Figure painting, a form of visual arts, mainly depends on a live model that is either made or partly or fully clothed. Peter Paul Rubens, Edger Degas and Edward Manet are some of the world renowned figure painters. Figure drawing is mainly used to draw the human body in its different profile and position using pencil, charcoal and other drawing gadgets. Where as “life drawing” is usually drawn from the observation of a live model. Figure drawing can be converted to figure painting if pigment is used. The human figure can be drawn in various ways such as drawing based on live models from some reference material or from one’s own imagination. On one hand, owing to the expressiveness involved in the mode of drawing based on the artists imagination, this form of painting can be lauded and on the other hand can meet with rebuke of the artist fails to give life to his imagination. Some artists give preference to the interplay of light and dark values on the surfaces of the body while others give preference to an anatomical approach. Hence the study of human anatomy is highly essential for this painting.
Following are the few figure painting pdf and online ebooks available in web.
- Figure Painting in Oil By Douglas R. Graves
- Figure Painting Step by Step By Wendon Blake, George Passantino
- Painting your wargames figures
- Mithril Modelling Guides : Figure painting
- Figure Painting, Anatomy, and Portraiture
- Figure Painting: Proportions of the Body & Face
- Figure Painting Tutorial: Oil Paint
- Figure Painting: History of Figurative Art, Life Drawing: Representation of Human Body in Oils, Watercolours, Pastels: Famous Figure Painters