Drawing the Head for Artists: Techniques for Mastering Expressive Portraiture (Volume 2)

This is a really good portrait book and worth the money. The only issue is there is nothing in this book that is very original , most of the insights and techniques have been around and documented for a long time. The author is truly a great portrait artist , no doubt you will learn something, but having purchased over 7 portrait books on Amazon dealing with charcoal portraits and after awhile you could cut out the images, mix them up and put them back in books at random and you would not know the difference on technique discussions. There is a greatness to all these artists , but there is also a striking sameness. I do not mean to be critical, again this artist is really terrific and the book is worthwhile, just expect a rehash of the usual examples of light , shadow, and tools, applied in pretty much the same manner and look. There are limitations that everyone tries to get correct when drawing the human face and there are limitations in viewpoints and how the face can be lit, so since that part of the book is redundant with every other book like this what will amaze you is how this artist transcends those techniques and transcends the realism aspects to capture the exact persona of the subject. This artist has a book that goes well beyond drawing and he captures the inner person and that is what comes through, this is a great artist at going beyond the medium and going beyond technique and art, his work borders on a spiritual moment, not in a religious way, but almost like a meditative image of the persons soul. The actual technique sections and text may be redundant with others , it is the results that are fantastic This is an excellent book you wont regret the purchase. The most interesting aspect of most art instruction books authored by Asians, is most of them always include very loving and respectful in depth portraits of the artists parents, they always nail those to perfection.

This is an exceptional Head Drawing Techniques book that will satisfy readers in multiple levels. The steps are clear, precise and easy to follow. Whether as a beginner, an artist with some basic drawing skills, or a veteran artist trying to push one’s limits, as long as you are intrigued by portrait drawing, you will find inspirations in this book. The wide range in nationalities is a visual feast for a modern world of global recognition. This also serves as a portfolio collection of an amazing contemporary portraiture artist. Even just browsing thru the pages, mostly full page artworks, is satisfying. There are quite a few portraits, which jump out to me as timeless. I would have easily mistaken it as a page from the Impressionist, Realist, Victorian, Edwardian or Renaissance era. And this is a quality which I find truly intriguing.

I first found Oliver Sin on Instagram and was amazed by his work. When I found out that he made a book about charcoal drawing I knew that I had to have it. The book describes the materials and process of drawing the head but also explains why things the way they are and show details that the average person doesn't notice. This book is definitely a great resource to have not just for charcoal drawing but for understanding the basics of art. One of the greatest things that I have ever purchased and a great reference to have.

I have been wanting since I saw it in a Barnes and Noble one day. I also teach portrait art so it was a great source for looking and learning different ways to draw portraits (with this Author) wit out having to go online all the time.

I highly recommend this book because it not only has Oliver's best charcoal portraits as examples, it teaches step by step methods on how to approach charcoal portrait in clear, concise manner. I particularly love the analysis on the plane changes and on facial features. It helps me a lot in grasping the form in proper manner so as to be more 3 dimensional. One can tell the artist is not only highly accomplished in portraiture, knows how to capture the essence, where to focus, and where to eliminate so as not to be too stiffly photorealistic nor too loose to lose powerful, strong understanding of forms. He also knows how to teach and explain well so it is easy to follow. There are great down-to-earth advices one can tell based on decades of experiences rather than flashy gimmicks. Although embarking on portraiture is a lifetime journey, I've learned a lot from what he teaches. I've had a collections of books on portraiture, somehow his teachings clicks on those points that have been confusing for long for me. It is simply wonderful to learn that doing portraiture is not really that forbidding, can be improved, and enjoyed.

This book has diverse examples to improve your drawing skills. I believe that is truly important for artists and providing representation for those who want to see themselves in your art. There’s also useful techniques to improve.

This is an outstanding book. Many of the other reviewers commented on aspects of the book I would have otherwise. For someone like myself who is a self-taught artist, I can never get enough of these instructional books. I continue to learn and refine my drawing skills. I love the diverse types of people the author Oliver Sin used--young, older, different races of people, different hair textures and skin types and shapes---all the details that make each of us different and how to approach drawing them. His explanations are clear and very easy to understand with practical approaches for each step as an artist works towards completion. I would recommend this book to anyone seeking to further refine their skills.

A really, really beautifully designed instructional drawing book that explores some foundational (I always enjoy reading different artists’ viewpoints on some of the basics; there are often pro-tips that are helpful to remind us to steer away from bad habits) as well as some more intermediate to advanced studies of getting from points A to B smoothly in an expressive portrait. I particularly enjoyed the section that explored posing your model and the examples that accompanied light source referencing. The illustrations are high resolution and beautifully printed. Many drawing books keep these somewhat small, so it was refreshing to get a book with a copious amount of detail.

Bought this to help me understand what are the differences with drawing Asian portraits. Very easy to read with lots of useful information. I like that part about expressions. Most of us who start learning may tend to be too technical and aim to for 100% likeness. His advice on this is very useful.

Bewutiful book. Very valuble lessons in portrait drqwing.

O autor dispensa apresentações para quem acompanha o trabalho dos artistas figurativos/retratistas contemporâneos. O livro apresenta dezenas de imagens de alta qualidade artística onde é possível conhecer mais a fundo sobre o processo criativo e o pensamento desse grande mestre da atualidade.

Interesting and very different from what I expected. Somewhat of an advanced approach and it kind of freaked me out. Atelier, not illustration, no playing around and you've got to dive deep into his world of portraiture. Reminds me of Sargent drawings, the portraits literally look at you. Between Juliette Aristides 'Lessons in Classical Drawing' and her 'Beginning Drawing Atelier' and obsessing on Sargent's genius this is the cherry on the cake.

人物の完成作品から始まりスケッチ ハッチンング クロスハッチング、絵の構成要素（光から影・陰・コア影 反射光、ハイライト）までの説明。人物に移り大まかな形から 各パーツの描き方、豊富な完成作品が多く掲載されいる。 絵を描くには、もう少し様々な人物・アングルで描く プロセスで掲載された方が、いいと思うがページ数の制限 微妙な変化を描くにも分かりにくい所もあると思うが、完成作品 よりも、大まかな形から、制作プロセスを多く掲載して貰うと良かった。 いい画集と思う。