Cartooning the Head and Figure

I first got this book years ago, playing around with cartooning and such. Been doing it ever since and have bought this book a few times over to replace used and beat up copies. This particular copy I bought for a 10 year old's birthday. And being 10 years old, he opened it and classified it under 'oh a book' and went outside to play with his birthday party buddies. But that's what kids do. Ha ha, what a shame, cause this book is great. Great reference book for different angle hands, postures, and especially the section on facial expressions, which is cross referenced with each other. There is a lot of information in this book, and very clearly, er, illustrated. Your reading it to help learn and practice drawing, not learn a history of cartooning or how to make a living doing this, and the book doesn't weigh itself down with these things. If you need a good practice reference book, pick it up. I would find it hard to believe, if anyone happened to mention, that any western cartoonist didn't have this on his desk or within easy reach. Standard book for a cartoon artist's collection. If your thinking of buying this but worrying about it's publication date, remember that cartooning hasn't changed that much. The mediums have, but you still have to cartoon the head and figure. Pencils and Ink will never die, regardless of the advancement of RGB graphic assimilation.

I've bought over 15 books about cartooning and drawing, and I think this one is of the best works about the subject. At least, it's the best for those who want to practise or review comic drawing systematically. It contains hundreds of real examples, from a variety of artists, with any kind of styles... It's an amazing selection of hands, faces, legs, costumes, etc. The explanations are also excellent. E.g., if you need to draw a fat sad woman in her sixties, you can bet you'll find an example, very easy to search for. It only has a slight fault: the examples are a bit old-fashioned (50's). This book has been worth for me every cent spent on it.

A great cartooning book at a nice price.

I first received this book back when I was a budding teenager and cartoonist. I don't think I read through it as much as looked through it. My parent's got me this book for either a birthday or Christmas present, so the nostalgia for it means more to me than the book itself. As a graphic designer, I can see this book as being almost a nightmare. There isn't a part of this book that isn't covered with either text or cartoons. On the plus side it means there are quite a lot of examples. I wish there was more humor incorporated into the book itself. A book about humorous illustration should be supported by humorous writing should it not? Anyhow, if you have a child that is into cartooning, this book offers some of the fundamentals.

The book highlights all easy to draw , heads , faces, hands. It is a great reference book for drawing cartoon figures. I highly recommend it to any cartoon artist.

I loved it! I'm in 60's. Many pages with many pictures choices for drawing. I draw first, kind of messy. Second time, I draw good, next and next again, soon. I drew each four drawing at each 15 mins fast! I was surprised how easy to following from the book. I feel confident. It's a good starter for me after so many years I haven't drawn and painting since high school. I was good at drawing anything in my high school plus I had yellow ribbons for best art.

This is a great resource to begin keep and master drawing. has been good resources for beginners and some for the well educated and has help me more and has became a go to after so many years

Easy to follow instructions for drawing charming stylized, vintage cartoon figures, from a ubiquitous, renowned artist of the 1940s-1950s. Many useful examples of different figure types, facial expressions, and actions. Great for kids (though would they appreciate these images in an age of avatars and computer drawn figures?); wonderful for adults, as well

As a beginner I got more than 10 books of this matter and trust me when I tell you, this one is the best you can find! A lot of examples, real step by step images, HUGE library of eyes, noses etc etc and text that tells you a lot, yet it's written easy with minimum words needed, simply perfection from the authors!

Very good. The drawing style is a little dated, but the insights and lessons are invaluable.

It's an amazing start for the wanna be cartoonists

Un clásico del "cartoon" USA. Muy útil para aprender/mejorar a crear personajes. In English, of course ;)

Bouquin vraiment génial, avec une multitude d exemples , vraiment complet chaque partie du corps avec ses expressions est étudiées , même si le livre est en anglais il est très facile de comprendre les thèmes abordés