Drawing Atelier – The Figure: How to Draw in a Classical Style

This book is a great collection of nuts and bolts technique, applied theory and distilled wisdom of old master techniques.
there are excellent tips for gauging accurate measurement and checking accuracy of drawings (interestingly enough I learned some of these techniques in a class I took with Jon D, but did not really understand them until i read them here! (it’s important to note these are tools not crutches)There are also great micro-lessons for drawing ‘problem’ areas like ears, eyes and mouth and foreshortening.

This is a great book for advanced and intermediate artists- a great permanent reference in any studio, and like most well written books of this type, a source of inspiration. I would not recommend for absolute beginners as a lesson planner, but some of the measurement techniques might be helpful

Side note: I wish they used another design than the current one which looks suspiciously like the Watson-Guptill series by Juliette Aristides, Jon DeMartin is too good to look like a knock off.

I really learned alot about what goes into making a great work of art from reading this book. It has helped me improve my drawing measurably.

I’ve had the good fortune of taking a few classes from Jon at the art students league. He is a master of technique and teaching. I’m so grateful he published this accessible but highly informative book on the techniques of the old masters. Decades of teaching at Parsons and at the arts students league there is not a technique he does not know by rote. Even better, he’s a great communicator. Whether you’re beginning or teaching drawing at a university , you will love this book.

This book will give you practical lessons that will train your brain, hand, eyes, and arm in the right set of skills that will take your practice to the next level. If you can’t afford art school–or even if you can–this book will help immensely with your figure work.

I never went to art school, so my art education has been piecemeal–I learned art history by exploration, and drawing mostly by practice, with a lot of dedication to a few lessons derived from “The Natural Way to Draw” and techniques I picked up from Japanese sumi (brush and ink) practice. In my recent life I’ve had the opportunity to explore figure drawing, again, entirely by rote, and while I have made some progress, many of the solid atelier skills in this book were missing.

Legendary figure drawing teacher Jon DeMartin lays out a systematic and proven methodology for learning to draw the most challenging and rewarding subject in art history: the human figure. DeMartin breaks down the infinitely complex aspects of drawing the figure with clear and elegant diagnostic illustrations, many of which have been featured in the world’s top artists’ magazines. DeMartin approaches the subject with humility and practicality, and a deep reverence for this most ancient and meaningful art form. The book is an essential guide for contemporary artists who care about skill and beauty in art. For art lovers, historians, and critics it is a valuable look under the hood at how art is made and provides a refreshing antidote to the shallow gimmickry of the contemporary art world.

Teaching

This is the clearest and most thorough instruction book in the classical method. Even if you can’t get to an atelier for your study, you can still learn a lot by carefully following this book and the professor’s instruction. This will do your work a world of good; drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, illustration, anime, graphic novels, street art and beyond. Even though you might go off the rails and venture out beyond the world of the classical atelier style, I feel that it’s a rich experience to have the fundamental aspects of sight skills under your belt. One of the instructor’s drawings in the book (you can find it online) is called “Triton”. It is a rare contemporary classical drawing that goes well past skill. It could easily be the work of a great master.