Amazon.com
Scott McCloud's Understanding Comics was published in 1993, just as "Comics Aren't Just for Kids Anymore!" articles were starting to appear and graphic novels were making their way into the mainstream, and it quickly gave the newly respectable medium the theoretical and practical manifesto it needed. With his clear-eyed and approachable analysis--done using the same comics tools he was describing--McCloud quickly gave "sequential art" a language to understand itself. McCloud made the simplest of drawing decisions seem deep with artistic potential.
Thirteen years later, following the Internet evangelizing of Reinventing Comics, McCloud has returned with Making Comics.
Designed as a craftsperson's overview of the drawing and storytelling decisions and possibilities available to comics artists, covering everything from facial expressions and page layout to the choice of tools and story construction, Making Comics, like its predecessors, is also an eye-opening trip behind the scenes of art-making, fascinating for anyone reading comics as well as those making them. Get a sense of the range of his lessons by clicking through to the opening pages of his book, including his (illustrated, of course) table of contents (warning: large file, recommended for high-bandwidth users):
Book Description
Scott McCloud tore down the wall between high and low culture in 1993 with Understanding Comics, a massive comic book about comics, linking the medium to such diverse fields as media theory, movie criticism, and web design. In Reinventing Comics, McCloud took this to the next level, charting twelve different revolutions in how comics are generated, read, and perceived today. Now, in Making Comics, McCloud focuses his analysis on the art form itself, exploring the creation of comics, from the broadest principles to the sharpest details (like how to accentuate a character's facial muscles in order to form the emotion of disgust rather than the emotion of surprise.) And he does all of it in his inimitable voice and through his cartoon stand–in narrator, mixing dry humor and legitimate instruction. McCloud shows his reader how to master the human condition through word and image in a brilliantly minimalistic way. Comic book devotees as well as the most uninitiated will marvel at this journey into a once–underappreciated art form.
Customer Reviews:
Fun to read and very informative.......2007-08-25
I read Understanding Comics and liked it so much I decided to check this book out as well, and found it to be even more enjoyable. McCloud's artwork is very fun and whimsical, his writing is humorous and he puts many concepts about the writing and drawing of comics in very easy-to-understand language. I never thought about making comics before, but this volume was so inspiring I'm convinced it might be fun to try!
A Great Learning Tool.......2007-08-15
If you've ever wondered about the finer points of crafting a comic this is the book for you. This is not a how to draw book and if thats what you are looking for than this isn't for you. It IS a very intelligent and thought provoking insight into the story telling aspects of the creation of comics. This is a MUST HAVE for anyone serious about comics.
Scott McCloud is the Alton Brown of Comics.......2007-08-07
Alton Brown is not a world-class chef but 'Good Eats' is indispensible educational television. It's the same thing with Scott McCloud, reviewers who say he hasn't produced anything earth shaking in the comics medium are missing the point. Making Comics is a wide-ranging, free-wheeling and passionate examination of what makes comics (and much visual art) tick, and provides a toolbox we can use to create our own stories. This is the best thing since Understanding Comics and goes more into the details of visual storytelling, the chapter on facial expressions alone is worth the price of admission. I want to send this book to Edward Tufte. Anyone interested in visual communication needs to read this book, and that goes double for aspiring comics creators.
Must-Have for Aspiring Artists.......2007-07-05
You need to own Understanding Comics to accompany this one. Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art
Making Comics is a complete book that refers to many of the topics that Understanding Comics expands upon. It is a great starting point for aspiring artists to look at approaching their own comic. McCloud explains the mutlitude of styles involved and how each of them works to engage the reader. He is truly a master of his craft.
He strips away the layers of superhero masculine fantasy to reveal comics as a storytelling vehicle. Not your typical how-to-draw book.
Review of book.......2007-05-28
Excellent book - very well presented and detailed. Well worth the price. Our kids (9 and 7) are using it to create better comics
Amazon.com
This first big "bible" of
Bloom County includes comics from the earlier collections:
Loose Tails,
'Toons for Our Times and
Penguin Dreams and Stranger Things. Eighty full-color pages including the wonderful Opus "hairy fishnuts/Hare Krishnas" strip and the first Bill-the-Cat appearance. If you hurt yourself laughing (like when you read about Bill freebasing Friskies), don't blame me; I warned you.
Customer Reviews:
A fabulous strip that is sadly gone from the papers.......2007-05-10
Thankfully we can still get his books of Bloom County and Outland and of course, his current iteration, Opus.
I have always loved Berkely's quirky look at life, politics, love and what not through the eyes of Milo, Opus, Cutter John and others throughout the years and when I bought this book, I would read 2-3 pages, often before turning out the light at night and would find myself laughing at much of the strips. That's how good they are, even now some 20 years later and I recall reading many of then when they were running in the papers. While some of the strips show their age a little, the strip is as still timeless now as when they were originally conceaved. That's a rare feat in my book.
While it's by no means all of his Bloom County strips, it's a good collection of some of the best and that alone is worth it.
Horrible, cheap black & white printing of a great book.......2005-10-27
Despite what the item description says, there are no color pages in this cheap reprinting. The pages are printed only in black and white, and are printed in very poor quality. What a shame, because the book itself is fantastic. I have an original printing of this book and love it. I ordered this reprint as a gift and had to return it because of the poor print quality. I wish I had noticed the other reviews about this problem (listed below) before I wasted my time and money!
Babble on and on and on.......2004-07-19
Bloom County is on my short list of all-time favorite comics. The original form, before short-lived "Outland" or the current "Opus", is long gone, though. Picking up this book was a wonderful piece of nostlagia.
The series peaked some time in the early 80s, and "Babylon" offers a sample of that time. I had forgotten how topical it was, full of references to then-current supermodels, presidents, movies, and sitcoms. Despite that, much of the humor has aged well. Milo's anxiety closet, for example, never needs to end. Various bogey-men (and -women) will reside there for their times, and move on. The anxiety will always be there, however, no matter how silly it looks to everyone else.
Even a book this size can't capture every strip in the five years (82-6) that it covers. That means that some of my favorite characters, like winsome Pistachio, barely even had cameo appearances. I'll take what I can get, though, and this is a pleasant sample.
If you ever liked any strip comic, you liked Bloom County or will like it. Maybe the 80s were before your time, but the characters will still look right up to date. Enjoy!
//wiredweird
Possibly the best of the Bloom County collections........2004-04-13
This book is an overview of the first five years of the strip, ranging from the early strips in which the focus is mostly on Milo, through the introductions of Binkley, Bobbi, Cutter John, Opus, Oliver Wendell Jones, Steve Dallas, and finally, Bill The Cat. Personally, I've always had a preference for the early, pre-Bill The Cat strips; I could deal with the silliness inherent in Opus and Oliver's anthropomorphic computer, but Bill just seemed one step over the line. But I know that he's very popular, and he's here, too. There are a few strips here that were reprinted from the previous three collections, but most of this material is NOT reprints. Of course, much of the humor will be completely incomprehensible to anyone who wasn't politically aware during the '80s, but I suspect that even for such a (hopefully) young person, there's plenty here to enjoy.
Full color? I must be colorblind........2003-10-16
Buyer beware: the editorial review states that this book contains eighty full-color pages, but it doesn't. It contains eighty pages that obviously were at one time or another in color, but which are now a messy conglomeration of grays and whites, much like something you'd expect to see coming out of a low-grade fax machine.
Many years ago, I read another copy of this book that did, in fact, contain eighty full-color pages, so I know the pages were in color at some point. However, the only colors on the book I received from Amazon.com are on the front and back covers.
Book Description
If you want to take your Flash Professional 8 skills to a new level while learning how to produce games that rival anything available on the web, this is the book for you. Macromedia Flash Professional 8 Game Development is written by a professional game developer. Using the power of Flash and the most recent advancements in ActionScript, the book progresses through the entire development process to teach programmers and Web developers how to create professional quality games quickly. It teaches techniques for producing fast 3D effects that can be used with "cheat" techniques to produce powerful, high-performance results. It details the actual science of game development, including design, character development, the physics and motion of a game, and audio issues. And in this new edition, all of the latest features of Flash Professional 8 are covered, including the new sound channels, bitmap caching, texture pages, and more. The book covers many advanced topics in a simple, easy to understand way. It emphasizes the incredible power of the new BitmapData class and teaches how it can be used to take the performance of Flash games to a whole new level. It has never been easier to get right down to the pixel level and manipulate things at blazing speeds, making previously impossible games a breeze to make. So get to your computer, insert the CD-ROM, and prepare to begin your journey into the world of Flash Professional 8 game development.
Customer Reviews:
Good for the intermediate Flash programmer.......2007-07-30
The book provides several examples that progress the reader through the programming of gradually more complex games. The reader should have a basic knowledge of Flash and Actionscript, as the book brushes over beginner-level concepts. At the time, the book is fairly up to date, however there is supposedly quite a jump between Flash 8 and Flash CS3, which uses Actionscript 3.0. Nonetheless, the concepts taught in the book are universally applicable regardless of what Flash version you are using. The inclusion of a CD-ROM is an added bonus and a must with this kind of book.
Great Book.......2007-06-11
I found the book easy to read and very practical. The use of examples to explain things is great. And of course, examples that do work is great also!!!
It's the right book for those that already know something about flash and actionscript (doesn't need to be an expert), and want to learn to develop some games in flash, and perhaps aplly those technics on other apllications.
The book is great fun!!!
very limited discussion of incorporating physics.......2007-05-29
As a physicist, I looked at the chapter on "Physics for Games". It's very introductory Newtonian mechanics. Applying these in time-discrete form for moving objects in the game. Gravity is considered for vertical motion, and wind is incorporated to affect horizontal motion. Freshman level stuff. If you are developing a game where you need to seriously incorporate physics, there are entire books devoted to it, like Physics for Game Developers.
Though to be fair, the book is about learning Flash and its effects. Other chapters offer code fragments. Of necessity, these are all elementary, from a programming complexity standpoint. But they help explain how to apply Flash.
The most intricate part of the book seems to be when you model a 3d world. Nice rendering examples. Doesn't go very deeply here. Flash almost certainly has more advanced functionality.
In-Depth game Development!.......2007-05-17
I've bought this book with the purpose of starting to make flash games. Well, i couldn't have chosen a better way! The book is very easy to read and understand and the the examples are incredible. It explores the appropriate tools to create games like the BitmapData while giving other tools an explanation too. 5 stars!
Specifics for beginners, bad habits for mid-levels.......2007-04-28
If you've worked with strongly type languages like Java/C++/etc then this book might make you cringe a bit. First, the code is very terse with clever tricks to shorten the number of lines. Eventually it makes sense but methods like makeFader() don't really make a fader, they do other things like remove a game object from the scene.
So along with softreferences ( for i to 10, make a variable box_i=i ) - ew, and bad naming conventions, it plays out more like an Oreilly Cookbook that encourages bad habits. Granted, I ordered it and I'll keep it as a book full of complete examples. But I think any of the examples that I copy/type/study, I'll refactor later to be more clear and well-coded.
It's a fast ramp-up to ActionScript 2.0. If you're looking for smarter and more mid-level code then maybe wait for a book on AS3.0 that is more class oriented and less procedural like this book. Else, if you just want to see end-to-end examples as fast as possible the author does a good job of explaining code blocks as he goes even if he's encouraging bad habits.
Average customer rating:
- Great Book
- Great book
- It's fun and easy!
- One of the best books on character design...
- Fantastic Instruction, Great Artwork
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Creating Characters with Personality: For Film, TV, Animation, Video Games, and Graphic Novels
Tom Bancroft
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
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Cartoon Cool: How to Draw New Retro-Style Characters
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Fantasy! Cartooning
ASIN: 0823023494
Release Date: 2006-02-01 |
Book Description
• Character design is the key in many industries—and they're all covered in this book
• Practical step-by-step exercises
• Contributors include Glen Keane, Supervising Animator, Disney
From Snow White to Shrek, from Fred Flintstone to SpongeBob Square-Pants, the design of a character conveys personality before a single word of dialogue is spoken. Creating Characters with Personality shows artists how to create a distinctive character, then place that character in context with a script, establish hierarchy, and maximize the impact of pose and expression. Practical exercises help readers put everything together to make their new characters sparkle. Lessons from the author, who designed the dragon Mushu (voiced by Eddie Murphy) in Disney's Mulan—plus big-name experts in film, TV, video games, and graphic novels—make a complex subject accessible to every artist.
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-08-16
I teach character design and have found this book to be invaluable. My students love it. Its a really straight forward and practical book. Great drawings, fun assignments. Can't say enough good about it. My only complaint is the poorly designed cover which initially turned me off when I saw it on the shelf at the local bookstore. Animation books seem to make a habit of having aweful covers...but as the old saying goes...
Great book.......2007-08-12
I have been looking for a book on character design since a long time since I am a student of animation. I saw this book in a bookstore and started flipping pages and seeing what kind of lessons it has. My first impression for this book was really great and after reading reviews I confirmed that my impression was not wrong. The book also has assignments in each chapter and this is the best way to learn. The book shows you different aspects of character design and how different rules like shape, size etc could effect the design. The best part is that author never limits you to any particular idea, he wants us to experiment more and more and what to go beyond what is in the book. This is highly appreciated. I highly recommend this book.
It's fun and easy!.......2007-06-11
It's a fun book, with lots os useful information that will help you on creating or improving characters! I've already used some of the tips from the book and it really helped a lot!
One of the best books on character design..........2007-06-10
Tom Bancroft's "Creating Characters with Personality" provides a solid foundation for folks who are interested in creating and developing characters for sequential arts and animation. All the basics are explored here, with copious examples: simple shapes, line of action, appeal, etc.
One thing that sets this book apart from the rest is how several examples of the process of character design are shown. The book reiterates several times that the first design isn't always the best - that one should continue to explore other design possibilities before settling on the final look and feel of a character. If you are interested in refining or creating your own character, I would recommend purchasing this book along with Ben Caldwell's Action! Cartooning and Fantasy Cartooning.
While beginners can certainly appreciate this book, I think it's best suited for intermediate level artists who are looking to refine their technique. Highly recommended.
Fantastic Instruction, Great Artwork.......2007-05-03
This book is a terrific view of the craft of character design from someone doing it for a living. It's a great insight to the process, and really assists with sparking creativity.
It also shows various takes on the characters used as examples from working artists in various disciplines, and seeing the differences in how the characters are portrayed by each demonstrates the wide-open interpretation of a character's description and the limitless possibilities for variation.
The exercises are well-designed and really assist with reinforcement of the concepts, and the artwork is really fun too. A great book overall. Highly recommended, not just for character design, but for insights into interpreting your own creative processes and exploring it more fully.
Book Description
If you are anime/manga collector or fan, you have had a burning desire to learn how to draw the popular characters by yourself. However, you may be worried that you cannot draw as well as people in art clubs or in cartoon clubs because drawing is difficult - don't worry, many people feel the same way. This series was written to help those who are interested in drawing, but are worried about the challenges involved with it. If you change the way you look at an object - even just a little, you can succeed.
Customer Reviews:
total waste of money!!!.......2007-04-07
this book was not helpful at all!!!i had just recently got into manga and anime drawing so i thought that this book would be helpful to me you know with the title being "basics for beginners" and all. all it did was show me useless information.all it does is show you characters made out of these weird rectangle type things only and then the finished project (but thats all no hair no clothes no nothing), instead of step-by-step directions on everything. if you are a beginner i would highly reccomend NOT, i repeat NOT getting this book!!! it confused me and didn't actually show me how to draw anything!!!if your a beginner and don't know where to start, your not alone!!! although this is the first book i ever got on the whole anime subject i would suggest some other how to draw manga books but definately not this one. try how to draw manga ultimate manga lessons volumes 1-6 and more how to draw manga volumes 1-4. believe me if you want, if you think diferently and want to try it any way be my guest but in my oppinion it's a total waste of money!!! hope this helped!!!
How to Draw Anime & Game Characters VOL.1 Review.......2007-01-18
I would say pick this book up, because i am not a beginner but i still got alot out of it. If you want to get into drawing anime or game characters or you want to be pick this one up. This book really helped me brush up on my basics.I also fully intend to follow up with all the rest of the books in this sereies.
Nice Book.......2007-01-10
Bought it as a Christmas gift for one of my nieces. I looked through it before I gave it to her. The book looks like it's got alot to offer. Maybe I'll get one for myself in the future.
tasteless.......2006-06-28
This book tasteless. There are comics in the back of the book where there is a pedophilia scene. A young boy is seduced by a older man. It's not very nice. It also shows how to draw seductivley. This book is not appropriate for young people.
It's awesome .......2005-11-06
I would recommend this for all beggining artist in magna, it has helped me alot, now i'm on the search for a magna book that teaches to draw clothing. This will really increase your drawing prowess
Book Description
The ultimate reference for comic artists, this unique book/CD set is packed with photos of men and women in basic and dramatic superhero poses uniquely tailored to the comic artist's needs. Comic Artist's Photo Reference:
-Delivers over 500 color images of beautiful women and muscled men in the poses comic artists need
-Features six step-by-step demonstrations by well-known artists, so readers can learn firsthand from the pros
-Comes with a CD-ROM of over 500 additional photos for added inspiration
With this reference, comic artists of all skill levels can draw from a diverse group of models in a hundreds of poses--any time they want!
Customer Reviews:
Very good for basic references.......2007-09-19
Really good if you are looking for fight scenes and positions to draw. Overall, its a good resource. The lighting is very good, and sometimes leans a little toward the dramatic side. If you use this along with, for example, a reference book on facial expressions, there are a lot of different images that you can create from these reference points. The disc is wonderful, especially since I do most of my work digitally and therefore like to work with my reference images in the computer.
Invaluable resource for any artist.......2007-09-16
The first time I saw this on the shelve in my local bookstore I just skimmed over the pages and thought nothing much of it. I recently decided to put together a game prototype that will feature many characters in dynamic poses in many situations. Problem was I had no real reference other than the internet, and after becoming increasingly frustrated with lack of good quality reference I remembered this book. Frantically trying to recall the name from months back, I was more than happy to purchase a copy, and I'm grateful I did. It's an immense resource that every artist should have as part as their library. Having models in many different situations and poses is a huge help when it comes to consistency amongst many other things.
I highly recommend this book.
Great for preteen and teens artists, not just professionals!.......2007-08-17
I teach junior high students. This book would be perfect for all the kids in my school who love to draw. The poses show models doing things you would see in comics (flying, running, fighting, swords, capes, etc.). The models wear formfitting clothes but they are all clothed enough to be "decent." There is a page of photos showing a woman smoking, but since this is something a comic artist might need to draw, I don't see it as a problem. (Hopefully someday all kids will NEED a photo to know what smoking looks like!) There are several excellent step-by-step art lessons that teach real art concepts and could be used in the classroom. There's also a CD packaged with the book that has many more pictures on it. Students would enjoy browsing the CD or using Photoshop to combine multiple photos into something new that they could then draw from. Five stars and a recommendation to my school's librarian!
Best photo reference for comic artists!.......2007-08-16
This is fantastic photo reference for the comic artist (me)! These are nice sharp color photos. I don't agree that the shorter female model isn't good (she's not 40, she's 34!). She's got great fighting poses and expressions. I can take the shadows and apply them to taller characters as needed.
The male models are clearly bodybuilders. Their fighting pics are great. The women aren't super-muscular, but they are attractive and they have great poses and expressions.
The CD is excellent too. More photos beyond what is in the book, and a lot of cool/funny extra pictures, movies, etc.
Poses include: facial expressions, standing, sitting, lifting, cape, street clothes, swords, guns, fighting, wounded, scared, flying. Also romance, fighting, smoking, drinking, loading gun.
If I had to name things I wish were different... The capes are good, and I really like the shots of the models in regular clothes, but there could be more costumes. Still, for the excellent Amazon price, and so many photos plus poses that are tailor made for comics--I am a very happy customer.
Great character expressions.......2007-08-03
This book has many over a thousand photo's with great comic book perspectives, male and female.
Some of the lighting could have been better and the female models should have been more athletic and shapley.
Average customer rating:
- gorey
- ghoulish delight
- morbid alphabet
- Best use of the word "ennui"
- Now don't get me wrong....
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The Gashlycrumb Tinies
Edward Gorey
Manufacturer: Harcourt
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ASIN: 0151003084 |
Amazon.com
"A is for Amy who fell down the stairs. B is for Basil assaulted by bears. C is for Clara who wasted away. D is for Desmond thrown out of a sleigh..." The rhyming couplets of this grim abecedarian are familiar, of course, to devotees of macabre humor, but the darkly crosshatched drawings are (as Poe put it) "the soul of the plot." Several years went by during which The Gashlycrumb Tinies: Or, After the Outing was not available in a small hardcover edition like this one, which is the true format for Edward Gorey's specialty, the adult picture book. (For those who wish to share the gloom there's a 10-copy assortment with The Curious Sofa.)
Book Description
A new, small-format edition of one of Gorey’s “dark masterpieces of surreal morality” (Vanity Fair) - a witty, disquieting journey through the alphabet.
Customer Reviews:
gorey.......2007-09-01
being an avid Ed Gorey fan it was nice to get a new copy of one of my favorites
ghoulish delight.......2007-08-23
as expected, this was a sickly-sweet, twisted little gem - i wish there could be more!
morbid alphabet.......2007-07-27
disguised as a children's read, this little book shows all the ways little people could die, from A to Z.
I expected the artwork to look like the cover page but they are all black and white. He uses pen for all the illustrations, achieving many values and textures with lines, stripes, various patterns and predominately crosshatching. It's cute.
Best use of the word "ennui".......2007-07-01
A twisted, strange, lovely alphabet that shows Edward Gorey at his macabre best. I give one of these books to every friend I meet who understands my own bizarre sense of humor. Edward Gorey rules!
Now don't get me wrong...........2007-06-07
I like all of Gorey's work. The stories are simply worded and have a feeling of every word in its place. The art at a first glance also seems rather simple in an intriguing way, the you look closer and the tiny lines drag you in the rest of the way.
I think for many people, Edward Gorey is a love him or hate him thing. You either find it very amusing or just plain sickening nonsense. I happen to be of the former. I do have some trouble with some of his stories (that dang statue book...) because I find them somewhat....pointless. This book, however, is one of the more comprehensible, if also one of the most simple in premise.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a bit of "dark humor" now and again. But, really, unless your kid is pretty tough, don't read it as a bedtime story until they are old enough to really understand that it's not real. If you must introduce them to Gorey at a young and tender age, go pick up a copy of The Epiplectic Bicycle (My other favorite E.G. book) or one of his more nonsensical books. Don't give your kid nightmares.
Book Description
Because people are captivated by the "human" traits in animals, especially those that make us laugh, animals have been an endless source of humor for cartoonists. We chuckle at the antics of Marmaduke and Garfield, recognizing in them amusing behavior in our own pets. We also find humor in more human-like characters such as the irascible Donald Duck and the gloomy Eyore because their personalities remind us of people we know. With their ability to make people laugh, animals are essential in the repertoire of every cartoonist.
In this book, Christopher Hart teaches an easy method for capturing the forms and expressions of animals. The book begins by showing how to create simple drawings with just a few strokes of the pen. Following the basic shapes, Hart goes on to depict animal personalities that are based on their physical traits. He covers many different species, from exotic African beasts to common breeds of dogs and cats. A final section shows how animals can be turned into "human" characters that stand upright and wear clothes.
Customer Reviews:
Best book i have:).......2007-02-23
This book is by far the best one in my collection:) It's stuffed with inspirational pictures and it's very easy to read:) It took me only about a half hour to create my very own cartoon character after reading a bit in this book:D
The step-by-step drawing guides in here are so easy to follow, and the book also show you different degrees of hardships in creating a character. You have the easily drawn characters, the medium hard-to-draw characters, and the really hard-to-draw characters:S
I'd say i was already in the "Medium" category when i bought this book, so the easily drawn characters were just to simple for me to even bother with. But still, they make good reference::)
If i am to say something about what audience this book is aimed for, then i'd have to say it's for beginners and people like me(A bit past beginner:p). There are VERY few hard-to-draw pictures in here, so i'm gonna have to buy another book soon if i keep progressing like i do:p
Different animals you can learn to draw from this book: Cats, dogs, horses, sharks, elephants, lions, tigers, bears and a few other critters...
I love this book :) I do not regret buying it at all:) I can actually REALLY reccomend this book to people who are out for learning this subject:)
Love this book.......2006-02-19
I actually have some of my own characters now just from reading this book. Keep up the good work
Great book!.......2004-07-05
As a cartoonist and author myself ( of "Let's Toon Caricatures"), I have quite a collection of how to draw books that I've amasses over the years. This book is my all time favorite for drawing great, cartoony animals.
Wonderful!.......2004-06-27
I love the idea of putting cartoon animals into humorous situations, and this book shows exactly how to do that! Shows simple ways to draw some of the most seemingly complex cartoons! Highly recommended!
MUST HAVE!!!.......2001-10-31
Christopher Hart's how to draw books are all wonderful. I own this one and a couple others and I often go back to them when I just can't get my sketches perfect. When I first received them I couldn't tear myself away. I was drawing up a storm 24-7. I've drawn realistic pictures all my life, but until buying these books, I'd never been able to whip out anything cartoony. Unexpectedly, his instructions and tips on cartoon drawing also helped me out in my realistic drawing and creativity.
I can't say enough about this book! You won't be disappointed! It's well worth the price and more. One great thing about it is that not only does the author really know his stuff, he's managed to present it wonderfully. It's a fun & easy read!!!
Book Description
This is an instructional book on how to draw cartoon caricatures. With over 150 photos to practice from, it is the most extensive caricature book ever published. Multiple styles and medias are explored and there are step by step examples of how to draw caricature faces and cartoon bodies.
Customer Reviews:
Great book!.......2007-03-24
I highly recommend this book! It is a fun and easy read. It breaks down the drawing process step by step, body part by body part getting you on your way to start drawing caricatures like a pro!
The Complete Caricature Course!.......2005-11-09
For a complete novice who suddenly realised it would be fun to have a go at drawing caricatures, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Other "how to" books on the subject left me feeling inadeqate and incapable of drawing anything resembling my victims. When Keelans book safely and quickly arrived to me here in the UK, the easy step by step illustrations immediatley gave me the confidence and skill I was lacking and my results have rapidly improved.
I now find myself staring a strangers trying to decide how I would tackle their caricature by wondering what their head shape is and how their features are arranged. Thanks Keelan!
Bravo, lad! Compliments to the author.......2005-10-21
Keelan, I am so happy for your success selling your great "How To" book. I have shown it to curious youngsters and it's a wonderful starting point for future Face Hustlers. Concise and fun to look at.
Thanks for the inspiration. I am trying to get mine for sale here as well. Wish me luck!
All the best and Watch out for those Hurricanes!
Sam Klemke
Gypsy Caricaturist
it's a Useful book.......2005-09-13
Yap it's a useful Book..it help me a lot in improving my drawing.. learn a lot from this book.. it's a great book to buy! Pic is more than the word, not like others like writing grandmother story.. word more than pic..that would be boring but this book won't..overall this book is very useful to me for drawing pic for my teachers..
Mary West.......2005-09-12
This is the best step by step caricature book. Many pictures and examples to follow. Keelan kept it simple, thorough, fun and funny.
Book Description
The follow-up title to the hit title Drawing Cutting Edge Comics, which has been translated into seven languages, this drawing tutorial shows artists how to draw the exaggerated musculature of super-sized figures in action poses. The guesswork is taken out of figuring out which muscles show through to the surface and how muscles appear through clothing. This instructional manual even gives both the Latin and the common terms for particular body parts such as scapula/shoulder blade. Hart covers all aspects of extreme anatomy. The book opens by providing detailed diagrams of all of the various muscle groups, including chest, back, shoulder, arm, and leg muscles. Then he covers many of the various extreme comic book types including good guy, bad guy, insane guy, punk, genius, and brute for men; and the heroine, bad gal, trashy gal, seductress, fighter babe, and cyber chick for women. As an added bonus, this book closes with two invaluable sections to all aspiring comic book artists. One provides a roadmap of all the steps an artist must take if he or she is going to get started in the comic book business, and advice on how the comic book business works. The second section features interviews with people from two of the most significant companies in the world of comics, Marvel Comics and Dark Horse Comics.
Customer Reviews:
Nothing useful at all........2007-10-03
This is really a boring book. It does not tell you anything about how to draw the human body at all. No depth, no advice on how large a figure should be, or perception. There is nothing here at all.
Great Book.......2007-09-29
This is a great reference book. I really like it, BUT for any really REALLY serious people who wish to really improve their drawings, Riven Pheonix "Drawing the Human Figure From Your Mind" lessons are key (google it). It shows you how to draw the whole skeleton - from your mind. Then the muscles - from your mind. The fruits are astounding. I completed all 227 lessons and must admit that reference books are much more helpful when you actually LEARN how EXACTLY mucles and bones look the way they look on people.
Great buy, Well worth the Money.......2007-09-18
I'm a beginner to drawing in general but the descriptions and pictures presented make reproducing presented information/techniques easy
Amazing book - totally recommended for any and all artists.......2007-08-24
For starters, this is written by Christopher Hart, so it's probably one of your best options if you are interested in the subject of the book...
This is great for learning how muscle groups work, since it focuses on different parts of the body for both men and women, and how the skeleton structure is set up, not only in general, but in different positions, explaining how muscles move with the different poses, and which ones 'pop' depending on the pose. It's a great book for any beginning artist to start getting a sense of how the body is put together, and great for more advanced artists to make their pictures more and more realistic. Also gives great ideas for characters.
A great buy even if you are not overly enthusiastic about the graphic novel; if you love drawing, you'll love this book!
Drawing Cutting Edge Anatomy: The Ultimate Reference for Comic Book Artists.......2007-07-24
Great book for muscles... I had problem drawing muscles and this book helped great book
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