Figure Drawing Resources

This page is an ongoing list of resources that I've found helpful in my own studies and in teaching. If you've ever taken a class with me, you've definitely seen some of these books. 

Constructive Anatomy by George Bridgman
A classic anatomy reference book. Constructive Anatomy shows how the body is constructed, providing structural and mechanical aspects of the human figure. This is the book to help you visually describe structure and form.
(Archive.org, Amazon)

The Natural Way to Draw: A Working Plan for Art Study by Kimon Nicolaïdes
Originally published in 1941, many of the terms and concepts used in contemporary figure drawing originated from this book. 64 exercises will teach drawing through contour drawing, gesture drawing, weight/mass studies, and daily memory drawing practice. 
(Archive.org)

Charles Bargue Drawing Course (Cours de Dessin) by Charles Bargue with Jean-Léon Gérôme
A late 19th-century drawing course comprising around 197 lithographs, guiding students from drawing plaster casts to studying old master drawings to drawing from the living model. Vincent van Gogh copied the complete set in 1880/1881 and credited it with teaching him to draw figures. Still used today in classical realist ateliers.
(Archive.org, Amazon -plates only)

Figure Drawing for All It's Worth by Andrew Loomis
Originally published in 1943, this book covers anatomy, planes and lighting, drawing from living models, the figure in action, and costume. Loomis (1892–1959) is revered among artists for his mastery of figure drawing and clean Realist style, and the book remains a standard reference for illustrators and comics artists.
(Archive.org, Amazon)

Drawing the Head and Hands by Andrew Loomis
An in-depth manual for drawing the human head and hands, featuring helpful reference information, theory, and illustrations. Covers creating heads across genders and age ranges, children's heads from infancy to the teenaged years, block forms and proportions for bones and muscle, head tilts, perspective, character and expression, mechanics of facial features, and hands of all ages including foreshortening.
(Archive.org, Amazon)

Artistic Anatomy (Anatomie Artistique) by Dr. Paul Richer
Translated/edited by Robert Beverly Hale
Widely acknowledged to be the greatest book of its kind since the Renaissance. The original French edition was published in 1889 and was probably used as a resource by Renoir, Braque, Degas, Bazille, and many others. Richer was a professor of artistic anatomy at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
(Archive.org, Amazon)

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards
Translated into thirteen languages, this is the world's most widely used drawing-instruction guide. First published in 1979, it hit the New York Times bestseller list within two weeks. The book teaches a cognitive approach to drawing by accessing the visual, perceptual mode of thinking.
(Amazon)

The Human Figure by John H. Vanderpoel
A classic study of human anatomy compiled by Vanderpoel toward the end of his tenure at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1907. Features 430 pencil and charcoal drawings illustrating subtle points of shading, curvature, proportion, foreshortening, and muscular tension, with attention to variations across age groups, sexes, and body types.
(Archive.org, Amazon)

Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist by Stephen Rogers Peck
Originally published in 1951, this atlas includes sections on bones, muscles, surface anatomy, proportion, equilibrium, and locomotion. Also included are sections on different human physiques, anatomy from birth to old age, and an analysis of facial expressions. Treatment and discussion of different ethnicities is sometimes inappropriate. 
(Archive.org, Amazon)