Customer Reviews

Digital Character Design and Painting (Charles River Media Graphics)

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This one reads like a crash course in digital character painting as interpreted by a fine artist of obvious expertise. It uses Corel Painter 7 as the base tool and is aimed at intermediate users (says so on the back). The best things about this book are (a) an effective balance between fantasy and reality, image- and tutorial-wise, (b) all-color (four-color) pages, so you know 'exactly' what color you're supposed to pick and what shade you're required to get, and (c) QuickTime movies on the accompanying CD that show the author deftly turn a b&w sketch into a finished piece. (Neat). This book is more about ideas than trickery, techniques rather than formulae - so don't expect too much hand-holding or quick fix tips. It lays a good foundation early on and builds upon it - though I'd recommend being comfortable at least with some basic sketching as most tutorials begin with a pre-made pencil drawing and proceed thenceforth into painting. In the end, this book stands head-and-shoulders above the rest primarily due to its inspiration and reusability value for artists (both digital and fine). It's natural to feel a little overawed by the author's seemingly effortless mastery of the subject, but if you're in the market for a solid, articulate tome with real-world skills and advice, trust this one to deliver (and deliver quite well), for it does just that.

Once I bought Don Seegmiller's book, DIGITAL CHARACTER DESIGN AND PAINTING I've spent hours, no, days, with pencil and computer delving into this book. And my education has increased considerably. I've read many how-to art books and few have left any visible mark on both my studio and computer creations. Don's
book is like a ... of art - everything is there. First, the beginning section is priceless in creating a character. Don's suggestions and questions give details to my amorphous mind-picture. A writer could learn from this section as well.

And then there is the section on basic art principles which is simply, yet expansively, written. Now I understand that mystery called value. Throughout this book also is the challenge to respect your art and creativity.

Now comes the tutorials using Corel's Painter. I've had Painter
for years and loved it - but it was a secretive and distant lover. The tutorials demonstrate so many possibilities and, if anyone calls themselves an artist, they must make art, - the making with these tutorials are fun.

Don's art is wonderful - a rare combination of beauty and humor. His art is topnotch!

Buy the book and work it thoroughly, it'll be well worth the time and mental energy!!!

I am very picky and highly selective when it comes to purchasing books, and this book surpasses all of my expectations. Not only does Digital Character Design and Painting offer step-by-step examples on how to digitaly paint characters, create textures, and paint trees, but it also provides a thorough insight on how to develop your own character designs. Seegmiller has written an excellent book that is useful to every artist - from beginning to advance. You will not regret buying this book!

Unquestionably one of the best - if not only - books on digital painting out there. Seegmiller uncovers his own techniques using Painter 7 for painting. No longer shall I scour the web for tutorials and hints, because it's all right here in his book. In addition to digital painting and character development, Seegmiller also includes information covering the fundementals of color, lighting and composition. In part it's an invaulable resource for artists as well as a manual for guiding one into the realm of digital painting. Don - if you're reading this - a HUGE thanks!! You're book is long overdue but very welcomed!!

Dear Mr. Seegmiller:

I've long been an admirer of your fantastic creations. You kinda became who I wanted to grow up to be ;-), so when I found you had published a book, I ran to get a copy.

Just wanted to let you know that this is the first of hundreds of art books in my library that is everything I'd hoped, and much more. I've had some
art training (mostly with folks who were better artists than teachers) and have learned a lot from books, as well as lots of drawing and painting on my own. I've participated in numerous exhibitions and group shows. Never have I had the pleasure of "sitting" in the company of such a fine, generous, exacting and specific educator, who is also one of my most admired artists.

The quicktime movies, so unselfishly revealing of your methods and creative processes, would have been worth twice the cost of the book. I'm studying them on a frame-by-frame basis, and gaining so much insight into what was heretofore theory alone. A weekend seminar could easily be developed from any one of these.

So thanks mightily from a very enthusiastic student at a distance.

Regards,
Bob Goldberg

www.bobbogoldberg.com

Not only is this book excellent because of what you will learn from a master, but the physical book itself is of the highest quality, which of course is very important because you will no doubt turn to it repeatedly for guidance and inspiration. A beautifuly crafted book. The cd is most helpful. Enjoy!

I've been looking for this exact book for five years. Had I known that it wasn't going to exist until 2003, I wouldn't've spent all that time looking. I mean, I could've taken up lacrosse, or needlepoint. Or waterplo. Or sought gainful employment. But that's as may be, because It's Here Now - The Flaming Mother of All Digital Painting Books. A brilliant, beautifully designed, glossy, slick, really well written, pulsatingly detailed, in-depth instruction manual on How To Do Digital Painting written by an actual living breathing undeniably great and vastly talented actual living digital (and traditional) painter. This tome ain't been knocked off by some hack in tech support or a wannabe/willneverbe who's realized he can't hack it on the pro circuit and so's turned to scribbling massmarket software manuals - no. Don's a stupendous Artist, first & foremost. He's got "mad-skillz," as the kids today say. ... The point is - this isn't yet another lame, dry, gutless, tech-head, passion-free, push-this-button, open-this-menu, here's-what-this-feature-does digital art manual. No. This is a book about how to USE programs like (mostly) Painter ... to MAKE ART. It's about how to THINK like an artist, how to ACT like an artist, and, eventually, if you pour enough sweat and hard physical slogging into it, it's about how to BE an artist. Like, for real. How to truly make great digital art. I don't have enough superlatives to describe this thing. What you get here is a master artist spilling his entire creative process, as applied to the digital realm. He gives away all his best secrets. Totally unbelievably great book. ... Kudos, Mr. Seegmiller, kudos.

This book is not bad but, The lessons seem to have a lot of steps left out of almost every lesson. I found it hard to follow a long. One minute the page has a sort of ugly sketch to follow a long with. Tun the page and that sketch has been turned into a very realistic painting with no real explanation as to how it got that way. I think this book is better if you already know what your doing when it comes to painting realistic characters and designing them, but then one could argue whats the point in getting this book also seeing as it cost a bit munch.

Don Seegmiller is definitely a master in Digital Character Creation and his book is brilliant. He takes you step by step through the art of creating characters, using color and textures to give your characters a superb look. This book provides a practical way to learn how to create digital characters from scratch in a way that I have never seen before. It's good for beginner and advanced users. This book rocks!

I purchased this book to help me move from the canvas to the computer generated canvas. It has helped me master blending. It also showed me how to get the results I want using Painter 7. The examples were basic & easy to follow.