The Big Book of Drawing and Painting the Figure (Paperback)

~ Muntsa Calbo I Angrill (Author) "The great appeal of depicting the nude in art is the very fact that we are dealing with the human body in a way that..." (more)
Key Phrases: flesh colors, broken colors, color study, Louvre Museum, Pere Mon, Miquel Ferrón (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The latest addition to the popular Big Book series, this volume will inspire every artist, working in every medium, who wants to include human figures in his or her artwork. Over 500 full-color illustrations.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Spanish

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823038963
• ISBN-13: 978-0823038961
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #424,823 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Painting People, January 27, 2002

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

This is a great overview for anybody who wants to paint the human figure. It covers the tradition of the nude, the basics of proportions and anatomy, a variety of media, clothed and nude, various types of poses and models. Just about everything.

Step by step guides from pose to painting are frequent - we see inside an artist's studio, palette, thought processes and techniques. As a beginner in life drawing, I found this book my number one resource whenever I wanted to practice and follow up what I had learnt in class.

Not an in-depth guide to a narrow subject, this book's breadth is its strong point. An ideal starting place, but without stopping too soon and leaving the user or reader wanting more. A perfect mix of overview and detail, in my opinion.

Highly recommended.

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thorough Overview, July 13, 2002

By	KNW (Fullerton, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is more than just basic instruction, but it starts with the basics and progresses though the essentials to advanced figure drawing and painting concepts. It is not a step-by-step guide but a thorough presentation of these concepts and how they relate to the final artwork. I have read numerous other books and taken a number of life drawing and painting classes so I was especially impressed to learn several techniques/concepts which were new to me. In addition, several artists are featured which helps avoid techniques unique to a particular artist. I highly recommend the book for any artist seeking a comprehensive overview of figure drawing and painting.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Visually Perfect, July 5, 2002

By	Kevin Goodman (Some where USA) - See all my reviews

This is my favorite book on painting the figure. The book demonstrates that there are many approaches to the figure and each technique is demonstrated by a different artist. The book is very well illustrated with color photo's of the examples in process, the artist working on them and there models. Truth is I admire some of the artist in the book and enjoy the beautiful photo's of there work. For the student and the master of art the book offers many angles and approaches in every medium. The books introduction was written philosophically and historically offering an overview of changes in attitude and approaches artist have tackled the figure with. In the end it's a very sincere, informative, and visually dynamic book. A must have for any artist or teachers library.