Customer Reviews

Comics Crash Course

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I just bought this book last December 2004, and I must say it's one of the best how-to draw comics. It's not exactly "how to draw" because as the title says it's a crash course on how to make comic books. By this, I mean that the instructions on drawing are not very detailed. But when it comes to story-telling and do's and dont's in creating comics, this book has it all.

The author included so many tips - very helpful ones! From composition to inking. For example, he explains how to make a single panel look great, or how to work with a script, and so on.

This book deals with things that you need, without going into too much detail. And it cuts straight to the point. Thus, it's ideal for young readers as well (young adults).

Instead of buying Christopher Hart titles, you might as well get this one. It's just great, simple great!

I am very impressed by the amount of attention given to the storytelling process in this book. Most books of this type typically have the same amount of space given to the various subjects involved with creating a comic book. This book, however, really touches on the rarely covered subject of storytelling. The basic anatomy and perspecive sections live up to the books title of "Crash Course". They cover only the bare bones basics. Tools of the trade, too, are briefly shown. Inking is given only a little more consideration.
In the storytelling portion of the book,however, the author discusses page thumbnails, page layout and flow, use of blue pencil and lightboxing, final pencils, and inking in more detail than most of these types of books. He breaks down a page, panel by panel, to illustrate how proper flow is so important in teling the story. I highly recommend this book on this section alone. I am a "wannabe" artist and suffer greatly in my storytelling ability but this book gave me tips and direction to begin to improve.

This is a very good book but if you are just starting out trying to learn how to draw, there are better alternatives. I'm a hopelessly crappy artist so the parts that interested me the most had to do with the mechanics of comics such as storytelling, composition, and perspective. I'm only giving it 4 stars because the title gives the impression that you'll learn how to draw but as a beginner I didn't find it particularly good for that.

Another great book from Impact. There's not a lot to say here save that it's another good books showing how to draw a comic book and as it says it's a "Crash Course". It covers much of the same things other books cover, but the art's nice and he procedural breakdowns are very nice, particularly in the panel layout section. Panel layout is very important. A lot of people think you just draw boxes and put are in them, but that's not the case. I bought this and Incredible Comics with Tom Nguyen: The Ultimate Guide to Creating Kick-Ass Comic Art and am thinking about getting the one about drawing women.

-Nate

OUR TEENAGE SON LOVES TO DRAW CREATURES, DRAGONS, AND MEN. WE HAVE SEVERAL OF THESE BOOKS AND HE LOVES TO DRAW EVEN MORE! THEY GIVE HIM SO MUCH HELP WHEN IT COMES TO DRAWING EACH WEEK. WE LOVE THE BOOK!!