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Figure Drawing: Design and Invention by Michael Hampton - A Review

Introduction

Figure drawing is one of the most fundamental and challenging skills for any artist, whether you are a beginner or a professional. It involves capturing the human form in its various shapes, poses, movements, and expressions, using a variety of techniques and tools. Figure drawing can help you improve your observation, proportion, anatomy, perspective, gesture, composition, shading, and more.

Figure Drawing Design And Invention Michael Hampton Download Pdf

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But how do you learn figure drawing? There are many books, courses, videos, and online resources available, but not all of them are equally effective or suitable for your needs. Some may be too technical or too vague, some may be too advanced or too basic, some may be too realistic or too stylized. How do you find the right balance between theory and practice, between simplicity and complexity, between design and invention?

One book that aims to provide a comprehensive and accessible guide to figure drawing is Figure Drawing: Design and Invention by Michael Hampton. This book is an instructional figure drawing book geared towards the novice and experienced artist alike. This book emphasizes a simplified understanding of surface anatomy, in order to clarify the mechanics of the figure, facilitate invention, and ultimately create a skill-set that can be successfully applied to other media. In addition, this book focuses very strongly on practical usage, making sure the artist is able to assimilate the steps presented here into a cohesive working process.

In this article, we will review Figure Drawing: Design and Invention by Michael Hampton and see what it has to offer for aspiring and practicing figure artists. We will look at the author's background and philosophy, the main features and benefits of the book, the content overview, and the pros and cons of the book. We will also give some recommendations for who should read this book and how to use it effectively.

Content overview

The book is divided into three main parts: The Head and Neck, The Torso, and The Arms and Legs. Each part covers the anatomy, structure, movement, and expression of the respective body parts. The book also includes an introduction that explains the author's approach to figure drawing, a glossary of terms used in the book, a bibliography of references used by the author, and an index for easy navigation.

Part 1: The Head and Neck

The first part of the book covers the head and neck region of the human body. It starts with an overview of the basic forms and proportions of the head from different views: front, side, three-quarter, top, bottom, etc. It then moves on to explain how to draw facial features such as eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hair, etc., as well as facial expressions such as happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, etc. It also shows how to draw the head from different angles and perspectives using simple geometric shapes.

Basic forms and proportions

The author introduces the concept of the head ball, which is a simplified representation of the head as a sphere. He then shows how to divide the head ball into four equal parts using two perpendicular lines: the eye line and the center line. The eye line is where the eyes are located on the head, and the center line is where the nose and mouth are aligned. The author also shows how to measure the width and height of the head using the eye line as a unit of measurement. The author then demonstrates how to draw the head ball from different views using simple guidelines and curves.

Facial features and expressions

The author explains how to draw each facial feature in detail, starting with the eyes. He shows how to draw the shape, size, position, and direction of the eyes, as well as the eyelids, eyebrows, lashes, iris, pupil, etc. He also shows how to shade and highlight the eyes to create depth and realism. He then moves on to the nose, mouth, ears, and hair, following a similar approach. He also shows how to draw different facial expressions by changing the shape and position of the facial features, as well as adding wrinkles, folds, creases, etc. He gives examples of common facial expressions such as happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, etc., and explains what muscles are involved in each expression.

Drawing from different angles and perspectives

The author shows how to draw the head from different angles and perspectives using simple geometric shapes such as cubes, cylinders, cones, etc. He explains how to use these shapes to construct the head in three dimensions and how to apply perspective rules such as foreshortening, overlapping, convergence, etc. He also shows how to use reference points such as the eye line and the center line to align the facial features correctly. He gives examples of drawing the head from various angles such as front view, side view, three-quarter view, top view, bottom view, etc.

Part 2: The Torso

The second part of the book covers the torso region of the human body. It starts with an overview of the basic forms and proportions of the torso from different views: front, side, back, etc. It then moves on to explain how to draw the rib cage and the pelvis, which are the two main components of the torso. It also shows how to draw the spine and the abdomen, which connect and support the rib cage and the pelvis. It also shows how to draw the shoulders and the chest, which are attached to the rib cage.

The rib cage and the pelvis

The author introduces the concept of the torso box, which is a simplified representation of the torso as a rectangular box. He then shows how to divide the torso box into two equal parts using a horizontal line: the rib cage line. The rib cage line is where the rib cage ends and where the waist begins. The author also shows how to measure the width and height of the torso using the rib cage line as a unit of measurement. The author then demonstrates how to draw the torso box from different views using simple guidelines and curves.

The author then explains how to draw the rib cage and the pelvis inside the torso box using simple geometric shapes such as cylinders, wedges, and ovals. He shows how to draw the shape, size, position, and direction of the rib cage and the pelvis, as well as their landmarks, such as the sternum, the clavicles, the scapulae, the iliac crests, the pubic bone, etc. He also shows how to shade and highlight the rib cage and the pelvis to create depth and realism.

The spine and the abdomen

The author explains how to draw the spine and the abdomen, which connect and support the rib cage and the pelvis. He shows how to draw the shape, size, position, and direction of the spine, as well as its landmarks, such as the cervical vertebrae, the thoracic vertebrae, the lumbar vertebrae, the sacrum, and the coccyx. He also shows how to draw the shape, size, position, and direction of the abdomen, as well as its landmarks, such as the navel, the obliques, the rectus abdominis, etc. He also shows how to shade and highlight the spine and the abdomen to create depth and realism.

and the chest

The author explains how to draw the shoulders and the chest, which are attached to the rib cage. He shows how to draw the shape, size, position, and direction of the shoulders, as well as their landmarks, such as the acromion, the coracoid process, the deltoid tuberosity, etc. He also shows how to draw the shape, size, position, and direction of the chest, as well as its landmarks, such as the pectoralis major, the pectoralis minor, the serratus anterior, etc. He also shows how to shade and highlight the shoulders and the chest to create depth and realism.

Part 3: The Arms and Legs

The third part of the book covers the arms and legs region of the human body. It starts with an overview of the basic forms and proportions of the arms and legs from different views: front, side, back, etc. It then moves on to explain how to draw the upper arm and the lower arm, which are the two main components of the arm. It also shows how to draw the hand and the wrist, which are attached to the lower arm. It also shows how to draw the upper leg and the lower leg, which are the two main components of the leg. It also shows how to draw the foot and the ankle, which are attached to the lower leg.

The upper arm and the lower arm

The author introduces the concept of the arm cylinder, which is a simplified representation of the arm as a cylindrical shape. He then shows how to divide the arm cylinder into two equal parts using a horizontal line: the elbow line. The elbow line is where the upper arm and the lower arm meet. The author also shows how to measure the width and height of the arm using the elbow line as a unit of measurement. The author then demonstrates how to draw the arm cylinder from different views using simple guidelines and curves.

The author then explains how to draw the upper arm and the lower arm inside the arm cylinder using simple geometric shapes such as cylinders, wedges, and ovals. He shows how to draw the shape, size, position, and direction of the upper arm and the lower arm, as well as their landmarks, such as the humerus, the radius, the ulna, the biceps brachii, the triceps brachii, etc. He also shows how to shade and highlight the upper arm the lower arm to create depth and realism.

The hand and the wrist

The author introduces the concept of the hand block, which is a simplified representation of the hand as a rectangular block. He then shows how to divide the hand block into three equal parts using two horizontal lines: the wrist line

and the knuckle line. The wrist line is where the hand and the wrist meet, and the knuckle line is where the fingers and the palm meet. The author also shows how to measure the width and height of the hand using the knuckle line as a unit of measurement. The author then demonstrates how to draw the hand block from different views using simple guidelines and curves.

The author then explains how to draw the hand and the wrist inside the hand block using simple geometric shapes such as cylinders, wedges, and ovals. He shows how to draw the shape, size, position, and direction of the hand and the wrist, as well as their landmarks, such as the carpal bones, the metacarpal bones, the phalanges, the thumb, etc. He also shows how to shade and highlight the hand the wrist to create depth and realism.

The upper leg and the lower leg

The author introduces the concept of the leg cylinder, which is a simplified representation of the leg as a cylindrical shape. He then shows how to divide the leg cylinder into two equal parts using a horizontal line: the knee line. The knee line is where the upper leg and the lower leg meet. The author also shows how to measure the width and height of the leg using the knee line as a unit of measurement. The author then demonstrates how to draw the leg cylinder from different views using simple guidelines and curves.

The author then explains how to draw the upper leg and the lower leg inside the leg cylinder using simple geometric shapes such as cylinders, wedges, and ovals. He shows how to draw the shape, size, position, and direction of the upper leg and the lower leg, as well as their landmarks, such as the femur, the patella, the tibia, the fibula, the quadriceps femoris, the hamstrings, etc. He also shows how to shade and highlight the upper leg the lower leg to create depth and realism.

The foot and the ankle

The author introduces the concept of the foot wedge, which is a simplified representation of the foot as a wedge-shaped block. He then shows how to divide the foot wedge into three equal parts using two horizontal lines: the ankle line

and the toe line. The ankle line is where the foot and the ankle meet, and the toe line is where the toes and the foot meet. The author also shows how to measure the width and height of the foot using the toe line as a unit of measurement. The author then demonstrates how to draw the foot wedge from different views using simple guidelines and curves.

The author then explains how to draw the foot and the ankle inside the foot wedge using simple geometric shapes such as cylinders, wedges, and ovals. He shows how to draw the shape, size, position, and direction of the foot and the ankle, as well as their landmarks, such as the tarsal bones, the metatarsal bones, the phalanges, the hallux, etc. He also shows how to shade and highlight the foot the ankle to create depth and realism.

Conclusion

In this article, we have reviewed Figure Drawing: Design and Invention by Michael Hampton, a comprehensive and accessible guide to figure drawing for artists of all levels. We have seen that the book covers the anatomy, structure, movement, and expression of the human body in three main parts: The Head and Neck, The Torso, and The Arms and Legs. We have also seen that the book uses simple geometric shapes to construct the figure in three dimensions and apply perspective rules. We have also seen that the book emphasizes a simplified understanding of surface anatomy, in order to clarify the mechanics of the figure, facilitate invention, and ultimately create a skill-set that can be successfully applied to other media. In addition, we have seen that the book focuses very strongly on practical usage, making sure the artist is able to assimilate the steps presented here into a cohesive working process.

Summary of the main points and takeaways

Here are some of the main points and takeaways from this article:

• Figure drawing is one of the most fundamental and challenging skills for any artist, as it involves capturing the human form in its various shapes, poses, movements, and expressions.

• Figure Drawing: Design and Invention by Michael Hampton is an instructional figure drawing book geared towards the novice and experienced artist alike.

• The book covers the anatomy, structure, movement, and expression of the human body in three main parts: The Head and Neck, The Torso, and The Arms and Legs.

• The book uses simple geometric shapes to construct the figure in three dimensions and apply perspective rules.

• The book emphasizes a simplified understanding of surface anatomy, in order to clarify the mechanics of the figure, facilitate invention, and ultimately create a skill-set that can be successfully applied to other media.

• The book focuses very strongly on practical usage, making sure the artist is able to assimilate the steps presented here into a cohesive working process.

Pros and cons of the book

Here are some of the pros and cons of the book:

Pros

Cons

- The book is clear, concise, and easy to follow.

- The book may be too simplistic or repetitive for some advanced artists.

- The book provides many examples, illustrations, diagrams, and exercises.

- The book does not cover color theory, shading techniques, or digital tools.

- The book covers both realistic and stylized approaches to figure drawing.

- The book does not cover clothing, accessories, or environmental elements.

- The book is suitable for artists of all levels and styles.

- The book may not be available in some regions or languages.

Recommendations for who should read the book

whether you are interested in realistic or stylized figure drawing, whether you use traditional or digital media, this book will help you develop a solid foundation and a versatile skill-set for figure drawing. This book is also a great reference and a source of inspiration for anyone who wants to explore the human form in their art. FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about the book and the topic of figure drawing:

• Where can I get the book?

You can get the book from various online platforms such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, etc. You can also check your local library or bookstore for availability. The book is currently available in English only.

• How long does it take to read the book?

The book has 240 pages and is divided into three main parts. The reading time may vary depending on your reading speed, level of interest, and level of practice. However, a rough estimate is that it may take you about 10 to 15 hours to read the book from cover to cover.

• Do I need any prior knowledge or experience to read the book?

No, you do not need any prior knowledge or experience to read the book. The book is designed to be accessible and understandable for anyone who wants to learn or improve their figure drawing skills. The book starts with the basics and gradually builds up to more advanced topics and techniques.

• What tools or materials do I need to follow the book?

You do not need any specific tools or materials to follow the book. You can use any medium or device that you are comfortable with, such as pencil, pen, charcoal, brush, paper, tablet, computer, etc. The book does not focus on any particular medium or device, but rather on the principles and concepts of figure drawing.

• How can I practice what I learn from the book?

The best way to practice what you learn from the book is to draw from life. You can use yourself, your friends, your family, or strangers as models. You can also use photographs, videos, or online resources as references. The book provides many exercises and challenges for you to practice and apply what you learn. You can also join online communities or forums where you can share your work and get feedback from other artists.

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