Life Drawing: How To Portray The Figure With Accuracy And Expression (Hardcover)

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Key Phrases: diaper fold, drop folds, design anatomy, Pectoralis Major (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Drawing people is more than just accurately capturing the anatomy and details of the subject. Artists that capture the soul of the model breathe life into the artwork by expressing a mood, idea or emotion that cannot be captured by accurate rendering alone. Life Drawing will give the reader all the tools necessary to draw people accurately and expressively, thus setting it apart from books that teach technique only. A variety of materials (nupastel, charcoal and graphite) will be used to give the intermediate artist a range of options to choose what works best for the subject of each drawing.

About the Author

In addition to being an accomplished painter, muralist, and illustrator, Robert Barrett is also a professor in the Department of Visual Arts at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: North Light Books; illustrated edition edition (May 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581809794
• ISBN-13: 978-1581809794
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #200,188 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Effective and useful, November 1, 2008

By	William Whitaker (Provo, UT) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Robert Barrett's wonderful book is playing a large and inspiring part in the educational program I run here at my studio. It is well organized and covers so many approaches with clarity and precision that I can think of no other single book on drawing the figure that is as effective overall. Bob writes well and draws even better.

William Whitaker

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars British Review "Artist's and Illustrator's", October 31, 2008

By	Erin Wall "EWall" (Provo, Utah) - See all my reviews

The following is a book review from the British publication "Artist's and Illustrator's" - July 2008

Life Drawing
Robert Barrett

Another month, another life drawing book. Thankfully, Robert Barrett has chosen to recreate his studio classes on paper, and in doing so offers a novel spin on well-worn subject matter.

The usual sections on useful materials, proportions and anatomy are all dealt with confidently but it is when he digs up less obvious considerations that this book really shines.

The chapter on hard and soft edges is worth the cover price alone. After showing how to delineate between subject and background with ease, Barrett's demonstration portrait then emerges from a charcoal haze over seven easy steps.

The book's tagline talks of portraying figures with "accuracy and expression" and by placing the emphasis on the latter quality, "Life Drawing" has resuscitated a tired book genre.

David & Charles

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars getting started, February 17, 2009

By	Ronald John Baker (Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This well presented book develops clear chapters which demonstrate how to study figure drawing from a wide variety of approaches. It does not limit to one particular procedure but offers many ways to get into the subject, all of which it demonstrates via very fine drawings/sketches. Very strong on structural approaches.