Master Class in Figure Drawing: 25th Anniversary Edition

This book is used for my drawing class and is a great source for us to use in our course. I have improved my drawing so much with this helpful book. I would recommend it for anyone wanting to learn from the recognized best anatomical artist in the US. , Mr Hale.

This book is incredible,every artist should have it in his/her reference library. Page after page of artistic anatomy and drawings of the masters,Leonardo,Rubens,,Degas,Michelangelo. I practice my drawing skills by copying the masters and learning a lot in the process.

I purchased the companion tape series from Jo-An Pictures Ltd in NYC (212-532-5003) several years ago. The book and tapes record the lectures given by Robert Beverly Hale at the Art Student's League in NYC. You may never find better instruction on artistic anatomy and drawing the human form! He was without doubt the greatest instructor of this subject! The tapes are almost like attending his classes! You must draw from life as well as study this material to master the subject. If you cannot afford the tapes, at least get this book! You will not find a better investment but you must also make the effort! A valid observation from his lectures: 'You can not draw a form, if you don't know it exists.' If you want to draw figures that will impress other artists, clients with medical training or other sophisticated viewers, then master the lessons in this book! I believe Tony Ryder may have attended Robert Hale's lectures at the Art Student's League. Also get Tony Ryder's book entitled "The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing". It represents the other traditional approach to figure drawing. His explanation of light and shadow on the human form is the best I have ever seen. He emphasizes that it takes many hours to complete a finished drawing. Quick sketches are good for warming up but it's only one aspect of practice. Both books are well worth the investment!

I am currently in Figure drawing 2 and this book is a wonderful help. I have few figure drawing books that I feel compleatly happy with and this one is the best. It shows you how the masters worked with simple shapes, line, value, mass, and anatomy to represent the figure. It breaks up the chapters into body parts and each chapter deals with that specific part. By presenting works of master artists and disecting them you understand how the human form works and can be expressed. I would reccomend this book to anyone interested in drawing the figure, especially beginers.

Mr Coyle has done great justice to his old mentor Robert Beverley HALE with this magnificent book. The lessons are based on Mr Hales teachings on the techniques and thinking of the great master drawers, and not only are the examples all master works, but innovative use of coloured line overlays makes sometimes difficult concepts abundantly clear. The real point of this book, as with all R.B.Hale books, is that YOU can learn to think in the same highly visually intelligent way as these greats of the past, and learn to apply that thinking to your own creations. BRAVO Messrs Hale et Coyle!