parts I and III of the drawing course. less

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85
"This book supports my own 30-year crusade to demonstrate that games are an art form that undeniably rivals traditional arts. It gives detailed explanations of game art techniques and their importance, while also highlighting their dependence on artistic aspects of game design and programming.”
 
— John Romero, co-founder of id Software and CEO of Loot Drop, Inc.

"Solarski’s methodology here is to show us the artistic techniques that every artist should know, and then he transposes them to the realm of video games to show how they should be used to create a far more...
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87

Secrets to Drawing Realistic Faces

Draw amazingly accurate portraits starting today!

Even if you're an absolute beginner, you can render strikingly realistic faces and self-portraits! Instructor and FBI-trained artist Carrie Stuart Parks makes it simple with foolproof step-by-step instructions that are fun and easy to follow. You'll quickly begin to:

- Master proportions and map facial features accurately
- Study shapes within a composition and draw them realistically
- Use value, light and shading to add life and depth to any portrait
- Render tricky details, including...
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88
Draw Natural and Believable Clothed Figures

In Drawing People, award-winning illustrator and instructor Barbara Bradley provides all the information you need to render clothed human figures with energy, detail and control.

Bradley begins by teaching the basics of any drawing, including proportion, perspective and value. Next, you'll learn how to overcome the special challenges posed by clothing, including fabric folds and draping effects. Bradley illustrates how they're constructed and how to draw them in different situations--on male and female...
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89
Renowned manga artist and comics creator Camilla D'Errico's beginner's guide to drawing her signature Japanese-style characters.

From comics to video games to contemporary fine art, the beautiful, wide-eyed-girl look of shoujo manga has infiltrated pop culture, and no artist's work today better exemplifies this trend than Camilla D'Errico's.  In her first instructional guide, D'Errico reveals  techniques for creating her emotive yet playful manga characters, with lessons on drawing basic body construction, capturing action, and creating animals, chibis, and mascots.
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90
Colored pencil painter Alyona Nickelsen reveals how to use the medium to push the limits of realistic portraiture.

Colored Pencil Painting Portraits provides straightforward solutions to the problems that artists face in creating lifelike images, and will prime readers on the intricacies of color, texture, shadow, and light as they interplay with the human form. In this truly comprehensive guide packed with step-by-step demonstrations, Nickelsen considers working from photo references versus live models; provides guidance on posing and lighting, as well as planning...
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Don't have time to read the top Figure Drawing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
91

The Age of Feminine Drawing

The ascendance of feminine illustration in the arts & design is a development that has had an enormous effect on today's visual landscape, not only influencing but often driving contemporary aesthetic practices and trends in all disciplines. Highlighting the prevalence and importance of the female hand in our modern culture, The Age of Feminine Drawing showcases works from some of the most talented male & female artists in the world whose work underscores this influence and is certain to leave a lasting imprint on their respective fields. Participating artists include Ai Yamaguchi, Ed... more

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92

Draw People in 15 Minutes

Yes, you can draw! And Draw People in 15 Minutes will show you how. By the time you finish this book you'll have all the skills and the confidence you need to sketch people on the move or on the couch.

Professional art instructor Jake Spicer takes you through every aspect of drawing from life, from sketching bodies in a busy public space to drawing a model from real life or a photograph. Carefully crafted exercises break down the drawing process into easily digestible parts, while step-by-step tutorials demonstrate how you can create a full-length portrait in just 15...
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93
Master the art of drawing the figure

Drawing from life has been an important source of expression and satisfaction for artists through the ages. Robert Barrett, master fine artist, instructor and university professor, re-creates his studio class on the pages of this book. Inside, you'll find a complete introduction to life drawing. You'll learn not only how to accurately portray the figure, but also how to bring life and personality to your drawing subjects.

Detailed lessons, including step-by-step demonstrations, cover the fundamentals of drawing and...
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94

An Atlas of Animal Anatomy for Artists

"Highly recommended as one of the very few books on the subject worthy of being used an an authoritative guide." — Design
"Illustrators, sculptors, and taxidermists who draw or model animals will welcome this new revised edition." — Natural History

Here are 288 remarkably lifelike drawings of animals, furnishing artists and students with an easy-to-follow method of instruction in the drawing of horses, dogs, lions, cows and bulls, stags, and goats. So detailed and so accurate are these drawings that this book has long been a classic work of its kind.
The...
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95
This fun and easy-to-use nature drawing and watercolor guide is perfect for anyone inspired by nature to draw, doodle, ink, and paint colorful flora and fauna.

Artist, author, and popular art instructor Peggy Dean presents this nature drawing guide that teaches you how to master drawing and watercolor techniques from sketching and shading to washes and blending. With Peggy's easy and energetic lessons, absolutely anyone--regardless of ability--can learn to draw the natural world. Beginning with delicate cherry blossoms, wildflowers, and lacy ferns, lessons build...
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96

Berger on Drawing

Berger on Drawing is a new anthology of essays in which John Berger explores that most primary and most primal of all art activities: drawing.

The 16 texts are gathered from nearly half a century of the author’s engagement with the activity of drawing, both as a writer and as a practitioner. They are published together in one volume for the first time, accompanied by newly commissioned pieces : including a major collaborative essay by John Berger and his son, the painter Yves Berger; and an exchange of letters on drawing between John Berger and the American art historian...
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97
Named Art Book of the Year by Colored Pencil Magazine

Rendering artwork that leaves viewers contemplating whether they might actually be looking at a photograph is no easy task. Introducing Realistic Portraits in Colored Pencil—a comprehensive guidebook that shows artists the secrets and steps to drawing lifelike portraits in this dynamic medium.


This engaging resource is perfect for artists who want to improve upon their existing skills and learn how to render realistic portraits utilizing a wide range of techniques. After details about the...
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98

The Human Figure

This great classic is still unrivalled for its clear, detailed presentation of thousands of fundamental features of the human figure. Every element of the body (such as the overhang of the upper lip; the puckering at the corners of the mouth; the characteristic proportions of the head, trunk, limbs, etc.; the tension between connected portions of the body; etc.) is carefully and concisely pointed out in the text. Even more helpful are the 430 pencil and charcoal drawings that illustrate each feature so that you are, in effect, shown what to look for by a master teacher.
The result is...
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99
Written by a well-known artist and best-selling art-instruction author with almost rock-star popularity in the contemporary world of representational art, Beginning Drawing Atelier, with its unique workbook/sketchbook approach, and high-quality paper, offers a comprehensive and contemporary twist on traditional Atelier art instruction practices.

Atelier education is centered on the belief that working in a studio, not sitting in the lecture hall, is the best place to learn about art. Every artist needs to learn basic drawing skills.

In this elegant and...
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100
Kawaii—so cute it hurts!

You probably know this already, but the superpopular manga genre of Kawaii is everywhere! From Hello Kitty to Pokémon, these supercute Kawaii creatures are taking over. These characters are intensely cute, simple to draw, and colorfully graphic. The Kawaii genre puts its supercute stamp on a variety of well-known manga staples from adorable anthros to lovable monsters and animals to dark-but-still-cute Goths. Even the breathtaking and beautiful ladies of the Kawaii subgenre moe get their turn in the spotlight. The undisputed master of manga,...
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Don't have time to read the top Figure Drawing books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.