0
    • Close Modal
    0 0
    Download high-resolution image

    Drawing Portraits: A Complete Guide

    Author Giovanni Civardi
    Paperback
    $19.95 US
    Search Press
    6"W x 8-2/3"H | 13 oz | 24 per carton
    On sale Sep 15, 2026 | 400 Pages | 9781800924192
    Add to cart Add to list Exam Copies

    Sample spread
    Back cover
    Sample spread
    Sample spread
    TOC
    Sample spread
    Sample spread
    Create characterful, eye-catching portraits using this inspiring, in-depth guide from world-renowned master artist Giovanni Civardi.

    Explore the anatomy that underpins human morphology, discover practical techniques for capturing form, movement, light and character, and study drawings from Civardi's own inspiring sketchbooks.

    This book is essential for anyone wishing to learn or improve on their drawing skills. Starting with the necessary tools and materials, move on to a fundamental exploration of human anatomy and delve into practical considerations such as the technical intricacies of light and shade. With skills and knowledge built up over a career of medical study and artistic exploration, Civardi gives expert guidance on drawing stunning, characterful portraits, from newborns and infants to the elderly, focusing on the facial features individually, as well as the body as a whole.

    In this comprehensive guide you will learn how to:
    • draw facial features for a range of ages and genders
    • compose a successful portrait
    • work with light and shade
    • work in different mediums
    • understand the anatomy and morphology of both adults and children; 
    • draw portraits using grids
    • capture character and expression

    Civardi’s technical advice and tips, alongside his own stunning drawings, accrued throughout an illustrious career, make this a crucial resource for any artist. This comprehensive guide brings together 6 books from Search Press’s successful series:

    The Art of Drawing: Drawing Portraits (2002), The Art of Drawing: Sketching People (2011), The Art of Drawing: Heads and Faces (2012), The Art of Drawing: Portraits of Babies and Children (2017) Drawing Using Grids: Portraits with Character (2018), Drawing Using Grids: Portraits of Babies and Children (2018), The constituent books have been translated from Italian.
    Giovanni Civardi is a best-selling Italian artist and author, with over 600,000 copies of his books sold worldwide in English alone. Civardi was born in Milan, Italy in 1947. While training to become a sculptor, portrait artist and illustrator at the Free Life-Study School of the Accademia di Brera, he also studied medicine and surgery. For over a decade, he worked as an illustrator, producing commissions for newspapers, magazines and book covers.
    Civardi put on one-man exhibitions of this work, pursuing his interest in the relationship between medical anatomy and the human form as depicted by the artist. His extensive experience gained from teaching anatomy, life drawing and portraiture has led to the publication of numerous books in which Civardi's experiences are brought into focus.
    Giovanni Civardi View titles by Giovanni Civardi
    I: Drawing Portraits: Introduction; Materials and tools; ; Tools and techniques; Practical advice; Anatomy and external morphology; Heads and faces of adults; Drawing the adult head; Heads and faces of older people; ; Heads and faces of infants and youngsters; Features of the face; Portrait composition; Drawing portraits: getting started; Lighting; The drawing method; ; Portrait studies;
    II: Capturing Character and Expression: Introduction; Methods of capturing character; Approaches to drawing; Step-by-step examples: pencil; Step-by-step examples: watercolour; Step-by-step examples: gouache; Drawing portraits with character using grids; Finding inspiration
    III: Drawing Portraits of Babies & Children: Introduction; Practical considerations; Anatomical notions and proportions; Morphology of a child; Facial features; Drawing methods; Graphic techniques; A gallery of faces; From the family album; Drawing portraits of babies and children using grids; Proportions and procedure; Portrait gallery
    IV: Sketching Faces and Figures: Introduction; Getting started; A repertoire of faces; A repertoire of figures; ; Drawing statues: sculptures from the Musée Rodin, Paris

    Photos

    Sample spread
    Back cover
    Sample spread
    Sample spread
    TOC
    Sample spread
    Sample spread

    About

    Create characterful, eye-catching portraits using this inspiring, in-depth guide from world-renowned master artist Giovanni Civardi.

    Explore the anatomy that underpins human morphology, discover practical techniques for capturing form, movement, light and character, and study drawings from Civardi's own inspiring sketchbooks.

    This book is essential for anyone wishing to learn or improve on their drawing skills. Starting with the necessary tools and materials, move on to a fundamental exploration of human anatomy and delve into practical considerations such as the technical intricacies of light and shade. With skills and knowledge built up over a career of medical study and artistic exploration, Civardi gives expert guidance on drawing stunning, characterful portraits, from newborns and infants to the elderly, focusing on the facial features individually, as well as the body as a whole.

    In this comprehensive guide you will learn how to:
    • draw facial features for a range of ages and genders
    • compose a successful portrait
    • work with light and shade
    • work in different mediums
    • understand the anatomy and morphology of both adults and children; 
    • draw portraits using grids
    • capture character and expression

    Civardi’s technical advice and tips, alongside his own stunning drawings, accrued throughout an illustrious career, make this a crucial resource for any artist. This comprehensive guide brings together 6 books from Search Press’s successful series:

    The Art of Drawing: Drawing Portraits (2002), The Art of Drawing: Sketching People (2011), The Art of Drawing: Heads and Faces (2012), The Art of Drawing: Portraits of Babies and Children (2017) Drawing Using Grids: Portraits with Character (2018), Drawing Using Grids: Portraits of Babies and Children (2018), The constituent books have been translated from Italian.

    Author

    Giovanni Civardi is a best-selling Italian artist and author, with over 600,000 copies of his books sold worldwide in English alone. Civardi was born in Milan, Italy in 1947. While training to become a sculptor, portrait artist and illustrator at the Free Life-Study School of the Accademia di Brera, he also studied medicine and surgery. For over a decade, he worked as an illustrator, producing commissions for newspapers, magazines and book covers.
    Civardi put on one-man exhibitions of this work, pursuing his interest in the relationship between medical anatomy and the human form as depicted by the artist. His extensive experience gained from teaching anatomy, life drawing and portraiture has led to the publication of numerous books in which Civardi's experiences are brought into focus.
    Giovanni Civardi View titles by Giovanni Civardi

    Table of Contents

    I: Drawing Portraits: Introduction; Materials and tools; ; Tools and techniques; Practical advice; Anatomy and external morphology; Heads and faces of adults; Drawing the adult head; Heads and faces of older people; ; Heads and faces of infants and youngsters; Features of the face; Portrait composition; Drawing portraits: getting started; Lighting; The drawing method; ; Portrait studies;
    II: Capturing Character and Expression: Introduction; Methods of capturing character; Approaches to drawing; Step-by-step examples: pencil; Step-by-step examples: watercolour; Step-by-step examples: gouache; Drawing portraits with character using grids; Finding inspiration
    III: Drawing Portraits of Babies & Children: Introduction; Practical considerations; Anatomical notions and proportions; Morphology of a child; Facial features; Drawing methods; Graphic techniques; A gallery of faces; From the family album; Drawing portraits of babies and children using grids; Proportions and procedure; Portrait gallery
    IV: Sketching Faces and Figures: Introduction; Getting started; A repertoire of faces; A repertoire of figures; ; Drawing statues: sculptures from the Musée Rodin, Paris

    Other Books by this Author

    Related Articles

    Adults Children's General All Gift Blog

    Live Inspired with Compendium: Now Available from PRH!

    Exciting news! Compendium has joined the Penguin Random House family, bringing a proven line of bestselling, sentiment-driven gifts to our extensive and ever-growing catalog. Since 1985, Compendium has been creating meaningful moments with beautiful, thoughtfully made gifts that center connection and celebrate occasions both big and small. From greeting cards to inspirational books to impulse-friendly add-ons, Compendium

    Read more

    Live Inspired with Compendium: Now Available from PRH!

    Adults Children's General All Gift Blog

    Penguin Random House Retail

    © 2026 Penguin Random House

    Back to Top
    0
    Wish List (0)