What do you think?
Rate this book
Figure Drawing: Design and Invention
Discover the transformative power of figure drawing with Michael Hampton's definitive guide, "Figure Design and Invention." Tailored for both the budding artist and the seasoned professional, this book distills complex anatomical concepts into an accessible, step-by-step process. 1. **Master the Mechanics**: Learn the intricacies of the human figure with a simplified approach to surface anatomy. 2. **Fuel Your Creativity**: Leverage your newfound knowledge to push boundaries and invent unique, dynamic characters. 3. **From Theory to Canvas**: Benefit from a practical, hands-on approach that takes you from conceptual understanding to application, turning theories into a streamlined workflow. 4. **Comprehensive Coverage**: Dive into an array of topics including gesture, figure construction, head drawing, and more, ensuring a well-rounded skill set. 5. **The Proven Choice**: Celebrating its 12th printing, this trusted resource has empowered artists globally to elevate their craft
240 pages, Paperback
First published August 31, 2009
337 people are currently reading
3359 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
December 20, 2010
Drawing has been a lifelong interest of mine, but until recently, I was barely able to draw much more than a stick figure. Around a year ago, I decided to seriously devote efort to learning to draw. It's a great skill to have, requires little in the way of materials and can be fun. SInce that decision, I've purchased and used about 10 books to drawing, mostly figure drawing. this was the last book on the subject I purchased, and, I am convinced, the last one I need. Hampton lays out what you need to become a better artist. I believe that anyone who is interested in the subject could pick up this book, and within a few hours see a marked difference in their skill at drawing. What I found the most helpful is that on sections where he is going over muscles and shapes, he uses color to call out what he is talking about. If you are interested in any type of drawing that involves the human figure, definitely take a look at this book.
December 4, 2012
(More pictures at parkablogs.com)
The approach covered is primarily concerned with the use of line, development of form, and the simplified design of anatomy. It doesn't go into contour drawing, shading and expression.
The many illustrated examples are aimed at helping students develop a feel for the form and volume of figures they draw. To that aspect, I think it does a very good job.
The use of simple geometric shapes as drawing guides are simple to understand. Not only that, Michael Hampton also builds onto to those simplified mannequins with lots of clearly illustrated muscles. The muscle groups are visualised very distinctly in the examples. They are colour-coded to bring attention those that affect form when the body is in different positions.
I like the part on finding landmarks — bones that are near the skin. Colour-coded and shown very clearly, with rotating views from front to back.
The book does have head drawing but the focus is on the form rather than the details of the features, although the examples do show the details. It still covers enough for for anyone to draw a decent head.
One thing that's missing is the mention of figure proportions, like how many heads tall a body, length of an arm, etc. That I think will complete the book. There's nothing on bones and you won't learn how muscle works, but this isn't an anatomy reference book. That said, having an anatomy reference book to go along will be extremely helpful.
This is a useful book for artists learning to create and pose their own figures. Recommend for beginner and intermediate artists.
March 14, 2020
This book is an excellent resource for strengthening the fundamentals of figure drawing by breaking down the complexity of the human form into shapes and lines
The diagrams were so easy to analyze and replicate in my own Art that after a few study sessions I felt confident to apply and experiment without a reference to crib from
The anatomy is simplified enough, particularly when rendering the arm with its various muscle groups, to not get overwhelmed. Each part of the process is chunked into manageable sections making it an excellent teaching resource as well
The diagrams were so easy to analyze and replicate in my own Art that after a few study sessions I felt confident to apply and experiment without a reference to crib from
The anatomy is simplified enough, particularly when rendering the arm with its various muscle groups, to not get overwhelmed. Each part of the process is chunked into manageable sections making it an excellent teaching resource as well
September 6, 2018
I started figure drawing with this book. really helps on learning a useful summary of muscles and bones, but my drawings then looked mechanical. The problem was solved when I started drawing from life and seeing force in figures, and then the information inside this book came in handy.
March 7, 2021
In depth and super effective in breaking down anatomical structure. Micheal Hampton's Figure Drawing: design and Invention proves to be an invaluable and essential resource for everyone in the art community looking to get a well crafted fundamental structural breakdown of Human Anatomy. I enjoy this book and keep returning to it all the time.
August 28, 2024
In other news, I finally finished a sketchbook I started in 2018. This is a great review of the construction of the figure. I intend to use it as a reference in the future for its simple breakdown of complex anatomical shapes.
September 8, 2020
This book is okey but not as great as I've read it is. In my research I got the impression that this was the greatest book out there in drawing humans, as Loomis seemed to be a bit overwhelming for self-learning/beginner artists. That may be, but this book didn't cover proportions well enough or steps in drawing. Shapes here and shapes there isn't very helpful for a beginner, nor is a half completed sketch with the text study the image. I will be checking out Loomis after all or keep researching for a more educational material. I'm a bit disappointed as I was searching for ONE book to cover it all.
June 16, 2025
3.5
If you want a good reference on anatomy for figure drawing, then this is a good book, especially for learning to create your own figures from your imagination. So if your goal is drawing for comic books, it's probably 5 stars.
I would not recommend this book on its own for learning figure drawing though, especially for someone more interested in life drawing. It's very "build a mechanic human" and much less "convey a person".
If you want a good reference on anatomy for figure drawing, then this is a good book, especially for learning to create your own figures from your imagination. So if your goal is drawing for comic books, it's probably 5 stars.
I would not recommend this book on its own for learning figure drawing though, especially for someone more interested in life drawing. It's very "build a mechanic human" and much less "convey a person".
March 30, 2019
One of the best anatomy books I've used. It keeps things practical and informative while not getting overly wordy or needlessly complex. Gives you the tools and exercises you need to build good figure drawing habits.
November 1, 2016
Definitely one of the best figure drawing books i have referred to.
December 25, 2015
One of the very best books on anatomy I've ever stumbled upon. Wonderful for understanding the structure of the body, though maybe not as good as Burne Hogarth's when it comes to gesture and pose.
May 11, 2021
Although not strictly an anatomy book, “Figure Drawing: Design and Invention” by Michael Hampton will likely find itself within the same area of your art library. The focus here is on the construction of the human figure and, more importantly, the ability to be able to construct it from your imagination. Using somewhat abstract shapes/designs, Hampton presents an organized method to learning how to design and build the human form.
Not surprising for a book of this nature, it begins with a section on Gesture Drawing, taking you though the essential elements necessary for creating poses that aren’t “stiff” and are dynamic in nature. From there he moves onto Landmarks of the body.
The rest of the book is devoted to Head Drawing, Anatomy, Arms, Hands, Legs and Feet. Though is should be noted that these sections present the anatomy to some degree, but the emphasis is on the construction using abstract forms and then a concise look at the actual anatomy. You will certainly need other books to get your foundation of anatomy, but this does present a nice overview.
The book also includes a chapter on Drapery, which seems to be out of place, when compared to the rest of the material in the book. But the basic folds are covered and should prove to be useful for those looking for an introduction to the topic.
I’ve learned a lot from the book by drawing the material within the book and absorbing his approach to construction. There’s a lot to like within these covers and I’m sure that you will come away with something of value to your studies. Just don’t expect a “definitive” book on Anatomy, as there are many other books that are more suited for a deeper look at the subject, example: books by Goldfinger, Peck and Richer, among others.
Not surprising for a book of this nature, it begins with a section on Gesture Drawing, taking you though the essential elements necessary for creating poses that aren’t “stiff” and are dynamic in nature. From there he moves onto Landmarks of the body.
The rest of the book is devoted to Head Drawing, Anatomy, Arms, Hands, Legs and Feet. Though is should be noted that these sections present the anatomy to some degree, but the emphasis is on the construction using abstract forms and then a concise look at the actual anatomy. You will certainly need other books to get your foundation of anatomy, but this does present a nice overview.
The book also includes a chapter on Drapery, which seems to be out of place, when compared to the rest of the material in the book. But the basic folds are covered and should prove to be useful for those looking for an introduction to the topic.
I’ve learned a lot from the book by drawing the material within the book and absorbing his approach to construction. There’s a lot to like within these covers and I’m sure that you will come away with something of value to your studies. Just don’t expect a “definitive” book on Anatomy, as there are many other books that are more suited for a deeper look at the subject, example: books by Goldfinger, Peck and Richer, among others.
September 11, 2021
I give this book 5 stars because I think it succeeds at what is is trying to do, presenting a simple yet functional process for successful figure drawing, but since I am complete beginner large parts of the anatomy chapters was too overwhelming for me, so I am going to have to come back to this one after more practice. When that time comes I plan to combine the revisit of this book with Michal Hamptons figure drawing course as it seems this book is actually a summery of the figure drawing courses he has made in the past. I believe taking his course will give me the extra detail I need to aid my understanding.
January 11, 2022
This book equips you with a toolkit to draw people from life, with an introduction to anatomy. The premise is that once you know the function of the skeletal and muscular systems, you can also create lifelike people and characters from your imagination.
His approach to life drawing is directly relevant and helped me improved my observation and drawing application after just the first chapter.
Definitely a book to continue referencing with continued study of the figure and a more in depth study of anatomy. It isn’t a full study of anatomy, as he repeatedly mentions. Rather, it is a breakdown of the essence of anatomy needed for realistic rendering.
His approach to life drawing is directly relevant and helped me improved my observation and drawing application after just the first chapter.
Definitely a book to continue referencing with continued study of the figure and a more in depth study of anatomy. It isn’t a full study of anatomy, as he repeatedly mentions. Rather, it is a breakdown of the essence of anatomy needed for realistic rendering.
July 8, 2022
I got this book to compliment a class, and while I find it really helpful personally, I don't think that I could have gotten the full extent of it without the course. The class was originally taught by Michael Hampton (the author), and so this text and images are perfect for having additional references along with the lectures. However, if I had just bought this alone, I would have been frustrated with the limited number of labeled muscle drawings. There are plenty of drawings of figures without their muscles revealed and labeled though.
July 17, 2018
It's was a great book that shows you the fundamentals for drawing the human figure, and many other complex forms. It's simple, intuitive and the drawings help you understand a lot. Some chapters like the Head or the Anatomy are simplified therefore the author mentions you should engage in further study for a complete understanding of these chapters. But this simplification helps you conceive the essence of the figure!
June 3, 2020
This book was excellent! It explained things in a way that I could understand--mostly. However, I have to knock off a star because it really should have been edited better. There were times where "left" was used when it should have been "right" and vice versa. There was also one time where it said "pink" when the illustrated parts were clearly purple. Plus, there were a lot of errors in sentence structure peppered about.
July 11, 2020
This book is a good basic reference book for drawing the head and figure, providing an overview of basic skeletal and musculature forms and their relation to one another and providing tools to break down these forms in terms of drawing (from reference or invention). I find it helps me put more thought into the forms I'm drawing and will be a useful tool in my artbox.
August 24, 2020
This one book explained in very clear terms everything that 3 books by Burne Hogarth couldn't. Honestly, people should stop recommending Hogarth to newbies and recommend this book instead – it's way more useful and cost effective. I expect to reread and reference it often. Also Hampton can actually draw exaggerated muscular forms without making them look like cartoony superheroes.
January 10, 2021
I found this book to be very helpful. Hampton lays down the fundamentals of figure drawing step by step.
The shapes of the face, hands, feet, and legs described are fantastic starting points.
Even though this is the basics, I think this book would be helpful even to people who have been drawing the figure for years.
The shapes of the face, hands, feet, and legs described are fantastic starting points.
Even though this is the basics, I think this book would be helpful even to people who have been drawing the figure for years.
May 9, 2023
Just awesome. Fresh and interesting no matter how many times I read it.
Comprehensive, engaging, and fun to read. Bursting with so many examples, that no matter how many times I go through the book, it’s always fresh and interesting. I can’t say the same for a single other book in the hundreds of books I own. Good job Michael Hampton.
Comprehensive, engaging, and fun to read. Bursting with so many examples, that no matter how many times I go through the book, it’s always fresh and interesting. I can’t say the same for a single other book in the hundreds of books I own. Good job Michael Hampton.
October 30, 2024
I've accumulated quite a few drawing resource books over the last 6 months as I attempt to learn to draw. This is a really great one. Coupled with online drawing classes I'm taking, it has a great breakdown of how to start drawing the human figure (a complicated thing to learn, to be very clear!!)
I have gone back to it over and over again (as a newbie to sketching).
I have gone back to it over and over again (as a newbie to sketching).
August 26, 2017
Read it at a slow pace while working on my art.
The most amazing approach to anatomy I've seen! Learn so much from it, highly recommend it to anyone who's starting to draw or even already neck deep in the art world. You can never have too much anatomy knowledge.
The most amazing approach to anatomy I've seen! Learn so much from it, highly recommend it to anyone who's starting to draw or even already neck deep in the art world. You can never have too much anatomy knowledge.
October 12, 2017
I found this to be an excellent guide to drawing the human figure, with practical exercises and good anatomy references this is one of the best books I've read on figure drawing, and it has helped my drawing immensely.
January 3, 2018
Would highly recommend, the techniques they teach are overall very helpful and useful for me. I learned a lot from this book, it covers basically everything from construction, portraits, bodies to feet. This is helpful for beginners I think, and the explanations are easy to understand.
July 2, 2019
A figure drawing book made not just for improving figure but overall art expertise. After the first read, I started to draw along with the numerous illustrations in the book to really understand the process.
March 27, 2021
Recommended by my art teacher. A great basic book every artist needs to read. I learned a lot from it. Many things need to be constantly reviewed and remembered from the book in order to draw effectively, along with lots of practice
May 29, 2021
So incredibly helpful and useful resource that is widely recommended to those who are looking to self-teach basic anatomy drawing techniques. Very well laid out, useful pictures. Easy to just pick up and use as needed.
January 10, 2025
Brilliant Guide
Excellent figure drawing guide. The book contains anatomy, gesture ans value/shading. Full of exercises, sketches with simple explanations. Ideal for all levels.
Excellent figure drawing guide. The book contains anatomy, gesture ans value/shading. Full of exercises, sketches with simple explanations. Ideal for all levels.
June 25, 2017
An absolute keeper; I plan to have this guy handy on a nearby shelf whenever I am drawing.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews