Learn to observe, analyze and draw the human body

INTRODUCTION

In my first book, The Art & Science of Drawing, I teach the fundamental skills required to draw. In this book, I teach how to apply those skills to figure drawing. Figure drawing is one the most challenging but fulfilling drawing practices you can undertake. Drawing the human body puts you in touch with the deepest parts of humanity. A successful figure drawing requires you to understand the body as a functional machine and to be captivated by the body’s intense beauty and expressive nature.

I fell in love with figure drawing in my teens and have made it an absolute priority in my life. However, learning how to do it was not a straightforward path. It seems there are an infinite number of approaches to figure drawing, many of which contradict one another. I tried out every method I encountered as I struggled to master the craft. Over the years, I realized there were tried-and-true fundamentals that many of the masters agree upon and use in their own practice. But there also seemed to be significant gaps in the canon of figure drawing tools and techniques. There seemed to be many unanswered questions. So, in addition to learning from others, I began exploring and experimenting with new methods of my own.

This book is my best attempt at providing you, dear reader, with a straightforward approach to the fundamentals of figure drawing that is both logical and lyrical. This is the book I wish I had found when I was learning. It contains many tried-and-true methods that have been refined over centuries. It also contains methods of my own design that, if they exist elsewhere, I am not aware of. In this book, I present a complete process for learning the fundamentals of figure drawing. No single book can contain the entirety of knowledge you will need to master the craft of figure drawing, but this book provides the essential, foundational skills and strategies you will need to develop competence. Once you have learned the skills in this book, you will be able to build upon them until you reach mastery.