This really rather intriguing book is less about form than function. That is to say, it’s about telling your subject’s story and recording their dynamics.

A good figure painting is not a static thing and should contain the implication that the subject is a real person who has their own personality and history and could walk out of the frame at any minute. In a way, it’s a bit like painting water - the frozen moment is a hint to all that has come before and all that is yet to come.

At first sight, the illustrations here can look a bit of a mess - a tangle of colours and shapes that bear little resemblance to the human form (quite a few of the marks are truly abstract). Look deeper, however, and you realise that you’re actually seeing what’s promised in the subtitle - speed, gesture and story.

The book is a remarkable collaboration between artist and model that really does get to the heart of what makes a figure painting a real person.