The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing: A Contemporary Perspective on the Classical Tradition (Paperback)

~ (Author) "LEARNING TO DRAW is like learning a new language..." (more)
Key Phrases: unobscured image, form shadow edge, individual convexities, Detail of Figure, Detail of Piano Student, Detail of Woman (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Many of us want to learn “how to draw.” But as artist Anthony Ryder explains, it’s much more important to learn what to draw. In other words, to observe and draw what we actually see, rather than what we think we see. When it comes to drawing the human figure, this means letting go of learned ideas and expectation of what the figure should look like. It means carefully observing the interplay of form and light, shape and line, that combine to create the actual appearance of human form. In The Artist’s Complete Guide to Figure Drawing, amateur and experienced artists alike are guided toward this new way of seeing and drawing the figure with a three-step drawing method.

The book’s progressive course starts with the block-in, an exercise in seeing and establishing the figure’s shape. It then build to the contour, a refined line drawing that represents the figure’s silhouette. The last step is tonal work on the inside of the contour, when light and shadow are shaped to create the illusion of form. Separate chapters explore topics critical to the method: gesture, which expresses a sense of living energy to the figure; light, which largely determines how we see the model; and form, which conveys the figure’s volume and mass. Examples, step-by-steps, and special “tips” offer helpful hints and practical guidance throughout.

Lavishly illustrated with the author’s stunning artwork, The Artist’s Complete Guide to Figure Drawing combines solid instruction with thoughtful meditations on the art of drawing, to both instruct and inspire artists of all levels.

About the Author

Anthony J. Ryder studied at the Art Students League of New York, the New York Academy of Art, and the École Albert Defois in France with oil painter Ted Seth Jacobs. He began his teaching career at the New York Academy in 1985, and has taught at the Art Students League and in various locations in the United States and France. His paintings and drawings are in many private collections. Mr. Ryder lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill; 1st edition (June 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823003035
• ISBN-13: 978-0823003037
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #29,839 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful people, beautiful pictures., January 28, 2002

By	Peter Mackay "surgeonsmate" (Campbell, ACT Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are looking for an introductory book to ease you into being a whiz in life class, this is not it.

The techniques described are time-consuming and require a steady eye and hand - not something the average beginner has a lot of, with five or twenty minute poses and a wobbly easel.

But if you can get a model to hold the same pose for hours, possibly over several sessions, and you have some experience in figure drawing, then you may find this book extremely valuable.

Anthony Ryder talks the reader through the techniques, step by detailed step, aiming for understanding rather than slavish repetition. His method is logical and elegant, and if understood and practised, may result in some extremely good drawings.

Don't expect overnight success, however - there is a lot that is required before you can even start with this book. You'll need to know basic techniques with your media, be able to judge angles and proportions, have a good understanding of anatomy, and probably be able to handle a model in adopting the same pose session after session.

There is a good reason why most of the drawings in this book are of reclining models. Standing poses simply cannot be held for the amount of time it takes to achieve the same results. You'll need at least half an hour just to achieve the basic outline, probably more.

But having said all of the above, I must now state that this book is proof positive that Ryder's techniques work, are reproducible and can result in images of stunning beauty.

You still have to select a model and a pose, and this is another basic skill required, but Ryder is obviously a master at this, and the book is filled with drawings of the nude that are simply breathtaking in their beauty. Model, pose, arrangement and execution are all perfect. Classically elegant.

This is a book that rewards the eye as much as the mind, and it is a feast for both. If you aspire to greatness in your figure drawing, then buy this book, study it, and apply the lessons.

Recommended for artists of moderate experience. Highly recommended.

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Breathes new life into drawing from life, June 23, 2000

By	Phat Kat "poet and teacher" (Midland, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews

If you're looking for anatomy lessons and short cuts (the eyes are one eye apart, the head five eyes wide sort of thing) then this is not the book for you. If you want to learn how to draw from life, to develop the basic techniques in tandem with a loving patience and relaxed attention, then this book will be hard to beat. Ryder demonstrates his method - starting with the "envelope" moving on to the "block in" then finished contour, and ending with the delicate shading that give life and mass to the drawings - with painstaking (but painless) care and wonderfully helpful illustrations from his own work.

I would strongly recommend this book with the warning that there are no shortcuts to drawing as brilliantly as Ryder - one thing that makes this book great is that Ryder doesn't pretend that there are any shortcuts. He admits up front that it takes hours of careful attention and work to get to the finished contour - which is the outline of the figure without the shading. But what he does give you is a very helpful technique. He helps with tips on judging distances, widths, proportions, angles; he helps with shading, seeing light and dark, building up tones.

Ryder is scrapping the scales of our eyes with this book, helping us to see - ultimately the most important aspect of drawing from life - and then showing you the best ways to get what you see on the page. It seems assumed that you will be working from a model or at the very least a superbly lit photograph. I think this book, coupled with Drawing on The Right Side of The Brain, would make an at-home-art-course that would be hard to beat.

67 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE definitive work on quality figure drawing!, June 27, 2001

By A Customer

As a practicing artist I have to say that this is the finest book of its kind I've come across. If you are serious about taking a traditional approach to figure drawing and want to produce artwork of the finest quality, this is the book to look at. If you just want to learn to do quick sketches then you might look elsewhere, since the approach discussed is time-consuming and painstaking. But it is THE way to go if you are serious about fine art. If I was only allowed to have one book on my shelf this would be it.