Who Andrew Loomis was, which of his books to start with, how the Loomis head method works, and what reference to practise it with.
Andrew Loomis (1892 to 1959) was an American illustrator and art instructor whose books on figure and head drawing are still standard reading for artists. His best-known idea, the Loomis method, builds the head from simple geometric shapes so you can draw it from any angle. Start with Figure Drawing for All It's Worth or Drawing the Head and Hands , then practise from real photo reference.
Andrew Loomis was an American illustrator, writer and art teacher, born in Syracuse, New York, in 1892, who died in 1959. He did commercial advertising work for brands such as Coca-Cola, Studebaker and Kellogg's, and then wrote a series of instructional books on realistic drawing ( Wikipedia: Andrew Loomis ).
His books went out of print in the 1970s and became scarce. Titan Books brought them back as facsimile editions starting in 2011. When the reissues were announced, CG Channel noted that the books are "routinely cited by CG artists" among the best guides to figure drawing ( CG Channel, January 2012 ).
Read Figure Drawing for All It's Worth (1943) first if you draw full figures, and Drawing the Head and Hands (1956) first if you draw portraits and characters. Both are practical, heavily illustrated and organised as lessons you can follow in order.
His instructional books, with first publication years ( Wikipedia ):
Fun With a Pencil (1939): a friendly beginner book.
Figure Drawing for All It's Worth (1943): proportion, construction and the figure.
Creative Illustration (1947): composition and storytelling for illustrators.
Successful Drawing (1951): perspective and seeing form.
Drawing the Head and Hands (1956): head construction, features and hands.
The Eye of the Painter and the Elements of Beauty (1961, published after his death).
I'd Love to Draw! (2014, published after his death).
The Loomis method builds the head from simple geometric shapes: a ball for the cranium with flat planes on the sides, plus guide lines that wrap around it to mark the centre of the face and the brow. Because the guides follow a solid shape, the same construction works from the front, the side, above or below. Wikipedia describes the method as popular "because it is easy to learn and remember."
Draw a ball for the cranium.
Flatten each side where the temples are.
Draw the centre line down the face and the brow line across, both curving around the ball.
Add the jaw and chin below the ball, following the centre line.
Published 2026-10-04 on the Refimages blog.