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Start your review of Figure Drawing: Design and Invention

Drawing has been a lifelong interest of mine, but until recently, I was barely able to draw much more than a stick figure. Around a year ago, I decided to seriously devote efort to learning to draw. It's a great skill to have, requires little in the way of materials and can be fun. SInce that decision, I've purchased and used about 10 books to drawing, mostly figure drawing. this was the last book on the subject I purchased, and, I am convinced, the last one I need. Hampton lays out what you nee Drawing has been a lifelong interest of mine, but until recently, I was barely able to draw much more than a stick figure. Around a year ago, I decided to seriously devote efort to learning to draw. It's a great skill to have, requires little in the way of materials and can be fun. SInce that decision, I've purchased and used about 10 books to drawing, mostly figure drawing. this was the last book on the subject I purchased, and, I am convinced, the last one I need. Hampton lays out what you need to become a better artist. I believe that anyone who is interested in the subject could pick up this book, and within a few hours see a marked difference in their skill at drawing. What I found the most helpful is that on sections where he is going over muscles and shapes, he uses color to call out what he is talking about. If you are interested in any type of drawing that involves the human figure, definitely take a look at this book. ...more

Nov 17, 2009 Parka rated it it was amazing

(More pictures at parkablogs.com)

The approach covered is primarily concerned with the use of line, development of form, and the simplified design of anatomy. It doesn't go into contour drawing, shading and expression.

The many illustrated examples are aimed at helping students develop a feel for the form and volume of figures they draw. To that aspect, I think it does a very good job.

The use of simple geometric shapes as drawing guides are simple to understand. Not only that, Michael Hampton

(More pictures at parkablogs.com)

The approach covered is primarily concerned with the use of line, development of form, and the simplified design of anatomy. It doesn't go into contour drawing, shading and expression.

The many illustrated examples are aimed at helping students develop a feel for the form and volume of figures they draw. To that aspect, I think it does a very good job.

The use of simple geometric shapes as drawing guides are simple to understand. Not only that, Michael Hampton also builds onto to those simplified mannequins with lots of clearly illustrated muscles. The muscle groups are visualised very distinctly in the examples. They are colour-coded to bring attention those that affect form when the body is in different positions.

I like the part on finding landmarks — bones that are near the skin. Colour-coded and shown very clearly, with rotating views from front to back.

The book does have head drawing but the focus is on the form rather than the details of the features, although the examples do show the details. It still covers enough for for anyone to draw a decent head.

One thing that's missing is the mention of figure proportions, like how many heads tall a body, length of an arm, etc. That I think will complete the book. There's nothing on bones and you won't learn how muscle works, but this isn't an anatomy reference book. That said, having an anatomy reference book to go along will be extremely helpful.

This is a useful book for artists learning to create and pose their own figures. Recommend for beginner and intermediate artists.

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This book is an excellent resource for strengthening the fundamentals of figure drawing by breaking down the complexity of the human form into shapes and lines

The diagrams were so easy to analyze and replicate in my own Art that after a few study sessions I felt confident to apply and experiment without a reference to crib from

The anatomy is simplified enough, particularly when rendering the arm with its various muscle groups, to not get overwhelmed. Each part of the process is chunked into mana

This book is an excellent resource for strengthening the fundamentals of figure drawing by breaking down the complexity of the human form into shapes and lines

The diagrams were so easy to analyze and replicate in my own Art that after a few study sessions I felt confident to apply and experiment without a reference to crib from

The anatomy is simplified enough, particularly when rendering the arm with its various muscle groups, to not get overwhelmed. Each part of the process is chunked into manageable sections making it an excellent teaching resource as well

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Sep 06, 2018 Hanieh Salehi rated it really liked it

I started figure drawing with this book. really helps on learning a useful summary of muscles and bones, but my drawings then looked mechanical. The problem was solved when I started drawing from life and seeing force in figures, and then the information inside this book came in handy.

Mar 30, 2019 Elizabeth rated it it was amazing

One of the best anatomy books I've used. It keeps things practical and informative while not getting overly wordy or needlessly complex. Gives you the tools and exercises you need to build good figure drawing habits. One of the best anatomy books I've used. It keeps things practical and informative while not getting overly wordy or needlessly complex. Gives you the tools and exercises you need to build good figure drawing habits. ...more

Oct 09, 2014 Kaśyap rated it it was amazing

Definitely one of the best figure drawing books i have referred to.

Dec 23, 2015 Tazio Bettin rated it it was amazing

One of the very best books on anatomy I've ever stumbled upon. Wonderful for understanding the structure of the body, though maybe not as good as Burne Hogarth's when it comes to gesture and pose. One of the very best books on anatomy I've ever stumbled upon. Wonderful for understanding the structure of the body, though maybe not as good as Burne Hogarth's when it comes to gesture and pose. ...more

May 10, 2021 Serge Pierro rated it it was amazing

Although not strictly an anatomy book, "Figure Drawing: Design and Invention" by Michael Hampton will likely find itself within the same area of your art library. The focus here is on the construction of the human figure and, more importantly, the ability to be able to construct it from your imagination. Using somewhat abstract shapes/designs, Hampton presents an organized method to learning how to design and build the human form.

Not surprising for a book of this nature, it begins with a secti

Not surprising for a book of this nature, it begins with a section on Gesture Drawing, taking you though the essential elements necessary for creating poses that aren't "stiff" and are dynamic in nature. From there he moves onto Landmarks of the body.

The rest of the book is devoted to Head Drawing, Anatomy, Arms, Hands, Legs and Feet. Though is should be noted that these sections present the anatomy to some degree, but the emphasis is on the construction using abstract forms and then a concise look at the actual anatomy. You will certainly need other books to get your foundation of anatomy, but this does present a nice overview.

The book also includes a chapter on Drapery, which seems to be out of place, when compared to the rest of the material in the book. But the basic folds are covered and should prove to be useful for those looking for an introduction to the topic.

I've learned a lot from the book by drawing the material within the book and absorbing his approach to construction. There's a lot to like within these covers and I'm sure that you will come away with something of value to your studies. Just don't expect a "definitive" book on Anatomy, as there are many other books that are more suited for a deeper look at the subject, example: books by Goldfinger, Peck and Richer, among others.

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This book is okey but not as great as I've read it is. In my research I got the impression that this was the greatest book out there in drawing humans, as Loomis seemed to be a bit overwhelming for self-learning/beginner artists. That may be, but this book didn't cover proportions well enough or steps in drawing. Shapes here and shapes there isn't very helpful for a beginner, nor is a half completed sketch with the text study the image. I will be checking out Loomis after all or keep researching This book is okey but not as great as I've read it is. In my research I got the impression that this was the greatest book out there in drawing humans, as Loomis seemed to be a bit overwhelming for self-learning/beginner artists. That may be, but this book didn't cover proportions well enough or steps in drawing. Shapes here and shapes there isn't very helpful for a beginner, nor is a half completed sketch with the text study the image. I will be checking out Loomis after all or keep researching for a more educational material. I'm a bit disappointed as I was searching for ONE book to cover it all. ...more

I give this book 5 stars because I think it succeeds at what is is trying to do, presenting a simple yet functional process for successful figure drawing, but since I am complete beginner large parts of the anatomy chapters was too overwhelming for me, so I am going to have to come back to this one after more practice. When that time comes I plan to combine the revisit of this book with Michal Hamptons figure drawing course as it seems this book is actually a summery of the figure drawing course I give this book 5 stars because I think it succeeds at what is is trying to do, presenting a simple yet functional process for successful figure drawing, but since I am complete beginner large parts of the anatomy chapters was too overwhelming for me, so I am going to have to come back to this one after more practice. When that time comes I plan to combine the revisit of this book with Michal Hamptons figure drawing course as it seems this book is actually a summery of the figure drawing courses he has made in the past. I believe taking his course will give me the extra detail I need to aid my understanding. ...more

Jun 07, 2020 Finooola rated it it was amazing

This book is marvellous and exactly what I was looking for. I'm not a beginner at attempting to draw anatomy and I have progressed slowly with other books, courses and methods. Using this book, my drawings have immediately taken on a convincing sense of weight and impending energy. If you love the idea of being able to tell a story with figures, you're a concept artist, character designer or you simply want to bring a character you love from a book to life, this is the book. I'm currently on pag This book is marvellous and exactly what I was looking for. I'm not a beginner at attempting to draw anatomy and I have progressed slowly with other books, courses and methods. Using this book, my drawings have immediately taken on a convincing sense of weight and impending energy. If you love the idea of being able to tell a story with figures, you're a concept artist, character designer or you simply want to bring a character you love from a book to life, this is the book. I'm currently on page 41 of this 235 page book, and I have no hesitation in giving it 5 stars. ...more

It's was a great book that shows you the fundamentals for drawing the human figure, and many other complex forms. It's simple, intuitive and the drawings help you understand a lot. Some chapters like the Head or the Anatomy are simplified therefore the author mentions you should engage in further study for a complete understanding of these chapters. But this simplification helps you conceive the essence of the figure! It's was a great book that shows you the fundamentals for drawing the human figure, and many other complex forms. It's simple, intuitive and the drawings help you understand a lot. Some chapters like the Head or the Anatomy are simplified therefore the author mentions you should engage in further study for a complete understanding of these chapters. But this simplification helps you conceive the essence of the figure! ...more

Jun 02, 2020 Rachael rated it really liked it

This book was excellent! It explained things in a way that I could understand--mostly. However, I have to knock off a star because it really should have been edited better. There were times where "left" was used when it should have been "right" and vice versa. There was also one time where it said "pink" when the illustrated parts were clearly purple. Plus, there were a lot of errors in sentence structure peppered about. This book was excellent! It explained things in a way that I could understand--mostly. However, I have to knock off a star because it really should have been edited better. There were times where "left" was used when it should have been "right" and vice versa. There was also one time where it said "pink" when the illustrated parts were clearly purple. Plus, there were a lot of errors in sentence structure peppered about. ...more

This book is a good basic reference book for drawing the head and figure, providing an overview of basic skeletal and musculature forms and their relation to one another and providing tools to break down these forms in terms of drawing (from reference or invention). I find it helps me put more thought into the forms I'm drawing and will be a useful tool in my artbox. This book is a good basic reference book for drawing the head and figure, providing an overview of basic skeletal and musculature forms and their relation to one another and providing tools to break down these forms in terms of drawing (from reference or invention). I find it helps me put more thought into the forms I'm drawing and will be a useful tool in my artbox. ...more

Aug 24, 2020 Nela rated it it was amazing

This one book explained in very clear terms everything that 3 books by Burne Hogarth couldn't. Honestly, people should stop recommending Hogarth to newbies and recommend this book instead – it's way more useful and cost effective. I expect to reread and reference it often. Also Hampton can actually draw exaggerated muscular forms without making them look like cartoony superheroes. This one book explained in very clear terms everything that 3 books by Burne Hogarth couldn't. Honestly, people should stop recommending Hogarth to newbies and recommend this book instead – it's way more useful and cost effective. I expect to reread and reference it often. Also Hampton can actually draw exaggerated muscular forms without making them look like cartoony superheroes. ...more

I found this book to be very helpful. Hampton lays down the fundamentals of figure drawing step by step.
The shapes of the face, hands, feet, and legs described are fantastic starting points.
Even though this is the basics, I think this book would be helpful even to people who have been drawing the figure for years.

Aug 26, 2017 Beatriz rated it it was amazing

Read it at a slow pace while working on my art.
The most amazing approach to anatomy I've seen! Learn so much from it, highly recommend it to anyone who's starting to draw or even already neck deep in the art world. You can never have too much anatomy knowledge. Read it at a slow pace while working on my art.
The most amazing approach to anatomy I've seen! Learn so much from it, highly recommend it to anyone who's starting to draw or even already neck deep in the art world. You can never have too much anatomy knowledge. ...more

Oct 12, 2017 Sonya Ball rated it it was amazing

I found this to be an excellent guide to drawing the human figure, with practical exercises and good anatomy references this is one of the best books I've read on figure drawing, and it has helped my drawing immensely. I found this to be an excellent guide to drawing the human figure, with practical exercises and good anatomy references this is one of the best books I've read on figure drawing, and it has helped my drawing immensely. ...more

Jan 02, 2018 k rated it it was amazing

Would highly recommend, the techniques they teach are overall very helpful and useful for me. I learned a lot from this book, it covers basically everything from construction, portraits, bodies to feet. This is helpful for beginners I think, and the explanations are easy to understand.

Jul 02, 2019 Yu Ji rated it it was amazing

A figure drawing book made not just for improving figure but overall art expertise. After the first read, I started to draw along with the numerous illustrations in the book to really understand the process.

Mar 27, 2021 Lorichaei rated it it was amazing

Recommended by my art teacher. A great basic book every artist needs to read. I learned a lot from it. Many things need to be constantly reviewed and remembered from the book in order to draw effectively, along with lots of practice

May 28, 2021 Nic rated it it was amazing

So incredibly helpful and useful resource that is widely recommended to those who are looking to self-teach basic anatomy drawing techniques. Very well laid out, useful pictures. Easy to just pick up and use as needed.

An absolute keeper; I plan to have this guy handy on a nearby shelf whenever I am drawing.

Jul 28, 2018 Dave rated it really liked it

For anyone who has ever wanted to draw better, this book is a must. I pick up this pick and reread it as often as possible.

Oct 31, 2018 Shua rated it it was amazing

Favorite reference and great 1rst book for a beginner.

A hands-on approach to constructive anatomy.

Great book if you want to learn the basics of figure drawing. Not an anatomic lesson, but with enough information to start drawing fluid and dinamic human figure