The Art of Figure Drawing [Paperback]

Clem Robins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 10, 2003

The Art of Figure Drawing is a practical guide to realistic figure drawing that combines direct observation of the human form with an analytical study of anatomy, perspective, light and shade, and composition. Robins teaches how to draw the figure realistically in a classic style. He begins with a lively presentation of practical information. Perspective and anatomy are introduced with the aim of arming readers with the information they need to make convincing drawings. Step by step demonstrations illustrate the drawing process, with each demo focusing on various mediums and time constraints. Throughout the book are inspiring examples of finished drawings accompanied by captions pointing out how theory is expressed in practice to achieve the desired artistic effects.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

From classic figure drawing flows a complete vocabulary of skilled techniques basic to visual art. Robins' guide considers the elements--line, light and shade, mass, texture, foreshortening, and more--using basic geometric shapes to achieve accurate renderings of the nude human figure. His explanation of equilibrium and center of gravity as applied to figure drawing is particularly helpful to the novice exploring this essential foundational skill, and the index makes for user-friendliness. Whitney Scott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Clem Robins is a professional artist, teacher and illustrator: He has been a courtroom artist, worked in the comic book industry, and has numerous illustrations in various publications. He currently teachers at the Art Academy of Cincinnati.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books (January 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581802048
• ISBN-13: 978-1581802047
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #586,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars i am the author!! take this with a grain of salt!!, November 25, 2004

By 

Clem J. Robins (cincinnati, ohio) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: The Art of Figure Drawing (Paperback)

Bruce Bain's excellent review of my book makes very valid points. My book is certainly NOT a complete guide to figure drawing, whether classical or otherwise. I wish I could contact him personally, and tell him so; judging from the quality of his review, it would be a very good conversation.

The only point worth addressing is how little control an author has over any North Light publication. I did not title the book, let alone subtitle it "a complete guide to classical figure drawing". My own title was "The Language of Figure Drawing".

I was given 144 pages in which to make what points I could. This does not excuse any incompleteness here; no one forced me to sign the contract. But that contract is not unique, and Mr. Bain would be well advised to bear these things in mind. There are plenty of things in the book that are my own fault, and that I wish I could redo. (There will be a second edition, in which some of these are indeed addressed.)

There are a lot of ways to teach drawing. I make no apologies for the methodology I used in my book. I have been teaching figure drawing for years, and the methods employed in the book have helped a lot of people. The book makes what I consider to be some excellent points, some of which have never been addressed elsewhere, to my knowledge. (The chapter on The Rule of Tipped Cylinders is a good example.)

I hope someday to do a really complete book, but this would require some more space. In the meantime, I do recommend the book, as well as quite a few others. (North Light left out a reading list which contained quite a few of these.)

It has been a great pleasure to have my book read, and commented on, by people of Mr. Bain's calibre.

I think the book's well worth the price, incomplete as it may be.

If you can only afford one book, try "George Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing From Life". Shortly before his death, the great comic book illustrator Gil Kane told me he was just beginning to grasp Bridgman. It's a book you'll live with, and feed upon for the rest of your life.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best, September 22, 2006

By 

Steve Henrichs "shenrichs" (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Figure Drawing (Paperback)

As an amateur who loves to draw, I've read quite a few books on the subject, and spent numerous hours in life drawing (i.e. from a live model) sessions. Clem Robins' book is by far one of the best out there.

First of all, Mr. Robins' example drawings are some of the best I've seen in this kind of book, each of them expressing the model's unique gesture and personality with a surprising economy of means. That kind of skill level is not easy to come by. I find myself going back to the examples just to remind myself of how compelling an image of the human figure can be crafted with just a few simple drawing tools.

The explanatory text is easy to follow and full of gems of information, and gives clear examples of how to approach a live drawing in several different mediums. The nuts and bolts, as wells as the subtleties, of producing a convincing figure drawing are difficult to convey in any format, and I feel that Clem Robins book meets the challenge admirably.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars good book, September 25, 2003

By 

Brian Vanlandingham (Raleigh, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Figure Drawing (Paperback)

I've been involved in figure drawing for about three years, hardly an expert. Still I found that this book contained information I've not encountered elsewhere or in other guides to figure drawing. ( I have a shelf full of them )Some of the ideas the author presents have changed my understanding of what it is I am trying to accomplish in my drawing. I recommend it to anyone trying to come to terms with 'classical' drawing style. People more into avant garde may find it somewhat lacking in passion, but thats just the style of drawing presented.