Sketching People: An urban sketcher's guide to drawing figures and faces

by Lynne Chapman

Sketching People

Genres: Art, Drawing, Nonfiction, Reference, Crafts, Journal, How To

128 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2016

Reviews

[Matias Selzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book presents many tips about sketching people in the real world.
The most important thing is that the book does NOT teach how to draw people.
There is a very brief section about body parts and things like that, but if you want to learn about drawing people anatomically correctly, this book does not teach that.
However, if you want techniques to fast drawing, especially people, this book is great.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of this artist and her work, and I was delighted when this book was published. It shows how the artist captures her subjects, the tools and techniques she uses, and is filled with lots of her drawings. There is almost too much to soak up in my first reading, and this is a book I plan to revisit with watercolor pencils in hand.

[Cherniakhivska · Rating 3 out of 5]

Люблю читати книжки про скетчинг. Вона симпатична, багато ілюстрацій таких, що мені подобаються (а деякі я б не включала як слабкі), не завжди згодна з авторкою щодо використання кольору. Книжка фрагментарна-мозаїчна, складається з багатьох стулених докупи окремих порад із ілюстраціями-скетчами, розташованих майже хаотично, мені було складно читати, в сенсі, вибирати,який клаптик читати наступним. Але загалом книжка надихає.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Useful tips for developing an on-the-go sketching practice using pencil, graphite, ink, and/or watercolor. The first half recaps basic drawing perspectives and proportions. There are quick tutorials on eyes, ears, etc. the second half focuses on where to sketch, being unobtrusive, how to let go and not be a perfectionist since people are always moving about. The most important thing of course is to practice, and this book is full of examples from artists in addition to the author who have willingly shared their “less than perfect” sketchbook entries from their own creative journeys.
One nit: the book designer used too many different fonts. It was distracting and some were hard to read (too fine and stylized on a tinted background). But I don’t blame the author for this, just my aging eyes.

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent "extra credit" book to have as I finish up taking a course on Sketching People. There are a lot of good bits in here.

[Terrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely full of good tips and lots of inspirational photos, just not what I was looking for. She's an accomplished artist and her "sketches" are very realistic looking. I'm looking more for a way to realistically "suggest" a person in a drawing without all the detail. I'll definitely refer back to it as my skills improve.

[Aurelia Hulls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sketching People is a wonderfully practical and encouraging guide for anyone wanting to get better at drawing figures on the go. Lynne Chapman breaks down the real challenges of urban sketching, moving subjects, shifting poses, and unpredictable scenes and turns them into simple, doable techniques. I especially enjoyed her tips on capturing character and movement, as well as the clear explanations about line styles, tonal work, and fabric details.

The book feels both instructional and inspiring, filled with examples that make you want to grab your sketchbook and head outside. Whether you're new to drawing people or looking to sharpen your observational skills, this manual offers solid, friendly guidance that actually makes sketching feel fun and achievable.

[Dee Renee Chesnut · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book because I completed two courses by this author on Craftsy.com (now Bluprint.com.) I suspected she had much more to teach me.
Art instruction books are aspirational reading for me. This author has so many ideas for practice on each page that sometimes I do not know where to start first. I will add 3 Inktense watercolor pencils in tan, olive, and navy to my sketch kit because I liked how she used those ( P. 28 and 116.)
I recommend this for ideas for practice for any sketcher.

[Daniel Te · Rating 3 out of 5]

Solid enough book. Urban sketching is a distinct form of drawing (e.g., focus on drawing quickly in live scenes), so best to think of it as an exercise in understanding good fundamentals so that you can get it all down quick.

There's a brief section on the anatomy of people and tips for that, but that's not really the focus of the book. There's also not much about drawing faces specifically either.

Great book about the Urban Sketchers style, but not as much about figures and faces per se.

[Lael Walters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of sketches fill this book , giving plenty of inspiration
Not for the beginner imo other than in an inspirational way, but interspersed with many intermediate-advanced tips throughout — and even includes how to deal with the embarrassment factor of drawing in public

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much in this book!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super enjoyable and helpful.

[Kathryn Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this so much! Adored the visual format and playful, honest tone which really sparked a new energy into my sketching, thank you

[Dave Corun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of really good tips.

[Lila · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of great information from Lynne Chapman and she includes mostly personal examples that are unique, as well as other artists.

[Gail Button · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book, it was a library book…so good I’m going to have to buy it now to re-read, stick post it notes in and accidentally spill my coffee on my favourite pages.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed going through this book. Had several great ideas.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some good advice for intermediate to advanced sketchers, a nice read once book. but not a keeper.

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

voy por la mitad pero me lo estoy comiendo con patatas... lo encontré en la biblioteca de mi pueblo y es super útil para practicar

[Paul Klingelhuber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book. The order of the topics is a bit backwards in some places for my taste, but nonetheless very enjoyable.

[Elizabeth]

I loved the illustrations as well as the helpful tips. Even if your goal is not to be an "urban sketcher," you will get a lot of useful strategies for figure drawing.

[Criss · Rating 4 out of 5]

A huge number of great tips and examples about sketching people. Might be the best book about this subject.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely has some good tips and has helped me find a good basis for Urban Sketching. I love how not just the authors work was featured in the book, she had tons of art done by fellow urban sketchers and it helped to show the different approaches and styles you can take!