Figure drawing is as much a science as it is an art. In art schools, students spend hour upon hour sketching live models. Eventually, most develop an acute sense of the anatomical details that give the human body its shape. Students also learn how these features interact with light and shadow and affect contour and form.

In Complete Anatomy and Figure Drawing, author and fine artist John Raynes shares his thoughts on the “art class” method, but first, he spends a great deal of time on human anatomy itself.

The book begins with a detailed examination of the human skeleton. The scientific names of each part are provided. I think that’s extremely valuable. Gorgeous graphite, colored pencil, and watercolor drawings cover every page, and each topic is contextualized. For example, you will probably never need to draw a pelvic bone, but you must understand how its shape and structure balances the human body if you want to draw realistic figures. Some of the skeletal drawings even include an outline that shows where the skin would be. This gives you a sense of how the interior structures affect the overall form.

Though the drawings are both technical and lovely, I would have liked to see some photos as well. That way, I could have sketched along as I read. Even so, I learned a lot about the human form from this section.

The subsequent information about muscles increased my understanding. Detailed descriptions and drawings of the muscles are provided, and you can really see the body coming together. You start to know what to look for when drawing, and even when posing, a figure.

The remainder of the book focuses on the “surface form” (the human body as a whole) and “figure drawing” (the human body in a pose), and this is where you’ll find photos. Many photographs of nude figures are presented along with the author’s drawings. The focus of each is a different pose, which either accentuates certain muscles or creates a certain form. Tricky areas, like the upper back, are covered in depth, and you’re presented with a wide range of models so you can see how the body varies according to sex, age, weight, and level of fitness.

While you’re looking at the photos and finished sketches, the text reminds you of what you’ve learned about the skeleton and muscles so far, and that pulls it all together. The large section on figure drawing walks you step-by-step through the basic sketching, the addition of details, and the finishing touches of light and shadow.

Unlike most art classes and other figure drawing titles, this book devotes some time to both clothing and the character or expression of your model. (I would have liked even more on this topic.) This provides a useful springboard because you don’t feel compelled to sketch nudes over and over again, like in art class. Instead, you can apply what you’ve learned to a wide range of projects.

Figure drawing isn’t easy, but if you can master it, most of your other sketches will improve as well. If you’re a beginner, this will get you off to a good start, and if you’ve drawn figures in the past, it should refresh your memory. Either way, it’ll help you keep your skills fresh and strong.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 1st, 2008 at 3:21 pm and is filed under Book Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.