Drawing for Fantasy Artists || Socar Myles

When a book gives itself the strapline, “All the art techniques & shortcuts you need to master fantasy art”, it’s setting the bar as high as it can get. So it’s a delight to be able to say that this one clears it with room to spare.

I’ve frequently said that fantasy art isn’t my field, but there’s a lot more to this than just elves and grottoes and, as a manual on drawing, particularly the human figure, it’s spot-on. In fact, it’s one of the best drawing books I’ve ever seen. The author has a sensitive style that captures personality to perfection, bridging the gap between super-detail and soft-edge in a way that suits her subject matter ideally.

As well as the figures and landscapes you’d expect, Socar Myles looks at linear and non-linear perspective and the structure of the human body, as well as how to capture movement and develop character. There’s an enormous amount here and I’d have no hesitation in recommending it to any artist, even if they know less about fantasy art than I do.

Drawing & Painting Sports Figures || Jim Scullion

There’s no doubt that this is a niche market and I’d rather suspect that there may be more take-up in the sports market and by those who are looking for a showcase of the author’s work than there will be among its avowed practical art audience.

That’s a shame because, as a guide to painting the human figure in action, this is hard to better. The author has clearly studied his topic, and his subjects, in depth and he captures both general and specific poses with confidence and aplomb. The original cover image was going to be a portrait of Andy Murray just after he has won a point (it now seems to be missing from the book altogether) that absolutely conveyed, far better than any photograph, the pose and expression as well as the pent-up aggression Murray displays on these occasions. I don’t want to labour this change, because there are plenty of other, similar images in the book, but it was always going to be my way into the review and it’s something I’m familiar with, my interest in sport not being all-encompassing.

One of the things you can’t help noticing as you look through the copious images (250 in a 96 page book is nothing less than generous) is that Jim’s paintings have a strongly commercial quality. This isn’t surprising, neither is it a criticism; there’s a particular style that the market for paintings of sportspeople demands. However, if you look a little further, although a lot of this is characterised by the modelling and the use of colour, it’s also about making the subject stand out from the background, which itself has to be appropriate. This is worth further consideration, as Jim uses both clearly-defined grounds, such as the St Andrews clubhouse in a golfing picture, as well as those which are more blurred when action but also context need to be defined, or completely abstract to show speed. It’s all cleverly done and a lesson in itself.

If you want to paint sport, then this is pretty much your only guide. However, I’d recommend that anyone interested in figure painting should give it at least a look. You may not find the style is to your taste, but the execution is superbly done and you can learn a lot from just that.

The Figure in Composition || Paul G Braun

There’s a charm and lightness to the illustrations in this book that makes it immediately attractive. The slightly retro look to the costumes also, perversely, gives it a sense of modernity. Finally, the looseness of the line gives the figures a sinuousness and a sense of movement, or the potential for it. The man relaxing with a cigarette in one hand and the other in a trouser pocket might push himself away from the wall and walk off at any moment.

So it comes as a surprise, a shock even, to discover that this is a reprint of something that first appeared in 1930. There’s really very little to give it away and the reproduction from what may very well have been a printed original (surely the printing plates can’t have survived?) has been sensitively handled.

The words are descriptive rather than tied to the illustrations – “you will see how the folds give the form and pose of the figure” – but, as in this example, you really do see, and the lack of detailed instructions doesn’t matter at all.

Honestly, this is one of the best books on figure drawing I’ve seen. It’s over eighty years old and fresh as a daisy. Have we really progressed so little? £8.99 is maybe a tad expensive for a 64-page octavo paperback, but it doesn’t need any further padding.

Expressive Figure Drawing || Bill Buchman

Well, this is something a bit different. I can’t decide whether I like the results, but there’s no disputing the quality of the work or the production of the book.

Most books on figure painting concentrate on getting a likeness and on things like proportion and structure. Bill Buchman, however, pretty much tells you to ignore all that and use the figure purely as a creative tool. Artists have, of course, been doing this for centuries – well, the last century or so, at any rate, though some cave art suggests that animals were seen as line rather than form some thousands of years ago. To put this in an instructional book, however, is something new and builds on the discovery in recent years that abstract painting is in fact something that can be taught, if you just show the reader how to see and then allow the function to follow the form.

There’s absolutely no doubt that this is an exciting approach, or that Bill Buchman is the man to do it. There’s an amazing versatility and variety in his approach as well as a confidence of line that pretty much means you won’t disagree with him even if, as I said, you’re not sure whether you like all the results. On balance, I think I like some and admire others. My favourite is Hip To Be Square on page 103. What is it? Well, you’ll just have to find a copy, won’t you?

Drawing & Painting Mermaids || Elaine Hamer

This beautifully produced book even arrived with a band round it to make sure it came in perfect condition. There’s no doubt that it’s been a labour of love, but my immediate question is why this treatment (I’ve never seen it before, at least, not on a review copy) has been reserved for a book on mermaids. I mean, it’s an eighteen quid hardback, which rather suggests the publisher believes there’s a huge and enthusiastic market out there. I know fantasy art is popular, but they haven’t done this with any of their other titles, so why this one?

There’s no doubting the quality of the work or the production here and the book is utterly comprehensive and I must admit I do love it because it’s so good just as a book. I’m also quite sure that, if what you’ve been looking for is a book on mermaids, this is going to be the definitive one. I’d really like to say that it could help you just with figure drawing, but the truth is it’s so locked up in its subject that you’d have to strip away so many layers that this aspect isn’t really an option.

I’m going to recommend this, even though I don’t know anything about the subject, because it just feels so good.



Massive Manga || Yishan Li

I’ve had this a while, and I’m trying to work out whether or not it’s a larger-format, one- volume version of the Mini Manga series that’s previously appeared. If it is, and you have any of them, then there’s going to be some duplication going on. You’ll also be annoyed that you can now get what you’ve previously been peering at in a more manageable format.

Moving quickly on from that, and my reservations about it, let’s say that this is a very handy guide to drawing Manga characters and artefacts and that it has quite a lot that carries over into general art – some nicely simplified ways of drawing figures, animals and clothing that will answer a lot of questions without going into greater detail than necessary.

As a basic guide to the main elements of Manga drawing, the book is nicely comprehensive and excellent value. I do with they hadn’t printed it on a paper that dulls the colours, though.

Basic Anatomy for the Manga Artist || Christopher Hart

This is a nice, simple guide to anatomy which is perfectly suited to the Manga artist, who has very specific requirements about what they want to draw and how they want to draw it. Its content is absolutely summed up in its title.

And that’s all I really need to say, except that, if you’re not a Manga artist, it’s also worth more than a cursory glance because Christopher provides a basic guide to drawing figures for people who don’t want to draw figures. How so? Well, let’s assume that you’re not looking to produce muscle-accurate representations of the human form, but rather to include figures in a painting and have them not look like statues or waxworks. As long as they’re convincing, they’ll pass muster.

If that’s you, then this has much to recommend it. True, you’ll have to get past the big-eyed kids that are the staple of Manga, so you may need to do a bit of work of your own on faces, but, apart from that, you get nice simple instructions and demonstrations of male and female figures in a variety of poses and moves that you should be able to adapt for more general purposes. It’s important to emphasise “adapt”, because, if you don’t think you’re capable of a little lateral thinking, you may struggle. If you think you’re up for it, though, you’re quids in.

Complete Guide to Life Drawing || Gottfried Bammes

A lot of things claim to be the complete guide but, at a whopping 312 pages, this one certainly looks and feels the part.

Getting inside it confirms that this is indeed a substantial work, with every aspect of the human form examined from block shapes through muscle and bone structure to the completed artwork. Each section follows the same progression, so it becomes easy to follow which, given how much there is to absorb, is a definite plus. Because there’s so much, though, you need to be aware that this is something to sit down and take time with, rather than dip into. Think of it as a structured course and you won’t go far wrong with it.

Gottfried covers male and female figures, both static and in motion and in a variety of poses, as you’d probably expect from a book of this kind. He also deals in the same detail with eyes and ears as he does with bodies and legs, so there’s literally no stone unturned.

If you can’t get a private tutor, this is very much the next best thing. It’s structured very much like a course and is absolutely thorough in its attention to detail and should satisfy the most demanding student.

Drawing The Nude || Thomas Weinc

There’s something about figure drawing books that makes them all look the same, and I don’t just mean that one unclothed body is very much like another. I think the simple fact is that you always land up with the same dismembered body parts, the same way of analysing muscle structure and very similar poses. In the end, it all seems a bit like a medical textbook.

Never mind though, if that’s the way it is, then that’s the way it is and, if someone comes up with a radical approach, it’s a pound to a penny that I’ll be complaining that they’ve ignored a tried and tested formula. Faced with the dilemma, I’ll eat my cake rather than having it, but thanks for the offer.

So, having pretty much condemned this one before we’ve even opened it, is there anything we can salvage? Well, the format helps, for a start, being landscape rather than the usual upright, meaning that the illustrations move across the page rather than up and down it. This may seem like a small thing, but it stands out and gives a more logical sense of movement, which is usually what you’re trying to convey in a static, two-dimensional form. All the main stuff is there – how to do heads, bodies, arms and legs, how the muscles work, how it all fits together and how both male and female bodies work (unlike many, this book does seem to be an equal-opportunity employer). Altogether, it’s a nice compilation and doesn’t overdo its subject, which can also be a problem.

There’s a lot of choice out there in the world of figure drawing books, but this one stands well with the rest and would make an excellent primer.

Super-Cute Chibis to draw & paint || Joanna Zhou

Personally, I can’t stand this book. I don’t like the style and I can’t help feeling there’s something just slightly wrong about the whole thing.

However, it’s a well-established form and it’s very popular so, is this book any good and will it help the budding practitioner of the style? Well, yes and yes. Joanna gives you forty different demonstrations of both children and animals. Each is presented in a double-page spread with the outline shapes and a series of development drawings that show you the build-up as well as a variety of poses and facial expressions. It’s neatly done without over-complication and, if this is what you aspire to draw, there’s no doubt this forms an excellent primer.