What do you think?
Rate this book
The Art of Drawing People: Simple techniques for drawing figures, portraits, and poses
Learn to draw one of art's most interesting and challenging subjects. Packed with practical advice, helpful tips, and fundamental drawing techniques, The Art of Drawing People explores how to capture detailed poses and likenesses in graphite pencil.
With step-by-step instruction from a variety of artists, you’ll find plenty of helpful tips on choosing the right tools and materials , fundamental drawing techniques , developing value and shading , and setting up an effective composition , as well as important information about the influences of anatomy , bone structure , and musculature . Detailed examples of facial features, hands, and feet will help guide you through the most challenging aspects of drawing people.
Whether drawing from life or from photographs, this comprehensive drawing guide is the perfect first step for beginning artists . Follow along, step by step, as professional artists reveal their drawing secrets. With practice, you’ll soon be able to capture amazing likenesses in your own pencil drawings. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.
With step-by-step instruction from a variety of artists, you’ll find plenty of helpful tips on choosing the right tools and materials , fundamental drawing techniques , developing value and shading , and setting up an effective composition , as well as important information about the influences of anatomy , bone structure , and musculature . Detailed examples of facial features, hands, and feet will help guide you through the most challenging aspects of drawing people.
Whether drawing from life or from photographs, this comprehensive drawing guide is the perfect first step for beginning artists . Follow along, step by step, as professional artists reveal their drawing secrets. With practice, you’ll soon be able to capture amazing likenesses in your own pencil drawings. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.
- GenresArt
128 pages, Paperback
Published September 3, 2019
4 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Debra Kauffman Yaun
13 books1 followerDebra Kauffman Yaun discovered that she had a knack for drawing people when she was a young girl growing up in Tampa, Florida. After graduating from the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, Debra worked as a fashion illustrator. She has drawn and painted many commissioned portraits, several of which have been of children—her favorite subject to draw. Debra's artwork has been published in several art magazines and books, and she has won numerous awards, including an international prize. She is a signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, having served as president of the Atlanta chapter, and she is a juried member of the Portrait Society of Atlanta. She also enjoys teaching classes and workshops in portraits and colored pencil. Debra lives in Buford, Georgia.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 30, 2019
As someone who lacks the artist ability to draw anything more than a stick figure I couldn't be more excited to try finding a book that will help me learn to draw just a little better. I have tried drawing super hero but found it didn't give the foundation or the basics I needed to learn the human face.
This is a great step by step with pictures and guidelines that will help the starting artist find their guide, paper, pencils, shading and more.
Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Walter Foster Publishing for the advance copy of Debra Kauffman Yaum The Art of Drawing people.
This is a great step by step with pictures and guidelines that will help the starting artist find their guide, paper, pencils, shading and more.
Thank you to Netgalley and publisher Walter Foster Publishing for the advance copy of Debra Kauffman Yaum The Art of Drawing people.
August 26, 2019
This is a great gift for someone else, or yourself! Many of us want to draw better, and our drawings would help us in our creative endeavors, but it can be intimidating to get started. This book gives you the basics in easy pieces--usually just 1-2 pages--so that you don't feel overwhelmed. I found I was seeing everyone's face differently after reading the book! I plan to continue to use the techniques to practice my drawing skills.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the digital ARC.
Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the digital ARC.
August 18, 2019
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
The Art of Drawing People is a new tutorial guide for portraiture in the form of mini classes for various parts of drawing a human subject. Due out 3rd Sept 2019 from Quarto on their Walter Foster Jr imprint, it's 128 pages and will be available in paperback format.
The first ~20% of the page content is an introductory chapter introducing the tools, materials, and concepts for human portraiture. The authors cover the choice of materials and how to use them, learning to translate what you actually see to the page, a little bit of composition theory, some perspective studies, and troubleshooting potential problems using the example of characteristic ratios in a child's face.
At each lesson, important points and potential problems are highlighted in sidebars along with clear illustrations of the points being discussed. The book is lavishly illustrated. The chapters following the introduction cover heads and faces from different viewpoints, general portraiture including drawing from a reference photo and highlights and realistic hair, lighting, and more. There are also lessons on full body portraiture and a special treatment of children.
Nearly all of the tutorials have multiple illustrations which contrast the steps from outline sketch through contour and shading. I do not personally feel that this is a beginner guide though there are certainly lessons which can be used by artists of all levels of expertise. This would be more suitable to the mid-level to advanced artist looking for more specific study in portraiture. I liked that the art styles shown in the book come from several different artists, showing a range of styles. I also appreciate that there are numerous different treatments of light and shading at different positions from full face forward to three quarter profile to full profile.
This would make a great support and resource text for classroom or library settings, and also for the artist's (or would be artist's) home library.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
The Art of Drawing People is a new tutorial guide for portraiture in the form of mini classes for various parts of drawing a human subject. Due out 3rd Sept 2019 from Quarto on their Walter Foster Jr imprint, it's 128 pages and will be available in paperback format.
The first ~20% of the page content is an introductory chapter introducing the tools, materials, and concepts for human portraiture. The authors cover the choice of materials and how to use them, learning to translate what you actually see to the page, a little bit of composition theory, some perspective studies, and troubleshooting potential problems using the example of characteristic ratios in a child's face.
At each lesson, important points and potential problems are highlighted in sidebars along with clear illustrations of the points being discussed. The book is lavishly illustrated. The chapters following the introduction cover heads and faces from different viewpoints, general portraiture including drawing from a reference photo and highlights and realistic hair, lighting, and more. There are also lessons on full body portraiture and a special treatment of children.
Nearly all of the tutorials have multiple illustrations which contrast the steps from outline sketch through contour and shading. I do not personally feel that this is a beginner guide though there are certainly lessons which can be used by artists of all levels of expertise. This would be more suitable to the mid-level to advanced artist looking for more specific study in portraiture. I liked that the art styles shown in the book come from several different artists, showing a range of styles. I also appreciate that there are numerous different treatments of light and shading at different positions from full face forward to three quarter profile to full profile.
This would make a great support and resource text for classroom or library settings, and also for the artist's (or would be artist's) home library.
Four stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
September 1, 2019
This is a pretty standard drawing book. If you’ve seen any Walter Forest books, you probably have an idea of what to expect. They use pretty standard methods to teach you the basics of drawing. This one is focused on drawing people, I’d say the main emphasis in on faces, but it covers the whole body. It teaches you the differences to look out for with different ages, skin tons, hair, etc. There is a decent balance between text and pictures. I wouldn’t call it a step by step kind of instructional book, more like tips needed start practicing drawing people on your own, in your own styles.
Sections in this book:
- Getting Started. This covers the basic tools, basic pencil techniques, learning to see what you’re drawing, composition and perspective, and beginning portraiture.
- Basic heads and faces. This covers using basic lines, establishing guidelines, front view, profile, three-quarter view, mature faces, and young faces.
- Realistic Portraits. This covers adult facial proportions, the planes of the face, adult facial features, drawing from a snapshot, drawing what you see, capturing personality, working with lighting, including a background, portrait in profile, and developing hair.
- Drawing the body, This section covers showing movement, foreshortening, hands, feet, lighting a subject, life drawing, and occasion portrait.
- Drawing children. This covers children’s facial proportions, portraying children’s features, choosing a photo reference, drawing a baby, capturing details, establishing values, children’s body proportions, children in action, and choosing a pose.
* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I’ll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?
Sections in this book:
- Getting Started. This covers the basic tools, basic pencil techniques, learning to see what you’re drawing, composition and perspective, and beginning portraiture.
- Basic heads and faces. This covers using basic lines, establishing guidelines, front view, profile, three-quarter view, mature faces, and young faces.
- Realistic Portraits. This covers adult facial proportions, the planes of the face, adult facial features, drawing from a snapshot, drawing what you see, capturing personality, working with lighting, including a background, portrait in profile, and developing hair.
- Drawing the body, This section covers showing movement, foreshortening, hands, feet, lighting a subject, life drawing, and occasion portrait.
- Drawing children. This covers children’s facial proportions, portraying children’s features, choosing a photo reference, drawing a baby, capturing details, establishing values, children’s body proportions, children in action, and choosing a pose.
* Disclaimer: I received this book at no cost in order to review it. I offered no guarantee of a positive review, though I only request books I think I’ll like because why read a book you think you’ll hate?
September 14, 2019
"The Art of Drawing People," by Debra Kauffman Yaun, William F. Powell, Diane Cardaci, and Walter Foster is a very in-depth tutorial on drawing people. It takes a step-by-step approach to deconstructing what drawing a person requires and helps walk the artist through the process.
There is so much good information here. It is an essential book on any portrait artist's bookshelf. There is so much to learn if each "lesson" is absorbed at a gradual pace. I definitely recommend this very helpful book on drawing people.
I received this eBook free of charge from Quarto Publishing Group – Walter Foster Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I did not receive any fiscal compensation from either company for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.
There is so much good information here. It is an essential book on any portrait artist's bookshelf. There is so much to learn if each "lesson" is absorbed at a gradual pace. I definitely recommend this very helpful book on drawing people.
I received this eBook free of charge from Quarto Publishing Group – Walter Foster Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I did not receive any fiscal compensation from either company for this review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.
September 13, 2019
The Art of Drawing People is a wonderfully helpful book perfect for beginner or more experienced artists. The book includes information regarding tools needed, shading, proportions and breaks down the techniques to draw individual parts of the face and body. There are step-by-step pictures plus written explanations. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning more about drawing the face or body of people of any age.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC! The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #TheArtOfDrawingPeople #drawing #art #nonfiction #create
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC! The opinions in this review are honest and my own. #TheArtOfDrawingPeople #drawing #art #nonfiction #create
September 2, 2019
Thank you to Netgalley for the Advanced Reader's Copy of this book. I received this in exchange for my honest review.
I found this book to be very informative for a beginner. However, as an artist myself, I didn’t find anything in the book that made it stand out from the other hundreds of “how to draw” books that I have invested an abundance of my time in. Like other how to draw books, the materials are broken down and steps are broken down so they are easily followed and beginners can easily refer back to in each of their future pieces of work.
I found this book to be very informative for a beginner. However, as an artist myself, I didn’t find anything in the book that made it stand out from the other hundreds of “how to draw” books that I have invested an abundance of my time in. Like other how to draw books, the materials are broken down and steps are broken down so they are easily followed and beginners can easily refer back to in each of their future pieces of work.
September 15, 2019
Thank you Netgalley for a review copy of this book.
This book is very complex and I would not recommend to anyone starting out with drawing. The techniques are explained but do not go into detail or give clear step by step instructions. However, if you are an artist with some experience i should imagine it would be of some help.
This book is very complex and I would not recommend to anyone starting out with drawing. The techniques are explained but do not go into detail or give clear step by step instructions. However, if you are an artist with some experience i should imagine it would be of some help.
September 14, 2019
Four artists give comprehensive instructions on drawing heads, hands and bodies. Details for perspective, proportion, technics and use of drawing pencils are given in great detail. I recommend this book for beginning artists.
September 14, 2019
Great book with lots of useful instruction. Well set out with plenty of drawings to make it easy to read and find what you're looking for. A few of the examples seemed to be a little old fashioned, perhaps it is an older book republished? A comprehensive book on learning to draw people
August 2, 2019
The Art of Drawing People is great for beginners or art classes. There is great information and techniques. Well written and easy to read.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews