Stephen Bauman The Art of Portraiture a Practical Guide to Better Drawing 3dtotal publishing

The art of portraiture a practical guide to better drawing by Stephen Bauman (3dtotal publishing) is a new book showing how to draw the human head. The book is very in depth and has a lot of detail included. The back of the book does mention that this is suitable for all levels of artists including beginners, but I do think it may be a little overwhelming if you are a complete beginner - it is a very academic book for learning to draw portraits. Whilst the art medium used throughout the book is primarily graphite, the skills taught can apply to any medium, and not just portraits either, for example there are foundation chapters covering lighting, values, simplification, structure and much more ( see the info further below ). Stephen Bauman is one of the best art teachers around at the moment and you will likely have seen him featuring on the Proko channel a lot too. Considering this is pretty cheap to buy and is over 220 pages, it's definitely one to consider!

Description from Amazon & 3Dtotal (see link below) -
This is no ordinary book about drawing portraits, this is a book that may change your life and identity – transforming you into a dedicated artist who draws with passion and skill. Whether you’re a beginner or already an accomplished artist, The Art of Portraiture takes you on a journey of discovery about what it takes to capture the essence of a person with just graphite and patience.

Author and expert teacher Stephen Bauman offers a synthesis of the best lessons he has learned in his career as a student, as well as the most efficient exercises he’s developed as an artist and teacher. If you're up for a bit of adventure, a touch of self-discovery, and a whole lot of drawing, then you're in the right place. This book is Stephen’s earnest attempt to share what he’s learned (often the hard way) about drawing portraits. Spoiler alert: There were plenty of awkward attempts, eraser battles, and moments where his ‘likenesses’ were more cartoon than human. But isn't that the point of learning – to embrace the stumbles and celebrate the breakthroughs?

There are chapters answering questions such as ‘What makes a drawing work?’ followed by practical tutorials on specific techniques, including Value Mapping and Form Visualization, all accompanied by incredible illustrative examples and steps. Ultimately readers can reflect on the transformation they have achieved throughout the book and focus on their continuous growth and improvement. This is a wonderfully deep dive into the messy, marvellous, and occasionally magical world of portrait drawing.

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[SketchedbySte]

What do you guys think to this one, will you be picking up the new Stephan Bauman book to brush up on your portrait skills? 🤔

[pseudonamed]

Thanks for the preview, it looks really thorough, I think I might get it

[michaelpoore]

Thanks for previewing this one. It's been on my wishlist for a while. I think Bauman is one of the best portrait artists of this generation. He manages to capture emotion and a sense of mystery and storytelling in a single portrait. Not an easy feat. I'll definitely be picking this one up. At some point, I hope he releases a straight up artist's book showcasing his best work. Thanks for doing these videos. Really enjoying your channel.

[alfash]

Really appreciate your book reviews/flick-throughs. Have bought a couple of anatomy books on the back of them. Thanks!!!

[blueberry.]

Is iti suitable for complete beginners? Thanks

[jamesjucutan]

Would love to hear about an update with this book. Has your opinion changed after reading the book a little bit more?