Book Nook: The Art of Drawing People

My daughter loves to draw, but she struggles when it comes to human faces, so I was happy to have the chance to review The Art of Drawing People.

I liked several things about this book. First of all, it includes tips from several different artists, so there are different perspectives and styles. It also talks about tools and materials needed. Like many drawing books, value and shading are included, but this book also looks at anatomy, including bone structure and muscles, to help people become better at drawing human figures. (On a side note, although my parents had different majors in college, they decided to take one class in each other's discipline, and my dad says the anatomy class he took to learn about my mom's biology minor really helped him being able to draw people better.)

The techniques in the book are appropriate for live models or using photographs to draw, and are appropriate for beginning artists who are serious about learning how to draw people better.

Debra Kauffman Yaun discovered that she had a knack for drawing people when she was a young girl growing up in Tampa, Florida. After graduating from the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, Debra worked as a fashion illustrator. She has drawn and painted many commissioned portraits, several of which have been of children—her favorite subject to draw. Debra's artwork has been published in several art magazines and books, and she has won numerous awards, including an international prize. She is a signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, having served as president of the Atlanta chapter, and she is a juried member of the Portrait Society of Atlanta. She also enjoys teaching classes and workshops in portraits and colored pencil. Debra lives in Buford, Georgia.

William F. Powell studied at the Art Student's Career School in New York and the Louvre Free School of Art in Paris, France. His work has been represented in major galleries and reproduced in the form of illustrations, prints, and limited edition collector's plates. He has been professionally involved in fine art, commercial art, and illustration for more than 45 years. He holds awards for the technical side of his art, which has been used in major space and environmental programs.

Diane Cardaci was classically trained at the Art Students League of New York City, Parsons School of Design, and the School of Visual Arts. Her passion for both realism and nature led her to start her professional art career working as a Natural Science Illustrator in New York City, where she specialized in medical and natural science illustrations. Her work has been published by the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, as well as by major textbook companies such as Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. After studying portraiture with nationally acclaimed artists such as Nelson Shanks and John Sanden, commissioned portrait work soon became an important part of her artwork. She is a signature member of the American Society of Portrait Artists and has contributed writing for the organization's publications. Diane is also a member of the Colored Pencil Society of America, the Graphic Artists Guild, and the Illustrator's Partnership of America.

More than 85 years ago, Walter Foster—a well-known artist, instructor, and collector—began producing art instruction books from his home in Laguna Beach, California. He originally wrote, illustrated, printed, bound, packaged, shipped, and distributed them himself. Although Walter passed away in 1981 at the age of 90, his legacy continues in a growing product line. Walter Foster Publishing now provides how-to books and kits to millions of enthusiastic artists worldwide who enjoy the rewards of learning how to draw and paint. People who have never before picked up a paintbrush or drawing pencil have discovered their artistic talents through his easy-to-follow instruction books.