How to Draw Cartoons for Comic Strips (Christopher Hart Titles) [Paperback]

Christopher Hart (Author)

Book Description

Series: Christopher Hart Titles | Publication Date: September 1, 1988

Here is a comprehensive approach to drawing comic-strip characters in an appealing contemporary style featuring large-format reproductions that can be easily copied. A wide range of drawings depicting people of all ages as well as such animals as cats,dogs, birds, and fish show you how to capture the personality, mood, and character of a subject. The 275 drawings illustrate head and body construction, how to draw facial features and expressions, how to use action lines to depict body language, how to draw hands and feet, and ways to convey emotion and age. The author also offers valuable tips on developing a comic strip. He shows you how to place subjects within panels; make a layout; master reverse angles, medium shots, and close-ups; establish lights and darks; and utilize dialogue balloons.

Beginning and intermediate artists—from the younger audiences attracted to animation to more sophisticated artist who enjoy New Yorker-type spot cartoons—will find the book of great interest.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Christopher Hart is Watson-Guptill's best-selling author; his previous books have sold more than a million copies. He lives in Westport, Connecticut.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill (September 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823023532
• ISBN-13: 978-0823023530
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 0.4 x 10.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Thanks for taking a look at my books, and this "Author Bio." I'm a competent tennis player, who also enjoys playing computer chess while I'm watching TV at night (Hey, it prevents me from channel-surfing). I'm keenly interested in M-theory, although i have become skeptical of it of late, despite Brian's Green's full-body gushing... I love being with my family, and even my extremely evil dog, a Welsh Springer Spaniel named "Rusty." Oh, yes, he truly is that evil.

As for my work, I'm the author of many How-To-Draw books, published by Watson-Guptill,the art imprint of Random House. Thanks to a lot of the wonderful readers (and you know who you are!), I have sold over 3 million copies domestically, which have been translated into 20 languages worldwide.

I'm fortunate to also have had 26 of the Best-Selling art books in the country, according to Bookscan.(Bookscan is the publishing industry's rating system for books, which is owned by same company that does the Neislen TV ratings.)

I also have my own drawing show on the Comcast Network, called, "How To Draw Action Heroes With Chris Hart." It's on Comcast's "Activity TV." I hope you like my books, and find them a valuable adjunct to your own imagination.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Drawing Bible, October 31, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Draw Cartoons for Comic Strips (Christopher Hart Titles) (Paperback)

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!

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For any type of artist, August 18, 2003

By 

BlueSquares (Florida) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How to Draw Cartoons for Comic Strips (Christopher Hart Titles) (Paperback)

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.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent starting point to learn cartooning technique., November 11, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: How to Draw Cartoons for Comic Strips (Christopher Hart Titles) (Paperback)

I've read a lot of "how to draw cartoons" books, and all of Christopher Hart's books rank very high. This book is the best place to start, covering the basics of figures, placement within panels, and other technical jiggery-pokery. This book leads naturally to his more detailed work, "Drawing on the Funny Side of the Brain."