10 Step Drawing: Figures

Geared toward doodlers, cartoonists, illustrators, and others looking to improve their craft, this book does what it says: provides step-by-step instructions for drawing people in various poses. Most begin with a rough scale and basic form to block out the shape, followed by increasing attention to details. Lecouffe (10 Step Drawing series) provides tips regarding which elements will be included in the final drawing, so that readers don’t get bogged down in details that will not be visible at the end. Each step includes an illustration so that readers can follow along and emulate the work. The rigid 10-step structure means that some steps include a number of distinct changes to the drawing.

VERDICT: Like paint-by-numbers but for drawing figures, this book will be helpful for budding cartoonists and those who want to draw people without a lot of instruction on technique.

10 Step Drawing: Figures offers an easy starting point for any illustrator looking to create realistic drawings of people. All you need is a pen and paper: learning to draw has never been easier! Learn how to draw people in natural, everyday poses such as resting, eating, walking or playing, or choose dynamic, mid-action poses, from skiing and surfing to dancing.

We say: Once you’ve mastered the basics you can apply the techniques and draw your own family members and friends too!

Justine Lecouffe is an artist, illustrator and graphic designer based in London, UK. She creates digital and traditional hand drawings encompassing fashion, beauty, architecture and travel, for clients in a wide range of industries, from book publishing to branding for jewellery and fashion designers. Her work has been published in a number of books, including Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls and her major clients include Apple, O2, the National Trust, NHS, Red bull, Nivea and Pandora. Her book sales now total over 15k copies.