Acknowledgments

To my great mentors Steve Huston and the late Mark Westermoe: Thank you for your hard work and generosity, and for showing me and your countless other students that drawing beautiful figures is possible with the right information and the right guidance. This book is an homage to you and all that I have learned from you.

I would also like to humbly recognize and thank all the great teachers who helped to establish the American tradition of realistic figure drawing. Your books and teachings allowed a young artist like me to hope, dream, and have a career as an artist. I am especially grateful for the work of my two favorite teachers, Mr. Frank Reilly and Andrew Loomis.

To all the great teachers in Southern California: I am proud and humbled to share the same geography with you. Thank you for creating an environment where figure drawing flourishes. To Mr. Fred Fixler: Thank you for paving the way and being a mentor to so many greats. To Kevin Chen: Thank you for your generosity and for your sublime ability to simplify and teach the most complex subject matter known in the creative world.

Thank you to my students and to the readers of my work for your continued support. This book is a long time coming and I hope it will serve you in your long hours of mileage and grind.

To the editors and staff at The Quarto Group: Thank you for your guidance, patience, and constant support.

To any student who is on the figure drawing journey: Thank you. You are not alone. May this book humbly give you the knowledge and confidence to go through the ups and downs and help you reach personal breakthroughs. Most of all, thank you for keeping the craft and our shared love for the figure alive and well in this modern age.