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Tom Richardson

@figure-drawings.com.bsky.social

I had a website with PDFs of public domain drawing books. I’ll share those and other things An old blog is at https://figure-drawings.blogspot.com/ Books at Lulu https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/figuredrawing https://bsky.app/profile/figuredrawings.com

37 Followers  |  34 Following  |  31 Posts  |  Joined: 02.07.2025  |  2.5473

Latest posts by figure-drawings.com on Bluesky

A painting of an Apple, plum, grapes, orange, watermelon, banana, and a mug

A painting of an Apple, plum, grapes, orange, watermelon, banana, and a mug

We also painted a still life

28.08.2025 00:04 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Orange and blue next to neutral grey. They grey looks lighter next to blue

Orange and blue next to neutral grey. They grey looks lighter next to blue

Red and green next to neutral grey. The grey looks lighter next to green.

Red and green next to neutral grey. The grey looks lighter next to green.

Violet and yellow next to neutral grey. They grey looks lighter next to violet

Violet and yellow next to neutral grey. They grey looks lighter next to violet

I did a painting class today we looked at some experiments in interaction of color

28.08.2025 00:02 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
RELATIVE PROPORTIONS
A COMPARISON OF MAN AND HORSE A THOROBRED AND A BELGIAN

A man and a woman stand next to a Belgian horse, the man is about the height of the horse’s neck. The Belgian stands about a head taller than the thorobred. The woman is about the same height as the thorobred’s neck.

RELATIVE PROPORTIONS A COMPARISON OF MAN AND HORSE A THOROBRED AND A BELGIAN A man and a woman stand next to a Belgian horse, the man is about the height of the horse’s neck. The Belgian stands about a head taller than the thorobred. The woman is about the same height as the thorobred’s neck.

Another page from Horse Anatomy

18.07.2025 20:58 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Drawings of horses and men and women showing the relative proportions of each. Text reads, “THIS IS A STANDARO-BRED RACE HORSE OF 1050 L8S. HIS LENGTH OF 64* IS SLIGHTLY OVER 2 1/2 HORSE HEADS. HIS HEIGHT IS 63” OR JUST IVER 2 1/2 HORSE HEADS ST WITHERS AND GROUP”

“THERE ATE 3 WOMEN HEADS IN THR HORSE HEAD(24 1/2”) THE WOMAN IS 5’-4” TALL”

“THIS MAN IS 6’ TALL. HIS HEAD IS 1/8 HIS TOTAL HEIGHT OR 9”.”

Drawings of horses and men and women showing the relative proportions of each. Text reads, “THIS IS A STANDARO-BRED RACE HORSE OF 1050 L8S. HIS LENGTH OF 64* IS SLIGHTLY OVER 2 1/2 HORSE HEADS. HIS HEIGHT IS 63” OR JUST IVER 2 1/2 HORSE HEADS ST WITHERS AND GROUP” “THERE ATE 3 WOMEN HEADS IN THR HORSE HEAD(24 1/2”) THE WOMAN IS 5’-4” TALL” “THIS MAN IS 6’ TALL. HIS HEAD IS 1/8 HIS TOTAL HEIGHT OR 9”.”

I came across this book, Horse Anatomy by Lewis S. Brown, published in 1948. He put a huge amount of work into drawing the individual pages showing the anatomy of the horse compared to the size of the human.

16.07.2025 23:51 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Lot - WILLY POGÁNY (1882-1955) Young Woman. [RUBAIYAT]
11.07.2025 04:25 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
The cover of WILLY POCANY'S Oil Painting  Lessons showing a female figure with a drapery

The cover of WILLY POCANY'S Oil Painting Lessons showing a female figure with a drapery

#figurepainting #nudeart

11.07.2025 04:22 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
John S. Barrington, the 1950s Artist Behind the UK’s First Male Pin-Up Mag Barrington’s drawings and sculptures of the male body made him the godfather of physique photography, and saw him arrested for his ‘obscene’ work
11.07.2025 03:09 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
John S. Barrington - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_S....

11.07.2025 03:07 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Drawing of comparative proportions of a man and a woman shown as the number of heads to make up the full body

Drawing of comparative proportions of a man and a woman shown as the number of heads to make up the full body

Comparative proportions from Anthropometry and Anatomy by JohnS. Barrington
#figuredrawing #proportions

11.07.2025 03:06 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 2    📌 0

Foreshortening. Here’s a post I put on a blog a couple of years ago:

figure-drawings.blogspot.com/2008/12/fore...

10.07.2025 17:28 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Lot - WILLY POGANY (1882-1955) "Nude (using slow-drying oil)."
10.07.2025 15:16 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
Preview
The Mythic Art of Willy Pogany — DMR Books The Hungarian artist, Willy Pogany, created art in various styles and illustrated a wide array of subjects. However, from the beginning of his career until the end, Willy was renowned for his artworks...

dmrbooks.com/test-blog/20...

10.07.2025 15:13 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Preview
Willy Pogany - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willy_P...

10.07.2025 15:12 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Post image

Willie Pogany’s Drawing Lessons, the 1946 cover #figuredrawing #nudeart

10.07.2025 15:10 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 4    📌 0
Drawings of heads and ovals showing the placement of eyes, nose, and mouth

Drawings of heads and ovals showing the placement of eyes, nose, and mouth

Drawings of heads and the underlying bones and muscles

Drawings of heads and the underlying bones and muscles

Drawings of slightly tilted heads and ovals showing the placement of eyes, nose, and mouth

Drawings of slightly tilted heads and ovals showing the placement of eyes, nose, and mouth

Drawings of slightly tilted heads and ovals showing the placement of eyes, nose, and mouth

Drawings of slightly tilted heads and ovals showing the placement of eyes, nose, and mouth

Willie Pogany published a book called Drawing Lessons in 1946, it is still available as a reprint titled The Art of Drawing #figuredrawing

10.07.2025 15:06 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Cover of a book, photo of a model and line drawings of similar poses

34 PHOTOGRAPHS FROM NATURE
How to DRAW from the NUDE
Charles Hope Provost

BASIC LINES OF THE FIGURE PLANS ANATOMY ACTION EXPLANATORY TEXT AND DIAGRAMS FOR THE STUDENT

Cover of a book, photo of a model and line drawings of similar poses 34 PHOTOGRAPHS FROM NATURE How to DRAW from the NUDE Charles Hope Provost BASIC LINES OF THE FIGURE PLANS ANATOMY ACTION EXPLANATORY TEXT AND DIAGRAMS FOR THE STUDENT

Photo of a nude model and a line drawing of the model and lines showing the orientation of the limbs.

Text reads: TWO OPPOSING SETS OF SLIGHTLY VARIED LINES
Here, as in music, a continued slightly varied theme of the same general effect is restful and' novel.
Note the left arm and upper left leg, at almost the same angle, balanced by the lower left leg, folded right leg and right arm, at a pleasing opposed angle.

Photo of a nude model and a line drawing of the model and lines showing the orientation of the limbs. Text reads: TWO OPPOSING SETS OF SLIGHTLY VARIED LINES Here, as in music, a continued slightly varied theme of the same general effect is restful and' novel. Note the left arm and upper left leg, at almost the same angle, balanced by the lower left leg, folded right leg and right arm, at a pleasing opposed angle.

Dramatic black and white rendering of the shadows shown in the next photo.

Text reads, THE FIRST STEP
A well posed model sustains the student's interest, and makes for a better finished result. Note the well arranged opposing lines of the legs, arms and torso.

Dramatic black and white rendering of the shadows shown in the next photo. Text reads, THE FIRST STEP A well posed model sustains the student's interest, and makes for a better finished result. Note the well arranged opposing lines of the legs, arms and torso.

Photo of a model kneeling

Photo of a model kneeling

A book of drawing the figure from 1937. The photographs from nature was a big feature. #figuredrawing

09.07.2025 15:14 — 👍 5    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Sketches of women reclining

Sketches of women reclining

“Loose leaf portfolio” anyway here’s another page from the book #figuredrawing #recliningnude #figuresketch

08.07.2025 03:59 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Rendered illustrations of standing female figures in a variety of poses

Rendered illustrations of standing female figures in a variety of poses

Drawings by the French artist La Lire from Figure Techniques by Ben Duggar and Guy Lockwood. Lockwood originally published a loose Leah set of these drawings in portfolio form.

www.artnet.com/artists/adol...

#figuredrawing #anatomy

07.07.2025 19:14 — 👍 7    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
Sketches of figures in action, the text reads, 
“Here are some more ways of getting action with your figure drawings. Study people wherever you see them. Try to make memory sketches after you get home from the ball game or the theatre.
The bathing resorts offer wonderful opportunities to make figure sketches.
The rough notes or sketches that you make will often prove to be your most interesting work because of the action they hold.”

Sketches of figures in action, the text reads, “Here are some more ways of getting action with your figure drawings. Study people wherever you see them. Try to make memory sketches after you get home from the ball game or the theatre. The bathing resorts offer wonderful opportunities to make figure sketches. The rough notes or sketches that you make will often prove to be your most interesting work because of the action they hold.”

Action sketches from How to Draw by Alexander Murray 1932

06.07.2025 15:47 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
A cartoon of 6 boys comparing their injuries. The title reads DAYS OF REAL SPORT

A sign says, FOURTH OF JULY VETS

A boy with his arm in a sling says to a boy with both thumbs and his eye bandaged, AH- H-SHUCKS - I BETCHA I GOT BURNT WORSERN
YOU DID -

Another boy with only one finger bandaged say to two others, JIMINY CRICKITS
THAT HURTS LIKE
THUH
DICKENS -

A cartoon of 6 boys comparing their injuries. The title reads DAYS OF REAL SPORT A sign says, FOURTH OF JULY VETS A boy with his arm in a sling says to a boy with both thumbs and his eye bandaged, AH- H-SHUCKS - I BETCHA I GOT BURNT WORSERN YOU DID - Another boy with only one finger bandaged say to two others, JIMINY CRICKITS THAT HURTS LIKE THUH DICKENS -

Happy Fourth of July from Clare Briggs

04.07.2025 02:46 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
1st panel- Rich guy says:CHEERIO, OLD DEARS! YOU MUST CALL AGAIN.
Mutt:THANKS, SIR SID,-WE SURE WILL
Jeff: CHEERIO, OLD THING!
2nd panel - Jeff: MUTT, DID YOU MAKE ANY BREAKS AT THE DINNER
TONIGHT?
Mutt: DID I? SIR SID'S SISTER ASKED ME How I LIKED BACON -
3rd panel- Mutt: AND  SAID "WELL DONE". I DIDN'T KNoW SHE
WAS SPEAKING ABOUT AN ENGLISH WRITER!
Jeff: OOWAH:
4th panel - Jeff; I MADE TERRIBLE FAUX PAS MYSELF
Mutt: YOU DID! How?
5th panel- Jeff: SID'S SISTER ASKED ME IF HAVE  I WOULD SOME RYE
   - MEANING BREAD-
AND I SAID YES" AND PASSED My GLASS!,
Mutt:  I PULLED THAT BONER, тоо:

1st panel- Rich guy says:CHEERIO, OLD DEARS! YOU MUST CALL AGAIN. Mutt:THANKS, SIR SID,-WE SURE WILL Jeff: CHEERIO, OLD THING! 2nd panel - Jeff: MUTT, DID YOU MAKE ANY BREAKS AT THE DINNER TONIGHT? Mutt: DID I? SIR SID'S SISTER ASKED ME How I LIKED BACON - 3rd panel- Mutt: AND SAID "WELL DONE". I DIDN'T KNoW SHE WAS SPEAKING ABOUT AN ENGLISH WRITER! Jeff: OOWAH: 4th panel - Jeff; I MADE TERRIBLE FAUX PAS MYSELF Mutt: YOU DID! How? 5th panel- Jeff: SID'S SISTER ASKED ME IF HAVE I WOULD SOME RYE - MEANING BREAD- AND I SAID YES" AND PASSED My GLASS!, Mutt: I PULLED THAT BONER, тоо:

Old Mutt and Jeff strip from “How to Draw Cartoons” by Briggs

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bud_Fis...

panelsandprose.com/2025/01/12/t...

03.07.2025 15:04 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Several of the heads from the book, line drawing of a man looking to his right with surprise

Several of the heads from the book, line drawing of a man looking to his right with surprise

Several of the heads from the book, shaded drawing of a man looking to his right with surprise

Several of the heads from the book, shaded drawing of a man looking to his right with surprise

Line drawing of a bearded man looking left

Line drawing of a bearded man looking left

Shaded drawing of a bearded man looking left

Shaded drawing of a bearded man looking left

Four samples of the drawings in the book

03.07.2025 05:44 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Back cover, the text reads,

"The School of Raphael or the Student's Guide to
Expression in Historical Painting
With 200 Illustrations
Originally Published in 1759
These prints of the human head,
showing the range of emotions and
expressions, were engraved by the most skilled artists of the day from tracings and drawings made by Nicholas Dorigny from the famous cartoons that Raphael designed in the eatly 1500s to be made into tapestries for the Sistine Chapel.
The tapestries are still exhibited on occasion, the cartoons were stored away in the Netherlands and only acquired by Chates I of England after Peter Paul Rubens informed the King of their
existence.
The cartoons themselves were
admired because they were from the hand of Raphael and his studio and they were considered the artistic equivalent of Michelangelo's ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Dorigny was commissioned to make prints of the cartoons because his of his fame as an engraver of the work of Raphael. He spent eight years on the project. The prints were widely circulated and the fame of the cartoons spread. The engravings of the heads were finally compiled into this book in 1759 when the art world was eager for new books of art instruction showing how to depict the range of human expression.
Designed and edited by Tom Richardson."

Back cover, the text reads, "The School of Raphael or the Student's Guide to Expression in Historical Painting With 200 Illustrations Originally Published in 1759 These prints of the human head, showing the range of emotions and expressions, were engraved by the most skilled artists of the day from tracings and drawings made by Nicholas Dorigny from the famous cartoons that Raphael designed in the eatly 1500s to be made into tapestries for the Sistine Chapel. The tapestries are still exhibited on occasion, the cartoons were stored away in the Netherlands and only acquired by Chates I of England after Peter Paul Rubens informed the King of their existence. The cartoons themselves were admired because they were from the hand of Raphael and his studio and they were considered the artistic equivalent of Michelangelo's ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Dorigny was commissioned to make prints of the cartoons because his of his fame as an engraver of the work of Raphael. He spent eight years on the project. The prints were widely circulated and the fame of the cartoons spread. The engravings of the heads were finally compiled into this book in 1759 when the art world was eager for new books of art instruction showing how to depict the range of human expression. Designed and edited by Tom Richardson."

I came across a copy of this book and purchased it for the most I ever spent for one of these drawing books. It has 200 Illustrations. Originally Published in 1759. The original owner of this book took the portfolio of prints and had them bound.

03.07.2025 05:32 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
Head of a woman

Head of a woman

Head of a woman

Head of a woman

Saint Paul Preaching at Athens from the Royal Collection Trust www.rct.uk/collection/s...
you can see the woman on the right in the Royal Collection color image is the one reproduced in the book.

03.07.2025 00:06 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
Preview
Raphael Cartoons - Wikipedia

Here's a Wikipedia page about the cartoons en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael...

03.07.2025 00:01 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Dorigny was chosen to produce engravings of the cartoons which were in the possession of the King of England because of his fame in reproducing the works of Raphael in Rome. An example is shown above, The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche, after Raphael da Urbino.

02.07.2025 23:45 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Benjamin Ralph published this book which was based on tracings, and drawings of Nicholas Dorigny and the engravings made of them by a number of accomplished French engravers working under his direction of the famous cartons that Raphael made to be manufactured into tapestries for the Sistine Chapel.

02.07.2025 23:45 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
Cover of the book showing rendering of one of the heads.

This book was the published to demonstrate the range of human expression. This was a popular study in the eighteenth century. In the seventeenth century Charles LeBrun published his Methode pour apprendre a dessiner les passions. This was becoming outdated because of the new interest in classicism. Benjamin Ralph published this book which was based on tracings, and drawings of Nicholas Dorigny and the engravings made of them by a number of accomplished French engravers working under his direction of the famous cartons that Raphael made to be manufactured into tapestries for the Sistine Chapel.

Dorigny was chosen to produce engravings of the cartoons which were in the possession of the King of England because of his fame in reproducing the works of Raphael in Rome.

The original book is an oversized book with a total of 90 large prints. half of them are fully rendered, shaded engravings, the other half are engravings of the original tracings and drawings showing where shadows and high lights will be placed.

For this edition I have divided the prints in half when scanning them and placed them on opposite pages so they can be reproduced full size and as closely as possible to their original appearance.

Cover of the book showing rendering of one of the heads. This book was the published to demonstrate the range of human expression. This was a popular study in the eighteenth century. In the seventeenth century Charles LeBrun published his Methode pour apprendre a dessiner les passions. This was becoming outdated because of the new interest in classicism. Benjamin Ralph published this book which was based on tracings, and drawings of Nicholas Dorigny and the engravings made of them by a number of accomplished French engravers working under his direction of the famous cartons that Raphael made to be manufactured into tapestries for the Sistine Chapel. Dorigny was chosen to produce engravings of the cartoons which were in the possession of the King of England because of his fame in reproducing the works of Raphael in Rome. The original book is an oversized book with a total of 90 large prints. half of them are fully rendered, shaded engravings, the other half are engravings of the original tracings and drawings showing where shadows and high lights will be placed. For this edition I have divided the prints in half when scanning them and placed them on opposite pages so they can be reproduced full size and as closely as possible to their original appearance.

The School of Raphael
or The Student's Guide to
Expression in Historical Painting
by Nicholas Dorigny
with commentary by Benjamin Ralph

One of the books I made into both a pdf and a print on demand edition. You can request the pdf from me for $5 or order a book at www.amazon.com/gp/product/0...

02.07.2025 23:44 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

That’s Jan Steven Van Calcar, thanks autocorrect

02.07.2025 23:04 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Drawings of hands, the text reads, “The striking thing about the drawings on this page is the difference in approach to the same problem. Hands fascinated both artist Hokusai in the East and Leonardo in the West. But while the Italian was the product and a leader of Renaissance classicism, the Japanese artist knew lite and cared less for the Greek ideal of beauty.
Keen observation of split-second movements of the fingers and their expressiveness dominates Holasai's art, while grace, placidity, formality, and an objective attitude motivate da Vinci's drawings.”

Drawings of hands, the text reads, “The striking thing about the drawings on this page is the difference in approach to the same problem. Hands fascinated both artist Hokusai in the East and Leonardo in the West. But while the Italian was the product and a leader of Renaissance classicism, the Japanese artist knew lite and cared less for the Greek ideal of beauty. Keen observation of split-second movements of the fingers and their expressiveness dominates Holasai's art, while grace, placidity, formality, and an objective attitude motivate da Vinci's drawings.”

Here are some hands from the Alexander Dobkin book

02.07.2025 23:03 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

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