Rating: 
Summary: This is the ONLY worthwhile book of its sort.
Review: Admittedly my review of this book is bound to be somewhat biased in that Gary Faigin was my master at the Art Student's League in NYC in the 80's. This admission should be weighed against the fact that we did not get along all that well. Nevertheless, attempting the learn sophisticated rendering from a book is a risky proposition at best. Your only hope of success from this method is to get a copy of this book. The approach to training the hand, the eye, and the artist's knowledge is an old one, more in keeping with the French Academe of the late 19th Century. The chief difference is that those methods were overly scientific and bloodless and this one is NOT. Going through it and practicing its principles, page by page, will be work of course -- but much more rapid and productive work than any alternative I can imagine. Do yourself a favor. Quit wasting time on trendy art instruction, go to New Mexico and sign up with the master himself. Failing that -- Buy this BOOK!
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointed
Review: Being a professional portrait artist I ordered this book with high hopes but I was sadly disappointed because most all the illustrations are drawn from photographs. If I wanted lessons on how to draw from photographs this would be a good book, or, I could just as easily posed my wife and took photos of her face to draw from. I do most of my portrait work from life. Where is the authors skill? This book is over priced and over rated. Robert Beverley Hale, I believe, would also be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Great reference for artist in animation
Review: Faigin's drawings and explanation of facial expressions is detailed and well organized. He breaks each expression down to the muscles and utilizes theory to compliment his explanations. This book provides a good foundation for understanding facial expressions and contains enough illustrations for those who do not care for theory. The only thing missing from the book are photographs of different facial types. Although his drawings are good, photographs of his subjects would provide an additional level of detail.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent reference for the pro and amateur alike
Review: I got this book to develop more range as an illustrator and I'm very pleased with the quantity of examples, depth of instruction, and quality of the material. This book contains detailed information on how to draw all the structures of the face and helps the reader to develop the ability not just to draw various facial expressions, but to understand the physiological occurrences that create different expressions. As any student of life drawing or anatomy knows, it's good to know what the engine underneath the hood is doing to get the exterior right! The author painstaking guides you through the process of drawing the major facial features, starting simply with the gross structures and paring down to a high level of detail. This book is a valuable addition to my collection of illustration books and I would recommend it to any illustrator, would-be illustrator, or casual artist who wants to develop her or his skills.
Rating:
Summary: Best book I ever bought on any topic
Review: I've been a professional painter for years, and am now studying book illustration. Gary Faigin's book is fascinating, informative, incredibly instructive, and in short, possibly the best book I've ever bought on any topic. Is he planning on writing The Artist's Complete Guide to anything else?
Rating:
Summary: fantastic
Review: If you want to draw faces and it doesn't get to the heart I mean, when you can not exactly describe the soul of the model just reach out and dig this book You could learn to snatch the delicate and subtle difference between masterpieces and junks of paper & carbon
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Just great - especially if you are unfamiliar with facial musculature. More advanced artists can utilise to make their expressions better.
Rating:
Summary: *THE* book to have on this topic
Review: Sculptors, animators, painters, anyone interested in how facial expressions work. By far the best source I've seen on this topic. (I'm an animator and occasional puppet sculptor.)
Rating:
Summary: extremely well done
Review: This book explains what is behind the scenes in the human face, in terms of muscles and bones. It looks at things from every possible angle. It shows how different emotions create different facial expressions. It shows how faces change as they age.
Rating:
Summary: A must-have for every artist
Review: This book, for some reason, reminds me of a best-selling psychological fiction book I read so long ago that the title has escaped my memory. In the book, the facial expression of a woman in pain during child labor was described similar to that of one at climax in lovemaking. Drawing and painting humans are certainly the most difficult task for every artist. It is most difficult because there is very little room for error. Humans have become so familiar with their features that any aberration will be easily spotted. Drawing facial expressions to accurately present the mood and emotion of the subject is even more daunting. This book is probably one of the most complete documents currently available that deal with facial expressions. Consisting of three parts, the author leads the readers from the structure of the head, the muscles of expression, to the six basic expressions, such as sadness, anger, joy, to name a few. Frequently referring to the works of the Old Masters, the author has done a good job presenting to the readers the greatness of their masterpieces that went beyond the superficial 'just a beautiful face' level of appreciation. It is certainly not possible to capture completely endless facial expressions by humans, due to diversities in races, cultures, and personalities. This book, however, serves as a good reference for every artist who would like to express the depth and sophistication of human souls through facial expressions. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.
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