Creating Characters with Personality: For Film, TV, Animation, Video Games, and Graphic Novels

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.

How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 1: Basics for Beginners and Beyond

Average customer rating:

total waste of money!!!
How to Draw Anime & Game Characters VOL.1 Review
Nice Book
tasteless
It's awesome

How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 1: Basics for Beginners and Beyond
Tadashi Ozawa
Manufacturer: Graphic-Sha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Specific Objects | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Cartooning | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 2: Expressing Emotions
How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 3: Bringing Daily Actions to Life
How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 4: Mastering Battle and Action Moves
How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 5: Bishoujo Game Characters
How to Draw Manga: Bodies & Anatomy

ASIN: 4766111206

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

How to Draw Cartoon Animals (Christopher Hart Titles)

Average customer rating:

Best book i have:)
Love this book
Great book!
Wonderful!
MUST HAVE!!!

How to Draw Cartoon Animals (Christopher Hart Titles)
Christopher Hart
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Cartooning | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Cartooning but Were Afraid to Draw (Christopher Hart Titles)
Cartooning for the Beginner (Christopher Hart Titles)
How to Draw Cartoons for Comic Strips (Christopher Hart Titles)
Drawing on the Funny Side of the Brain : How to Come Up With Jokes for Cartoons and Comic Strips
Cartoon Cool: How to Draw New Retro-Style Characters

ASIN: 0823023605

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!!!

How to Draw Cartoons for Comic Strips (Christopher Hart Titles)
Average customer rating:

A Definite Must For Any Artist's Library!

For any type of artist

From the Beginning

My Drawing Bible

First-rate!

How to Draw Cartoons for Comic Strips (Christopher Hart Titles)
Christopher Hart
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Cartooning | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Hart, Christopher | By Creator | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Cartooning but Were Afraid to Draw (Christopher Hart Titles)

Cartooning for the Beginner (Christopher Hart Titles)

Drawing on the Funny Side of the Brain : How to Come Up With Jokes for Cartoons and Comic Strips

How to Draw Cartoon Animals (Christopher Hart Titles)

Big Book of Cartooning

ASIN: 0823023532

Customer Reviews:

A Definite Must For Any Artist's Library!.......2004-02-27

Christopher Hart has truly done an excellent job with this book. Filled to the rim with illustrations, techniques, explanations and inside information, if you've ever wanted to learn about humorous illustration or cartooning, put this on your list. You'll be glad you did. :o)

For any type of artist.......2003-08-19

Great book. He displays how to cartoon men, women, children, elderly and many types of animals. He does it in an extremely visual way that even a child could follow along. This book is packed with 95% illustrations and 5% text. To me, that's a winner. The 5% text that is in there is invaluable. The print is nice and large and easy to read. I am very happy I bought this book. It is a keeper.

From the Beginning.......2001-09-13

From the beginning of this book to the end, it is filled with (finally) basic, step-by-step instructions on drawing cartoon people, body parts, the "action line", body language and style. And then it starts all over again with animals! Mostly dogs, cats, and different fowl, it also includes less common animals, like beaver, porcupine, raccoon and many sea animals. Can't forget the great alligators and dragon. Finally, the book spends time on placing the characters, reference lines and specialty shots and the all-important "balloon". Another great one by C. Hart. I think I own most of his books and they are all worth great merit, better than the other books I've seen out there by far.

My Drawing Bible.......2000-11-01

A few years ago, on a whim, I decided to start drawing. I didn't know where to begin so I bought this book. I really believed I couldn't draw. The techniques in this book were so easy to learn that soon I went from drawing stick figures to expressive cartoon characters. My confidence went up and I took on more complicated projects. Now, I work part-time doing illustrations and it all started here!

First-rate!.......2000-03-15

This is an excellent book for any beginning artist or anyone else wanting to learn cartooning. Chris Hart publishes some of the best books on art that I've ever seen. This book gives good details on drawing that is easy to follow and understand. All in all, this is one book that should be in every artist's library.

Manga Mania: Chibi and Furry Characters: How to Draw the Adorable Mini-characters and Cool Cat-girls of Japanese Comics (Manga Mania)

Average customer rating:

Chibinate me Capin'
Manga Mania's Chibi and Furry Characters is really a must have for Manga Arists.
Awesome and Helpful BOOK!!!!
Great for artists' of all age groups!
Great Book For Aspiring Little Artists!

Manga Mania: Chibi and Furry Characters: How to Draw the Adorable Mini-characters and Cool Cat-girls of Japanese Comics (Manga Mania)
Christopher Hart
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Study & Teaching | Reference | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Cats, Dogs & Animals | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Satire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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Draw Manga Chibi! (XTreme Art)
Manga Mania Shoujo: How to Draw the Charming and Romantic Characters of Japanese Comics (Manga Mania)
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Manga Mania Bishoujo (Manga Mania)
How to Draw Manga: Costume Encyclopedia, Vol 1, Everyday Fashion

ASIN: 0823029778
Release Date: 2006-01-01

Book Description

Everyone loves chibi, the newest, hottest manga style out of Asia. Chibis—characters that range from hypercute miniature people to bizarrely sexy furry characters—come in all varieties, all roles, including chibi teenagers, faeries, schoolgirls, nurses, mermaids, devils, angels, and everyone in between. Now Christopher Hart, the world's best-selling author of cartoon and drawing titles, shows readers exactly how to darw chibis, infusing them with personality and creating authentic costumes for them. Cute chibi-style monsters (small yet powerful), appealing cat-girls (humanlike, but with feline traits), superdeformed manga/chibi characters (used to make funny wisecracks)—every type of chibi character is shown here in crystal clear, step-by-step drawings. Manga Mania Chibi and Furry Characters will get every manga fan in on the chibi fun.

Customer Reviews:

Chibinate me Capin'.......2007-06-22

WARNING: This book is not for beginers. There are few step by step instructions, the rest you have to figure out on your own. (you lazy people)

For those who are not beginers, this book goes fairly deep into the world of Chibi characters. It shows basics in body structures and facial expressions.

It also touches bases on many catgirl body types.
I feel this book gives you a wide variety of ideas that you can use to create catgirls.

All and all this is one of Mr. Hart's better books. One of the facts is that he put less of his style into this book. Which causes it to become more manga, not americanized/manga that he usually draws.

Which is a good thing.

I really like the section in the back about stylized chibi's from Japan.

Manga Mania's Chibi and Furry Characters is really a must have for Manga Arists........2007-06-08

I myself personally have difficulty drawing chibi character's. This book is very thorough with the basic how to's of drawing chibis. IT even teaches you to think outside out the box when creating fantastical little monsters. I highly recommend this book.

Awesome and Helpful BOOK!!!!.......2007-03-19

OMG! This was the best how-to book i have ever READ!!!!! It is so thorough. I could draw everything, and it came out near perfection. My friends loved, I loved, and heck, my GRANDFATHER loved it! He thought it was really, really good, in terms of teaching you how to draw! I loved it, and recommend it to everyone! The book shows you step by step how to draw cat-girls (beautiful) and cute tropical girl/chibi/cat-girl and other adorable creatures. It teaches you when to use super-deformed characters, and uses cute drawings (eg, questionable little angel (my fave!) to enable you to use different, effective techniques! This is chock-full of great things!

Great for artists' of all age groups!.......2007-01-05

Chistopher Hart has truly out done himself with this book,as well as his other book fantasy worlds. In this book, Hart gives you examples of teaching you how to draw chibi characters as well as telling you what makes a chibi a chibi. A great thing about this book is that they have a large section of how to draw a variety of cat girls!!! That was my most favorite part! I really enjoyed this book alot, and as a bonus I will give you the run down of what to expect in the book....

Chibi basics
What makes a chibi a chibi?
The chibi head
Drawing the chibi head step by step
Full figures: Standard manag versus chibi
Turn any character into a chibi
Personality pointers
The chibi size size chart
Drawing the chibi face and body step by step
full body views

Chibi characters and costumes
Costumes
Mischevious chibis!
Making eye contact
Girl costumes and popular japanese roles
Stupid chibis!
Regular chibis versus super small chibis
Super small chibis
Fantasy chibis: Angels, fairies, and princesses

Chibi Expressions, emotions, and attitudes
Emotions
body language with special effects
Magical effects

Chibi cat girls and furry characters
Furry-style ears
Chibi cat-girls:full figures
Boxing cats
Chibi cat girl types
In-space adventures

Standard-size cat girls
Standard-size cat girls: the basics
Drawing the cat-girls head step by step
Drawing the cat-girl versus human head
drawing cat-girl bodies step by step
From tame to wild
Cat-girl hand and foot markings
Cat-girl prsonalities
Cat-girl poses
Cat-girl scenes
Foreshortening
A world of cat girls!

Chibi and magical creatures
Standard monsters versus chibi monsters
Creating chibi monsters from basic shapes
Creating chibi monsters from inanimate objects
Pterodactyl chibi monsters
Chibi monsters with magical powers
Magicalchibis without owners

Super stylized chibis
Little lady
Super stylized chibi boy
Super stylized chibi cat girl
Super stylized chibi rabbit girl
Chibi trouble maker
Witch in training
Little angel
Wishing on a star
Candy girl
Serious student
Chibi hero fighter
Tropical girl

The rest of the pictures are basically sample images showing you that you can use a chibi in certain scenes of regular sized characters, like when they are emabarrassed or mad. The chibi form of that person shows great expression, as well as hillarity. Plus chibis are ultra cute! This book is a perfect add on to any how to draw collection. I definitely recommend this book to any artist, whether beginner or intermediate, this book is extremely helpful. A must buy!

Great Book For Aspiring Little Artists!.......2006-08-05

The young lady I bought this book for just loves it.

Techniques for Drawing Female Manga Characters

Average customer rating:

Perfect for perfecting female characters
How to draw manga
Not to be immature, but, ew
How to draw manga or females in sexual positions?
Excellent Book!

Techniques for Drawing Female Manga Characters
Hikaru Hayashi
Manufacturer: Graphic-Sha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Cartooning | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

How to Draw Manga: Male Characters
How to Draw Manga: Bodies & Anatomy
How To Draw Manga Volume 31: More About Pretty Gals (How to Draw Manga)
How to Draw Manga: Costume Encyclopedia, Vol 1, Everyday Fashion
How To Draw Manga Volume 34: Costume Encyclopedia Volume 2 (How to Draw Manga)

ASIN: 476611146X

Customer Reviews:

Perfect for perfecting female characters.......2007-08-10

This is the book if your having trouble with females characters or looking to improve it some more.
All of the other people complaining about nudity should just stfu. If they're in clothing how do you get the details you really need to improve your drawings. You have to be mature enough to know that it's art, not porn. There's a difference. It's the human body for god's sake...you have one don't you? Everyone is a human so why the hell are you complaining about a human body o.O If you don't want to "perfect" your females characters look at some other crap, but if your really willing, why care about the nude females. You are here to draw and not just flip through it to get horny and jack/jill off.

Mkay...onto the book xD
What others called "sexual positions" are simply positions that you use every day. Bending over, laying on the bed, sitting down, standing, and yes, some people even crawl to reach for things under their desk. Chill out about that. This book pretty much covers everything, the face which I needed help on badly. The upper body, arms, lower body, stomach and etc. I had trouble with fingers and this somewhat even briefly covered that. This is a truly great book by an amazing author(s)

How to draw manga.......2007-05-30

The entire experience was amazing. Shipped earlier then expected, in pristine condition, no hassles no worry.

The product itself is great. The guide truly helps with the basic structure of drawing characters anatonomically correct. It's always better to learn how to draw something right first and then learn how to break the rules later.

Not to be immature, but, ew.......2007-05-27

This book does have *some* useful information, but it is mostly scantily clad or nude women in sexual positions. The only part that I found relatively interesting was the section on different clothing textures. I would *not* recommend this book to anyone that wants to learn realistic anatomy or poses.

How to draw manga or females in sexual positions?.......2007-05-13

Thinking this book would make drawing the female form easier in the manga style might not be the best motivation for buying this book. The book is almost completely based on sexual positions you may want to draw in and in my opinion isn't what drawing the female figure should be about. Buy this if your not interested in drawing anything but dirty pictures!

Excellent Book!.......2007-04-15

This book was helpful and provided in-depth info about the female form. It covers drawing ears, the hips, chest, eyes, as well as a variety of other featured acquitted with drawing girls. For those who bought this book and complained about the nudity... dont! Any true artist undserstands that the human body is just another part of their work. Ignoring the mature theme, this book was resourceful and I learned a great deal! I recommend it for beginner and intermediate artists alike.

How to Draw Comic Book Heroes and Villains (Christopher Hart Titles)

Average customer rating:

Mediocre
Too tittilating for the kiddies. Rate this one PG-17.
Not much help!
decent for beginers
Cool Book

How to Draw Comic Book Heroes and Villains (Christopher Hart Titles)
Christopher Hart
Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Cartooning | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

How to Draw Comic Book Bad Guys and Gals (How to Draw (Watson Guptill))
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way
Drawing Cutting Edge Anatomy: The Ultimate Reference for Comic Book Artists
Drawing Cutting Edge Comics
How to Draw Great-Looking Comic Book Women (Christopher Hart Titles)

ASIN: 0823022455

Customer Reviews:

Mediocre.......2006-11-22

Christopher Hart is practically a one-man publishing industry. He has written a variety of books about how to draw comic book superheroes, as well as books about how to draw funny cartoon animals. He does a fairly good job of explaining how to draw, but his own art is mediocre. There are a lot of other books on the market that are very similar to this one. I recommend Drawing Dynamic Comics by Andy Smith.

Too tittilating for the kiddies. Rate this one PG-17........2004-12-03

I bought this book for my 9-year-old nephew and quickly realized it wasn't suitable for young audiences. Like almost all comic book heroines, these gals are soft porn (C'mon: if the girls in this book were walking around in real life they would tip over from the heft of their pointy boobs alone!). I can actually live with that; it seems to be some sort of right of passage for boys, and so be it. However, in the author's process of teaching the reader to be anatomically correct in their drawings, and to build the comics from the ground up, he presents lots of topless ladies that are inappropriate for kids my nephew's age. I shipped it back and am getting the book on cartoon animals instead. Just wish I had known before I ordered it.

Not much help!.......2001-08-31

This book is pretty pathetic. The instruction is minimal and the art is just so average it's not even funny. You would at least hope that someone telling you "how to" could do it themselves. Get drawing the marvel way it's not perfect but it beats this hands down.

decent for beginers.......2001-08-23

If you have little to no cartooning talent what so ever the go for this book. If you're halfway decent all ready dont bother. The writer/artist is an obvious amature and to my knowledge has never worked on a major comic. It does have a few good points but not many. I personaly found this book to be a waste of my time, if you are looking for a good instructional book for creating comics i suggest "HOW TO DRAW COMICS THE MARVEL WAY" which is much more in depth than Mr. Hart's book.

Cool Book.......2001-02-26

I loved this Book. ithought it was amazing. I love how he gives u all those pages on heads. It's rea;l cool

The Monster Book of Manga: Draw Like the Experts

Average customer rating:

excellent content for intermediate-level illustrators
Good comprehensive book
A must buy!
Monster Book of Manga
It was okay..

The Monster Book of Manga: Draw Like the Experts
Estudio Joso , and Fernando Casaus
Manufacturer: Collins Design
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

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Manga Matrix: Create Unique Characters Using the Japanese Matrix System
The Monster Book of More Manga: Draw Like the Experts
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How to Draw Manga: Costume Encyclopedia, Vol 1, Everyday Fashion

ASIN: 0060829931
Release Date: 2006-01-03

Book Description

The popularity of manga continues to row, inspiring interest in learning how to draw in this exciting style of comics. Estudio Joso creates the ultimate guide to illustration—384 pages of manga instruction. The Monster Book of Manga is divided into sections focusing on the most figures and themes—Girls, Boys, Samurais, Monsters, and more. Each illustration is broken down into six stages accompanied by step-by-step instructions, taking the artist from initial back-and-white sketches to the final color piece. They are all accompanied by practical suggestions, hints, and tips.

Customer Reviews:

excellent content for intermediate-level illustrators.......2007-09-24

I'm familiar with manga illustrations, but certainly not an expert, and this is the main reason I found "The Monster Book of Manga" very useful. It's not a how-to-draw book, but rather a draw-like-this manual, with step by step examples of how a finished piece is done. Here is, briefly, a list of what I consider to be its strong and weak points.

STRONG POINTS:

- Over fifty, very detailed, illustrations, each broken down into six stages, from sketch to full colour. It's relatively easy to see through the process if you already know the basics of drawing the human figure.

- Six major categories (girls, fantasy, monsters, science fiction, music and samurai) that will help you become familiarized with many popular types of manga characters, from school girls to androids.

- All lessons and tips aside, the artwork is gorgeous.

- Each character is drawn in a different pose, so the book also works as a pose reference manual at some point

- The costumes are drawn in detail and work as inspiration to create your own

- It's a very good practice manual and can inspire your own original characters based on the types included.

WEAK POINTS:

- Don't mistake this book for a beginner's how-to book, some of the illustrations included are quite difficult to draw, even if you're just copying them. Furthermore, I feel they should have perhaps broken down each drawing into more stages, so as to make the process easier to understand.

- Being a draw-this type of book, it tends to limit your creativity a bit.

- Some of the tips and explanations are really not necessary. What's the use of putting 'In this case, we have chosen violets and blues' next to a violet and blue dragon?

- The introduction to each character type could have been expanded a bit, perhaps with examples from actual manga series.

- The chapter on digital manga is a bit disappointing, in that it's mostly an outline of Photoshop's tools and functions, and seems to focus less on tips directly useful to manga artists.

CONCLUSION

"The Monster Book of Manga" is overall very useful for artists who already have some basic knowledge of drawing the human figure and a more-than-basic knowledge of manga specifics. Buy it if you want to improve and experiment. It's wonderful for practice, reference and inspiration, but it will not teach you how to draw.

Good comprehensive book.......2007-09-19

This book has a great deal of information on how to draw, which is one part of the manga experience. For the creative/motivational stuff, try the manga story sites for inspiration (I go to www.JustExpressing.com, there are others). Combine the great drawing ability with the examples of well written story lines on these web sites, based on Japanese characters, and you'll be well on your way on experiencing manga.

A must buy!.......2007-08-29

This book is amazing. I was looking at in a store contemplating buying it cause it was a tad bit expensive, when a stranger came up and told me it was a great book. I bought it and it really was worth all the money. It has such detailed instructions on how to draw some amazing manga. I have to admit there are a few pieces of art in it that are a bit inappropriate for little kids but it's still a great book and worth the money. BUY IT!

Monster Book of Manga.......2007-07-12

The Monster Book of Manga is really helpful to me. Before this book, I could never do shadows or shades on my drawings. But thanks to this book, I am gettng better at it. If you want to draw Manga better, I reccomend the Monster Book of Manga. Its worth it. ^-^

It was okay.........2007-05-13

Book does have alot of visuals but it's not very informative. It's not for beginners but more advanced artists.

Average customer rating:

Reference Guide for Manga
Disapointing
How to Draw Manga
:(
Extremely Helpful

How to Draw Manga: Male Characters
Hikaru Hayashi
Manufacturer: Graphic-Sha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Specific Objects | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Cartooning | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

General | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books

Techniques for Drawing Female Manga Characters
How to Draw Manga: Bodies & Anatomy
How To Draw Manga Volume 28: Couples (How to Draw Manga)
How to Draw Manga: Costume Encyclopedia, Vol 1, Everyday Fashion
How To Draw Manga Volume 29: Putting Things In Perspective (How to Draw Manga)

ASIN: 4766112407

Customer Reviews:

Reference Guide for Manga.......2007-08-24

This book is a great reference for male anatomy; unfortunately being pretty much the ONLY one in the series based on men, this is great for learning poses, gestures, and how clothes overlay the body. Not so terrific for ideas, like clothing or characters. I recommend it for those who are having issues with how the male body is formatted (I use it as a reference in that way)

Disapointing.......2007-06-10

Its almost as if they made This book to shut up people complaining that they only focused on Females. It really was not hepful so i didnt shovel out the 20 bucks for it. They basicly Haft-tried with it.

How to Draw Manga.......2007-05-30

:(.......2007-05-13

At least this book hasn't got all the characters in sexual positions, but it does have very boring looking characters also... Maybe the specific male / female books aren't his best works.

Extremely Helpful.......2007-04-22

This book has definetely helped me in the area of drawing male characters. I have also been able to draw females with ease, but the males I always found frustrating. The step-by-step intructions really let you in on the main parts of the male and how to draw them correctly. It compares it to the female body as well.

Various poses are included in it as well which helped me a lot in my characters. If you struggle with the same problem as I did, then I highly recommend this guide. It also includes a fantastic section on hands, feet, and charaters wearing glasses. Any true artist should own this book!

How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 2: Expressing Emotions

Average customer rating:

So close to being the perfect resource for facial expressions...
Wonderful
i love this series, its sooo helpful!
This book helped a lot!
not a 2 star yawn like vol.1,(yea, that was me)

How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 2: Expressing Emotions
Tadashi Ozawa
Manufacturer: Graphic-Sha
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Drawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Specific Objects | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Cartooning | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 1: Basics for Beginners and Beyond
How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 3: Bringing Daily Actions to Life
How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 4: Mastering Battle and Action Moves
How to Draw Anime & Game Characters, Vol. 5: Bishoujo Game Characters
How to Draw Manga: Costume Encyclopedia, Vol 1, Everyday Fashion

ASIN: 4766111745

Book Description

In this series, the author who has helped new talent to develop, including GHIBLI and MAD HOUSE, explains character design step by step using his own expertise and teaching materials. In the second volume, learn to master character's emotions and facial expressions!

Customer Reviews:

So close to being the perfect resource for facial expressions..........2007-07-31

I took a chance on this book because its title, "Expressing Emotions", promised to reveal the content I've been seeking for so long: a book that shows how to create facial expressions for a range of emotions. And this book really does that, and does it well.

Another book by the same artist, Tadashi Ozawa, offered a similar promise, but failed to deliver. Let's Draw Manga: Bodies And Emotions doesn't focus on faces at all; it focuses only on expressing emotion by posing the body in certain ways. Indeed, half the drawings don't have faces at all. Another book, Manga Moods, shows a huge range of emotions, but with only a single picture for each emotion and no advice on drawing.

Half this book is dedicated to facial expressions, and the other half gives corresponding full-body versions of some of these expressions. Everything is very well-annotated, with a number of notes on each drawing explaining exactly what was done to achieve the emotive effect. The drawings are clean and well-done, and the text is very clear.

But what could be a strength for this book turns out to be a weakness as well. Fourteen characters are used, a broad range of male and female characters typical of various styles of anime and games. Each character is shown with 14 facial expressions, then later with eight full-body poses. But pretty much the same 14 expressions are used for all the characters, and it just doesn't feel like it's enough to express the full range of emotions. Consider that Manga Moods has 40 expressions, and very few of them are redundant.

It's a nice touch to see the differences between how the emotion of anger is expressed by the young male detective and by the catgirl, or how smugness is expressed by the schoolgirl and the male giant-robot pilot. But I really rather would have seen more emotions reflected in this book, even at the expense of showing fewer characters.

This is still the best book I've found for learning how to draw emotions, and I'm sure I'll use it for reference quite often. I only wish there was more focus on a wider range of emotions -- how to differentiate between gloom and discomfort rather than just "unease", or defiance and confidence rather than just "smugness", for example.

Wonderful.......2007-01-22

This is a great book that provides drawing instructions on expressing emotion in anime and game characters. Helpful illustrations.

i love this series, its sooo helpful!.......2006-07-27

excellent! i was very pleazed w/ the first volume, and couldnt wait to get the second...and now i cant wait to get the last 3, this set is just plain awesome!
it starts off simple, like the previous, showing just smiley face expressions...then he shows u a varity of MALE and FEMALE characters using just their heads and faces to portray emotion. continue on, and he will explain how each individual character uses his/her body to express emotion. he even shows u a couple of "do's and dont's", depending on which character ur drawing...
an example would be the male game character...when sad, he doesnt cry, but when angry he forms fists and is shouting...for another male character, anger is portrayed more as protest, and when upset he actually shows it...
he gives u a small but helpful section on how to put ur new characters into a comic too, giving helpful tips on where the "camera" should be in a particular scene, and who should or shouldnt be in the shot, etc...neat.
its a great book, and can be used by beginners who have the basic idea of the body down, and experts, of course!
happy sketching! :-D

This book helped a lot!.......2005-12-01

I am 14 years old, and I got this book a year ago. It really helped me to figure out how to draw some of the basic expressions for people. I have been drawing manga for about 2 years now, but for a while, all of my characters had the same poses and basiccaly the same faces! And another note: not every character will express the same emotion in the same way. This also helps you to think about your character's personality and what kind of facial and body expressions they will use. I recommend this book for anyone who has the basics down, because it doesn't explain any of that. It will help anyone from a novice level, even experts could use the tips.

not a 2 star yawn like vol.1,(yea, that was me).......2005-06-04

Vol.2 is ALOT better and more helpful than its predecesser.the emotions are varied and there are no more clich'e characters too,they are in fact, believable.The drawings are nice and you wont find typos or any engrish,nor will you find bits of info paired with tons of pics.You wont find much trouble applying the examples's emotions to your own original creations.I couldnt give this book 4 stars though because I just couldnt get into it for some reason,maybe cuz i'm still trying to get rid of that bad after-taste that was volume one(yea,i was the one person who didnt like vol.1).This is one of those books you have to read to really judge.....

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