The Art of Portrait Drawing by Joy Thomas (2006, Hardcover)

Ms. Joy Davis is a truly talented artist and the author of this book. This was a wonderful book to happen upon because it is so comprehensive in its coverage. Ms. Davis begins with a very thorough discussion of materials, progresses to the essentials of portraiture and ends with 8 easy to follow demonstrations.
Ms. Davis discusses the various materials she uses in the portraiture, chalk, conte, sanguine, and pen and ink. She discusses the importance of keeping a sketch bag with you at all times filled with your supplies so to be ready to sketch on the spot. Also important is the drawing your subject from life. Ms Davis believes this helps you develop more than drawing skills. This enables you to learn about the person and develop their character in your painting.
The middle of the book is filled with a wealth of information on the essentials for becoming an artist. This section covers a brief history of art, styles, Gestalt thinking, composition and divine proportion, design, body canons, measurement systems, tone, negative space, lighting, staging, and posing. Too much to list.
During the last part of the book she goes more in detail with the posing, working with colors and practicing your art. She begins with materials list and measuring your paper and setting up the portrait. She believes that by observing, measuring, correcting , redrawing, more measurements and more correcting you will be able to achieve a good likeness. She has 8 tutorials which start with the paper and the positioning of the person, then considering the skull, head mass and eye shapes. Next she moves on to the placement of the nose and mouth then developing the likeness working the value range then zoning in on the final detail and background. She finishes with her own sort of checklist to see if the likeness suits the subject.
As I said too much to list – this is an excellent book

I think this book has it all. Joy Thomas is an excellent teacher who covers every aspect and subject pertaining to drawing. I am glad I purchased this book and will refer to it often. I highly recommend it.

Its really good book, easy, Covers alot of subject. I like it and I recomend it for a friend. the seeler is good too