Drawing People: How to Portray the Clothed Figure [Hardcover]

Barbara Bradley (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 2003

A complete course in drawing, Drawing People focuses on the clothed person as opposed to the nude figure. The first part of the book discusses the necessary parts of any drawing--proportion, perspective and value. Part two deals with drawing folds and drapery. Author Barbara Bradley shows readers how they can use folds in their drawings, how they're constructed, and how to draw them on people. She also includes information on how to draw different clothing on people, discussing types of fabrics and how they fold. The final section of the book includes all the tips readers need to complete their figures, including drawing heads and hands accurately and special instructions for drawing children.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Barbara Bradley was the Director of Illustration for 25 years at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. She has taught several classes and workshops on drawing in the US, as well as in London. Her work is displayed in the Society of Illustrators Museum of American Illustration and in the permanent collection of the US Air Force. She lives in Berkeley, California.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 176 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books; 1 edition (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581803591
• ISBN-13: 978-1581803594
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,937 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing > Figure Drawing

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Drawing People How to Portray the Clothed Figure, September 14, 2005

By 

Patricia E. Theonnes "PET ARTIST" (Newcastle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Drawing People: How to Portray the Clothed Figure (Hardcover)

This is a must have book for any artist. The book is like a guide for home reparis. Only the subject matter is figure, clothing, portraits, and posture of figures, eyeballs and noses, and even how to hold a pencil. An example of the excellent instruction is on how to draw a cloth fold. "Imagine ants as they follow trails over the fold. They disappear and reappear." The information is better then any class I have taken or book I have read. It is not a book just on technique, but it teaches how to see the object. Barbara Bradley shares a road map, and shell tells what signs to watch out for and what intersections can create a problem. Every artist should have this book.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Heart of a Good Drawing, February 3, 2004

By 

Sandrah Moles (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Drawing People: How to Portray the Clothed Figure (Hardcover)

Barbara Bradley's book, "Drawing People" is a completely comprehensive approach to figure drawing.
She covers every technical challenge, from physically setting-up to draw and various mediums to use, to proper figure proportions and nuances in facial and hand gestures, to portraying correct fabric texture and draping on the figure.
She not only conveys every technical aspect of learning good draughtsmanship, she speaks to the heart and soul of the artist, instructing them to form an opinion of a subject before translating it to paper.
The subtle power of her expressive poses suceeds in conveying the true essence of great figure drawing...the emotional heart of portraying a human being.
Beginners will learn from it but this book is easily an art instructors' secret weapon.
Sincerely,
Sandrah Raef Moles

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Dean of Illustrators!, November 6, 2003

By 

Po "pofoto" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Drawing People: How to Portray the Clothed Figure (Hardcover)

As an artist and past student of Barbara, I felt this book deserves my first book review here!
I truly wished this book was made available to all of us many years ago, to be more exact I wish this book was made available to me twenty years ago. Barbara has taught alongside some of the best illustrators of her time, and has been an influence in directing some of today's best.
About her book, for so long we have made Andrew Loomis' books as our drawing textbook and deservedly so, today and finally we can all experience Barbara's teaching in her book. You will learn about drawing the figure, construction of folds over the body, OPINION, rhythm, and continuity and more, by looking at her examples and reading her book.
Basically I'm writing this book review, because people like my younger brother, for example, in another country and love to draw, should all know a drawing book like this is finally available, and shouldn't be without! I still wish I had this book sooner!