Post recommendations of books that helped you.
For me it was Secrets to Realistic Drawing by Carrie Parks.
It gave me a better understanding of realism.
And right now i'm reading Dynamic Anatomy by Burne Hogarth.

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My realism workshop Updated April 24, 2013: Not the best

- If you could read German, Sehen und Verstehen by Gottfried Bammes (this is mostly about human anatomy).
- The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams (even if you are not an animator, it helps with creating interesting/dynamic poses for your characters)
- The Weatherly Guide To Drawing Animals, by Joe Weatherly
- The Complete Guide to Perspective, by John Raynes

Other means that helped: anatomy books, the internet, and drawing people/animals/objects around us

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Since I can't read german i'll take a look at the other 3.

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My realism workshop Updated April 24, 2013: Not the best

I can't read German either :b I pretty much looked at the diagrams and pictures, and did my best to guess. The book is really detailed (the human body is explained in a very technical view), and in my humble opinion, very invaluable.

*edit*
Preview of a few pages (there are over 200 pages in that book alone):

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I just remembered - ImagineFX. Another wonderful source of tutorials. Although it mostly covers digital art, the theories can be applied onto traditional art as well.

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Awesome.
I love your censoring.

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My realism workshop Updated April 24, 2013: Not the best

Almost forgot to, but I wouldn't want your thread to be booted :b

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It would have been ok as long as I put a NSFW tag on the thread.
But thanks for saving me the trouble.
Anatomy for fantasy artists is also a good read.
Gives some nice tips.

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My realism workshop Updated April 24, 2013: Not the best

"How to Draw Animals" by Jack Hamm -- a good book to start out with, if you're interested in drawing animals. Covers such things as anatomy, skeletal structure, musculature, etc.

Of course, anatomy books in general are a good place to check if you need references. I can recall one particularly good anatomy book aimed at artists, but I can't recall the name...

Also, check out James Gurney. I highly recommend the books "Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter" and "Imaginative Realism."
The color and light book is a very good tool to use for any medium in general, really. You could easily take what you learn about light and apply it elsewhere. Imaginative Realism isn't as much a staple, but it is good if you are in need of inspiration. Covers a wide range of topics--good for ideation.

Burne Hogarth, as you mentioned, is a wonderful place to look if you need a reference for dynamic figure drawing.

Andrew Loomis is another good place to reference the human figure. I think you can download some very informative PDFs here: http://escapefromillustrationisland.com ... downloads/

Thank you.
I need all the help I can get for realism.
Also, Burne Hogarth is king.

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My realism workshop Updated April 24, 2013: Not the best