Lessons in Masterful Portrait Drawing: A Classical Approach to Drawing the Head

I purchased this book several months ago and have been consulting it for advice and inspiration. I thoroughly enjoyed Mau-Kun Yim's philosophy and approach to drawing the portrait, particularly on how he broke down the concepts and related everything to building a house, i.e. from blueprint, foundation, all the way to finishing. I also appreciate how he emphasized the importance of re-discovering the traditional principles of proportion, anatomy, perspective, light, and value - and that drawing is also painting without color. I also like that he showed step-by-step demonstrations of portraits of certain individuals wherein he shares nuggets of information regarding the type of pencil to use at different stages, planar and linear advice, transitions, and the like. Over all I think that it is a very inspirational and good book, one that does not focus heavily on the "technicalities" of constructing a head, but rather the "essentials" and the motivations behind drawing the portrait. I wish Mr. Mau-Kun Yim would also write a similar book on oil painting and mixing colors. I would definitely purchase one if he did!

This is a gorgeous book filled with beautifully photographed sensitive and exquisite drawings by the author. I am in awe of the stunning renderings in graphite and charcoal in this high quality, well made book. Mau-Kun Yim offers clear and valuable insights and examples of his approach to creating a portrait, but, as other reviewers have mentioned, it is not a step-by-step instructional or how-to book. For that reason, I think it is more suitable for the intermediate to advanced student, rather than beginner. No doubt about it, though, it is an inspiring treasure of a book.

The Title is a little misleading, it says "Lessons in Masterful..." but it is not a set of lessons (like many of the Atelier books out there), but more of Yim's philosophy of drawing. In chapter two, he does go through his entire process, but it is a very broad overview. He never goes into details on how to actually draw, so if you are getting this to learn to draw, it is not for you. In fact, if you have watched the Fine Art Academy videos on YouTube, its pretty much a book version of that. The rest of the book is just more or less a repetition of the same thing; examples of Yim's work and a quick overview of his approach to each. While there are some tidbits in there (such as only using straight lines to block in) that are helpful, overall, this book appears to just be a quick product to sell Yim's work. Yet, that is the saving grace, and why I'm giving it four stars (instead of two for false advertising). The artwork is amazing. Even the block-ins that he demonstrates are beautiful, and the pictures are very large and very good reproductions. As an art book, it is easily worth the price. Bottom line, if you are looking for a real lesson book with detailed instruction, there are much better options available. However, if you enjoy drawing portraits and you are just looking for something to give you inspiration, or you are a fan of pencil portraiture, this book is well worth the money.

This book isn't for amateur artist, I think you need to have some type of artistic eye in applying some of the principles outlined in this book. Having said that, this book lays down the fundamental steps in approaching portrait design and drawing in general. The author provides a fine art approach to drawing, with plenty of step by step examples and images to support. What's also great is the image gallery in the second half of the book, showcasing both portrait and figure drawing. A great guide to portrait drawing, and as mentioned in the book, practice makes perfect.

Easy to read and understand the basics of drawing and how to see everything with an artistic eye, if you follow and practice drawing heads with this technique you will be able to draw and paint anything.

Fantastic book on portrait drawing. Yim Mau-Kun bring his wealth of knowledge and mastery to explaining the process of portrait drawing. Usually I find step by step instructions often superficial but in this case those have a strong insight and are incredibly helpful. Of course this is illustrated with his gorgeous drawing. Last but not least, the quality of the print is very good as well.

This is an amazingly beautiful book: excellence on every page by a master artist sharing drawing secrets worthy of the Old Masters. Mau-Kun YIM is inspiring. The "Drawing is a form of construction" section is illuminating. The book is also a father-daughter labor of love and the final Gallery of Drawings in pencil and charcoal features a stunning range of faces... breathtaking! -Ana

It’s a nice book to have on the self

Talvez o meu livro preferido sobre o assunto. Além das várias ilustrações da mais alta qualidade, o conteúdo escrito leva o leitor a entender sobre a filosofia de trabalho desse mestre dos portraits.

magnificent book... very practical!

Wat mij betreft misschien wel het beste boek over portrettekenen met houtskool.

A very good book for potrait...

Es un libro que trata el tema del retrato bastante disperso, con muchos ejemplos, pero da ideas interesantes