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31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good compliment, but can't stand on its own, February 16, 2004
This review is from: Drawing Cutting Edge Comics (Paperback)
The good thing about this book is that most basic drawing ideas are covered: faces, basic anatomy, and perspective. One of the articles I particularly like is the drawing comparison between different top artists (from using the same reference). It gives an idea of how to develop your own unique style rather than copying someone elses. The focus in the "cutting edge" comic market today is to give a "dark" feeling. Hence inking is exaggerated and skin tones are darker (compare Witchblade to Wonder Woman and you'll know what I mean). If you're interested in these aspects of drawing, then this book will give you a taste that no current other book can offer. Despite the uniqueness of this book, the problem is that book is NOT a stand-alone (all-in-one) guide to drawing "Top-Cow" and "Chaos" style comics. If you are a newbie in drawing, then this book is more eye-candy than an aid to help you. You will have difficulties reaching Al Rio's level of quality on this book alone. There are little step-by-step instructions or diagrams. Since there are different artists contributing to different sections of the book, it can be a distraction. No offense, but I don't really think Chris Hart's artwork is "cutting edge." It looks rather cartoony as another reviewer said. Hence, I think this book can be better streamlined and edited. In addition, there should be more about shading, more about anatomy and poses, and more about creating impact. I think Andy Smith's "Drawing Dynamic Comics" has better basics than this book. In fact, it would be good to pick up that book as well because it gives a different perspective from another author. In any event, this book tries to do too much. I would rather have this book dump all the "basic stuff" and dig deeper into the advanced stuff.
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18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
Cutting Edge? Not so much..., August 27, 2005
This review is from: Drawing Cutting Edge Comics (Paperback)
The comic book equivalent of "extreme" sports. While comic book figures are obviously drawn "larger than life," this book takes that technique well over the top. If you're not distracted by recurring illustrations of women with proportions which don't remotely resemble reality (augmention notwithstanding), you won't mind this book.
Instead, I recommend Hart's books "How to Draw Comic Book Heroes and Villains" for a less "extreme" treatment of his method, and "Human Anatomy Made Amazingly Easy" for general guidelines on drawing the human figure without a live model, and checking the proportions of your subject by "internal" reference.
Others have suggested "How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way" (1978) instead, and I concur. I also highly recommend "The DC Comics Guide to Inking Comics" by Klaus Janson (2003) as a companion volume.
Make sure you look at this one in the bookstore before deciding to buy it.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Around, June 30, 2002
This review is from: Drawing Cutting Edge Comics (Paperback)
I have almost every single book on comic book art written in the last ten years, and this one tops them all. By far. I recommend this book not only to people who want to be comic book artists, but also those who are interested in more "serious" art forms. The tips and tricks are indispensible for anyone drawing the human form or face, regardless of the style. I've read this book a hundred times, and I still use it every day for reference.
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