Art Book Review: Freehand Figure Drawing for Illustrators by David H. Ross

Freehand Figure Drawing for Illustrators by David H. Ross

Age range: adult (appropriate for teens, too)

Genre: nonfiction/art/illustration

Series: none

Paperback: 208 pages

Publisher: Watson-Guptill (July 28, 2015)

Source: from publisher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

About the Book:

Draw the Human Figure Anywhere, Anytime

For today’s in-demand comic creators, animators, video game artists, concept designers, and more, being able to quickly draw the human figure in a variety of action-packed poses is a requirement. But what do you do if you don’t have models or photographic reference readily available? In Freehand Figure Drawing for Illustrators, artist and instructor David H. Ross provides an alternative solution, showing you how to master freehand figure drawing without visual reference by using a modern twist on the classic technique of blocking out the human figure in mannequin form. Step-by-step lessons guide illustrators from basic poses (standing, running, jumping) to extreme motions (throwing punches, high kicking). For on-the-go artists, Freehand Figure Drawing for Illustrators allows you complete freedom to bring your figures to life at any time.

Find it:

Amazon | Goodreads | B&N

My Thoughts:

This is a fantastic resource for any illustrator. David Ross takes the reader through the construction of a "glass" mannequin (both male and female) in proper proportion and perspective.  He takes the reader through various poses and explains the challenges that come with different angles and foreshortening. There is a wealth of great information in this book for the comic book artists and children's book illustrators out there.

I wish the sections on perspective and developing a finished figure had more detail. Those explanations were thin, but overall, this is a great read and a wonderful book for artists and illustrators. I especially like the assignments at the end of each chapter. If you read the book and complete the assignments, you will have a fairly good understanding of how to construct the human figure from your imagination or memory.

Content: It's a figure drawing book, so there are some nude figures, but nothing provocative.

4 STARS

Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.