Basic Figure Drawing Techniques North Light Basic Painting

Customer Reviews

Basic, but good

2008-04-26
I needed this book for a class. It's a very good book for someone new to figure dawing. It has some parts that are a bit redundant, but some sections are very helpful, such as; specific points about drawing human hands and heads.
I wish there had been more of this sort of instruction instead of the huge portion of the book dedicated to gesture drawing and basic forms. In my opinion, these sections could have been greatly reduced.
Overall, this book is worth the price and very helpful for beginners.

The human body is nothing more than irregular cylinders, cubes and other shapes.

2006-08-14
I would recommend this book after you have taken a basic drawing class. First you must master the ability to see all around you as basic shapes. After you have completed that task, this book is the next logical step.

From the begininng, this book offers different ways of observing the human body. Nothing much is needed to begin drawing the human body than a pencil and paper, this book will lead the way. However, for those advanced (or really motivated beginners) this book offers a list of other items to purchase.

Each part of the body (except for the feet!) is nicely described in the form of observation and basic shapes. Once you've learned that the human torso is nothing more than a irregularly shaped egg, the rest becomes easy.

J. C.

Feeling ambivalent about this one, but here's why: ...

2004-06-29
I looked over this book very carefully. At first I thought Greg Albert was the author. [I just finished SLAMMING Greg Albert for a different but poorly authored text elsewhere on Amazon!] But looking carefully, the cover states that Greg Albert is only the "editor" of this book, published by NORTH LIGHT.

There was something disturbingly familiar about the illustrations which are excellent...and then I realized, that North Light was the same publisher for WALT REED's "THE FIGURE", published in 1976, and that what North Light Publishers have done is invite GREG ALBERT to do a revision and update of WALT REED's "The Figure" with some new illustrations added, and slapping on an entirely new title. Well...okay...

This may give me an unpleasant feeling concerning authorship, but I did give Walt Reed's text a FIVE STAR rating on Amazon.com, and this has new illustrations added in.

This is an excellent book on beginner drawing, full of Walt Reed's original BLOCK FIGURES and human puppets. NORTH LIGHT PUBLISHERS was wise to update and revise the current text and continue to polish it.

I was disappointed 2004-01-07
I had high expectations for this book, thought it would teach me the correct way to render my sketchings of people better... I really think the sketches in the book could have been better, I thought it looked a little amateurish. Although the author covers many things and tries his hardest to convey what needs to be done, I think the photo lacks more instructions and step-by-step advice.

For instance: he will start with a semi outline of a body and just show you how to fill it in... it wasn't until later in the book he actually tries to show you porportions.

And in the beginning, he has you starting off my scribbling. Maybe that worked for others, but not for me.

I am starting a college drawing course in about 9 days and have been practicing my techniques from different books, but this is one book I'd rather leave on the shelf.

Basic Figure Drawing Techniques(North light Painting) 2000-09-17
An excellent choice, for beginning artists. This book includes many essential tools in figure drawing; such as the underlying bases of the figures, many different distinct poses, and also a good introduction to anatomy from an artistic view, yet still easily understandable by beginners. Within, this book you will find many introductory techniques that start from scribble and transform into to beautiful life forms as well as, well-written passages thoroughly explaining everything every step of the way. Therefore, if your interested in figure drawing and have never before even picked up a pencile;this book is your best choice!