The Beginner’s Guide to Drawing Portraits

This is a complete re-working and a great deal of credit must go to Carole Massey who has done the heavy lifting here. She has not only added new material, but re-written and simplified to an amazing extent. Concentrating on the head and shoulders simplifies things immeasurably – you can forget about hands, feet, clothes and posture, for instance. It also allows her to concentrate on the form, features and expressions of the face, which is mainly what the book is about.

This is not so much a course as an examination of the way portraits are built up. Although the way through it is progressive – you’re always building on and reinforcing what you learnt before, there aren’t the same number of examples, exercises and demonstrations. They’re there, and you’ll find them, but in a less structured way. It’s very subtle how the material you need is to hand just when you want it, rather than when you’ve come to expect it.

There’s an excellent variety of gender, ethnicity, shape, form and age here. Carole is particularly good with babies and children and you could justify the relatively modest cover price for that alone.

This is probably one of the best introductions to portrait drawing around and the fact that it uses recycled material is probably only of interest to reviewers like me. You won’t see the joins.

-- Henry Malt * Artbookreview.net *

Leisure Painter contributor, Carole Massey's eagerly anticipated guide to drawing portraits is aimed specifically at the beginner. Carole takes great pains to dispel the myth that portrait painting is only for experienced artists and makes it accessible to beginners through step-by-step examples. Simple exercises and longer projects show how to use line, tone and form to capture a likeness, using both monochrome and coloured pencils. There are also chapters on composition, clothing, props and more personal characteristics, such as hairstyles, resulting in portraits full of character and life.

-- Leisure Painter

More people than ever have been finding joy in drawing and painting – it’s a fabulous way to unwind and relax. However, if you would like to improve your skills, then this is the perfect guide to take you through the stages. Step-by-step instructions remove the mystery to creating your very own masterpieces, with tips on how to capture personality and expression.

* The People's Friend *

I have always struggled with drawing noses and mouths when it comes to portrait drawing. This book is full of useful tips and advice on how to plan your portraits before going free hand. There is great advice on getting your proportions right which I have found extremely helpful. Once you’ve gained your grounding there are sections on shading and experimentation which is something I’m hoping to progress to. The book is not overly wordy like some others and it’s full of photos which really illustrate the points perfectly. I would thoroughly recommend this book to amateur artists like me.

-- Emma Owen * Amazon *

The last time Search Press rebadged a title in their Drawing Masterclass series as a beginner's guide, I raised an eyebrow so quizzically it would have made Roger Moore blush. They've done it again, but this time they - or rather Carole Massey, who has done the heavy lifting - have pulled off quite a conjuring trick. The rabbit has been pulled out of the hat, sawn in half, put back together again and released as a flock of doves, all without a step being missed. There's new material here as well as the original and the book is not so much a course as a gentle progression through faces, features, expressions and poses. Keeping it to the head and shoulders simplifies things no end. Carole is particularly good on babies and children, too. If you've been wanting to try portraiture, but have been looking for a starting point, you've found it. 

-- Henry Malt * The Artist *

Excellent colour examples & easy to understand instructions to encourage a nervous beginner.

-- James Holyland * Amazon Customer Revi