Figure Drawing for All It's Worth Hardcover – May 31, 2011

Most books on figure drawing go something like this: Step 1-sketch the figure; Step 2-fill in all the details. That's a HUGE step from the sketch to the detailed drawing!!! Many so-called figure drawing instructional books are simply portfolios of the author's artwork with very little instruction. Tsk.Loomis is different. He goes through all the intermediate steps you need to draw a figure. You learn to draw "manikins" from your imagination, with body parts in the proper proportions, and in all kinds of poses. He also teaches you how to draw the figure in perspective. Once you master that, he covers all the anatomy you need to know in order to create realistic figures. Finally with all that mastered, he covers clothing & shading the figure (value) along with how to draw some of the more complex body parts like heads, hands, and feet.As a professor I can state confidently that the step-by-step teaching approach in this book is the best that you can find, outside of maybe taking a class. But even most figure drawing classes don't cover the material in this book!To summarize you learn the fundamentals of drawing figures: proportion, anatomy, perspective, values, color, and knowledge of mediums and materials. The only drawback for today's students (who I find mainly want to draw Manga and Anime-style characters) is that the drawing style is dated. But if you master the fundamentals in this book you can easily adapt them to other genres.- Professor F., past-Director of UNM's Interdisciplinary Film & Digital Media Program

This book has been absolutely great. It’s another tool in my belt. Ide recommend the book to beginners or the artist that’s further along the road. There’s bound to be something in here that anyone could find useful. It’s basically everything you need to know about the body and nothing you don’t. Loomis takes a more proportional approach rather than going step by step through the lengthy and unnecessary process of learning all the bones, and the muscles and the this and the that. He’s concise, but doesn’t hold back information. The book is simple, but doesn’t lack depth. Ide happy buy it again, buy it for an aspiring artist, and even pay double for it. This book is truly worth every penny and the effort it took to write a review as it’s not something I often care to do. Please enjoy!

I was recommended this book by my figure drawing professor. The book covers practically every aspect of human anatomy and form. It is also especially beginner friendly, and offers a clear roadmap to follow. Whether you are a beginner or already understand human anatomy, this book is a must-have addition to your collection of resources. If you're looking at any other guide to figure drawing/anatomy, forget about it and start with this!

This is the first time I've ever heard of Andrew Loomis or any of his books. I must say I am completely impressed. This is exactly the type of instruction book I was looking for.This will not tell you which lines to put and where when you are drawing the human figure. It will, however, help you with ratios (my biggest issue), different angles, age groups, and how to make it all look realistic. The tips are really well written and simple to understand. There may have been one or two points with that I disagreed with, but that was not essential to my overall appreciation of the book.It is a rather large book. Not thick, but large. I hadn't looked at the description to see its dimensions, but it's not a problem. In fact, I love the size of it. It makes the sketches inside more clear and they don't have to use a miniscule type for the words. Just let it be known it is about the size of your average coffee table book.Worth the purchase and helps the drawing of the human figure tremendously.

This book has it all. Nothing else is needed for a wholesome understanding of the human form. At the most I might toss in a little Bridgman for a more geometry/construction based approach. Someone wrote in the reviews that Loomis "traced" the figure. If you want to know more about his creative process and how he used his references (which ALL professionals DO use), check out his other awesome book called "Creative Illustration". This book will teach you the fundamentals. That book will transform you into an artist. But as for the tracing thing - oh please. I'm sure that Loomis could have absolutely gotten away with it, but why on earth such a brilliantly skilled artist, who not only has mastered anatomy and perspective but has a strong handle on form and light would need to trace is absolutely beyond me - actually I would pay to see his traced drawings! Lol. Get this book (in printed form) and just do the work. You won't regret it!!

I have been struggling with learning how to draw the human figure in order to create my own stories. I heard a lot about Andrew Loomis when I was looking for how to draw heads. This book has useful information and drawings that can be used for reference but only for those who are almost out of the beginner phase of drawing. The systems introduced were a little complicated for me when first learning how to draw the human figure so I took a break to read other books that are a little easier to understand. When coming back to finish this book my understanding of the information provided in this book slightly increased. I would say it is a good book for every artist to have in their library but may not be that friendly to beginners but the drawings make great references if you understand the terminology. Since there are other artist that explain these topics in a simpler, much up to date way, I would start with those then come back to read this book.

Much like the other books, it's simply good. Nothing bad can be really said about it from me. Bonus points for the funny doodles