Customer Reviews
Don't recommending buying unless your an amateur on Technique. 
2008-09-05
As some others have said this book is good for artists who have some mild experience. But no doubt techniques such as enveloping, blocking in, and learning how to scan your eyes to see form is something that is very important. This of course this isn't the whole picture to drawing technique, and as one review said following his technique could to some degree eventually make your drawings a bit like his; if perhaps you ever got such a precise eye. So don't take this book and try to become the next Tony Ryder. I recommend borrowing it. If you know how to block in figures and break down form, shade and so on, this book won't be of much use to you except to see Ryder's drawings (which tend to get boring since they're more about preciseness and not the work). But Ryder is a good guy and doing his part for classical realism. So if you got the money support him and support the movement!
eye opening 
2008-04-20
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn the correct way to draw the human figure in an accurate and realistic way. I went to art school in the early eighties and was never taught this approach to drawing and now that I have read this book my life drawing skills have improved immensely.
The guide to masterpiece 2008-03-21
The study of classical drawing of Old Masters is not only necessary step, but enjoyable touch to timeless magic of art.
Classical Drawing.. the (almost) lost art.. 2008-01-25
I actually started out using the Bargue Drawing Course (invented in the 19th century) to learn classical drawing methods. This book is the PERFECT addendum for anyone that is trying to understand how to draw accurately from life. The Bargue Drawing Course is VERY light on technical tips (since it was intended for use in an atelier where a master could instruct the student on proper technique).
Most drawing classes today emphasize gestural drawing and 'quick' drawing. These are very useful skills to have (no doubt!), but accuracy and good draftsmanship will never come from gestural and quick practice. Someone seeking to be well rounded in the technical aspects of drawing can do no better than with this book. Before exposure to this book my drawing was 'topped'.. this gave me the tools to take my drawing to the next level.
Figure Drawing 2008-01-21
This is an excellent book. It takes a fresh look at teaching both beginners and experienced artists on his approach. It's very well written and easy to understand. This is one of the best art instruction books, if not the best, that I've ever worked with.
Really nice book 
2007-07-31
I got this book for my life drawing class and I really like this book. It does not teach anatomy or proportion. It shows the classical way of doing figure drawing and how to do finish rendering. It's more traditional approach and really helpful. I have learned a lot from it.
Good for drawing "live" 2006-07-17
Very usefull, very pleasant to read. I was expecting more explanations about the relationship between anatomy and the human pose, but it's more about how to look at the model to draw it well.
Thank God for an excellent figurative painter! 2006-03-04
Ryder's book is a delight to leaf through, looking at the excellent life drawings in red earth, done with the same accuracy and passion as the masters of the past.
He gives a very clear account of how to tackle the drawing in phases, until it is finished.
I would have rated the book a solid 5, were it not that in my opinion Ryder spends too little time giving advice on how to measure proportions, which are the basis of a successful life drawing or portrait. He is undoubtedly a masterful draftsman, but the less experienced artist reading his book would expect to be led step by step on such an important aspect of drawing from life.
Excellent, but... 2005-11-04
The general consensus of the reviews I've read is that this is a fine book, but not for beginners. My take is somewhat different.
First of all, I think this is a fine book for a beginner if she or he is not (unlike most beginners it seems) indignant at the idea of having to have exercise patience and concentration.
Anthony Ryder is a fine draftsman and, to judge from this book, a fine teacher as well. He explains his method quite admirably. How others can think otherwise is a mystery to me. As far as I'm concerned, he does an excellent job of combining instruction in mechanical technique with broader insights into the process of drawing. While I have never met him, I find he comes across in this book as quite a likeable person.
I do, however, have a reservation. The author seems to have little understanding of, or at least does not convey, the limitations of the method he teaches.
For accurately conveying the appearance of still subjects in controlled lighting, I think this method is without better.
Many subjects, however, cannot be portrayed accurately using this method. You simply cannot make a good drawing of a living deer or chickadee, for instance, using this framework. Nor can you portray human subjects that are impractical for studio sessions, for instance a battle scene with many people (try paying just one model for 8 hours of posing) and in positions that no model can hold for very long or at all. All the work of A.R. that I have seen is either of inanimate objects or of human models in relatively leisurely poses, and his method reflects that.
Nonetheless, learning to draw accurately from still life is an essential skill for those who want to do realistic work, and this book is an excellent foundation. However, if you want to work with subjects other than lounging models and objects on table tops, you will need to go beyond it.
Figure Drawing 2005-08-12
Mr. Ryder has compiled wonderful book for the figure drawing beginer that includes many types of drawings and drawing media, from pencil to charcoal to pastels. It is extremely well ilustrated with many great tips for the beginers. This is a book that I highly recomend for those just starting to those are already on their way.
