The ability to draw the human figure is an essential skill for the trained artist. And for the independent amateur, painter John Raynes’s new book is the equivalent of an art school course. With meticulous renderings of the skeleton and the muscles, he explores how the underlying structures support and give shape to the body. Many of the drawings are shown step-by-step, starting with a photograph of the model and accompanied by a discussion of such issues as balance and motion, light and shadow, composition and volume. Through drawings of different body shapes, from underweight to overweight, both nude and clothed, the student learns how to capture the character as well as the appearance of the subject.