Figure Drawing Without a Model

by Ron Tiner

Extensively illustrated using a wide range of styles and techniques, this is a unique course of instruction in drawing the human figure from memory and the imagination. Beginning with informal sketchbook studies and a brief summary of anatomical structure before going on to explain figure movement and how the body shows its age and exudes character, it will encourage all artists, illustrators and cartoonists to explore this popular subject with confidence and style.

Genres: Art, Drawing, Nonfiction, Art Design, Reference

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Parka · Rating 1 out of 5]

(More pictures at parkablogs.com)

Figure Drawing Without a Model is a spiral bound hardcover. The author is Ron Tiner.

I'm disappointed by this book. For a figure drawing book, it sure doesn't teach much about drawing the figure.

Yes, it touches on the essential topics like anatomical structure, proportion and movement. But it really just mentions the bare minimum, and not really in a helpful manner.

In the section of hand drawing, it explains briefly what the hand is made of and gives a tip on drawing your own hands. It ends with what I think is suppose to be the technique:

"Think of the palm as a flat square shape with a curved outer edge from which the four fingers radiate; to the basic shape is added, on one side, a fleshly and very flexible wedge shape in which the thumb is rooted."

That's all there is to drawing hands. No mention of the size of the hand, relative proportion of the fingers and other stuff. There are multiple illustrations but none really helpful — just like looking at one's own hands.

Most important about figure drawing is about posing the figure. Simplified skeletons and blocks are used to help with posing. In the fleshing out part, muscles are drawn onto the stick figures. But it's really hard relate how the muscles are drawn especially when examples of muscles and form are few and only briefly explained.

Other sections suffer the same problem. It talks much about drawing but doesn't teach much about the actual process of drawing. Some of the tips are high on the abstraction ladder and needs to be expanded into with impossible-to-not-understand examples. The general advice is "Practice, practice, practice." Anyone can give that advice.

The book does include additional topics like expressions, perspective, composition, graphic narrative. But those topics aren't core to figure drawing.

Ultimately, this is a very general figure drawing book that I won't recommend it. I'm giving this book a 1-star rating because I find it really hard to imagine, with what's taught, that anyone will be able to comfortably pose and draw a simple figure.

It seems that there are some good reviews for this book on Amazon. I'm shocked. Maybe this book isn't a figure drawing book. In that case, I'll give it a 1-star rating for the misleading title.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tiner is fabulous IMO and he shares a lot of expertise here. The book is commercial--no atelier fine art feel here. (And looking at other reviews it probably makes sense to get some facility with the figure first, but having done that, this book is wonderful.) The pleasure and expertise is in the details. He has great treatment of facial soft tissue and what happens to fat cushions as you age. The section explaining what happens to your teeth depending on the shape of your jaw is a hoot, and so useful. Also covers aging, expression, body types--a keeper for an illustrator's reference shelf.

[Mark Levandoski · Rating 1 out of 5]

seemed to me to be about drawing the figure with a model

[Helsean K. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author, Ron Tiner, shares his own experience with the reader/artist, but it's more like an introduction. The figure lessons are quite basic like any other 'starter' book and personally, I find it... Basic!
Although, for a beginner figure artist, I strongly recommend doing the gesture drawings mentioned in this book, or by any other source/tutor.

[Beatrisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

You did that hungry!! I loved it, every twist and turn caught me by surprise!! I can’t wait to read more of your books....

[Anjali Jain]

How could I read this book. I have tried many times but I am unable to read this book

[Hannah Marie. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little dated, but wonderful reference!

[Florian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good book with both theory and practical advice on the topic. I liked the many examples from the author's work in comics. The central advice I want to follow is his tip of getting a sketchbook and drawing figures whenever possible (so far I only had the time to do this while waiting at airports, but I try to incorporate it more into my life) to get a feeling for actual figures. Only when this skill has been learned he advises to continue with drawing from the imagination.

[Roderick Gladwish Gladwish · Rating 5 out of 5]

A master of illustration gives a guide to figure drawing. His chapter on composition is the best I have read on the subject. I've had the book for about eight to ten years and am wearing it out.