33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Still not the ultimate guide to drawing comics, October 19, 2000
This review is from: Drawing Dynamic Comics (Paperback)
Another handsome volume on drawing comics from Watson Guptill. And Kubert School graduate Andy Smith uses this book to take you through the basics of drawing comics figures and arranging them in panels. What you make of the book will be determined by your tastes and drawing level.
Though it claims to be for any talent level, I don't believe this book would be useful for a complete beginner. While drawing heads and figures are well-represented, he mysteriously omits instruction on hands and feet. As these are the two major stumbling blocks for tons of aspiring artists, this omission is a bit puzzling.
Smith's style is the heavily exagerated muscle style that some desperately want to emulate (I'm not one of them, myself, but that hasn't affected my rating). There are only a few examples of other artists' styles, and many of them are from Bart Sears, who makes Smith look restrained in his depiction of the heavily muscled. It would have been nice to have a discussion of different ways of representing the super-heroic musculature ranging from cartoon simple to ultra-powerful over-realistic.
The section on inking is helpful, but only if you know how to use the tools already. Though the user is encouraged to use a brush, there's no mention of the correct manner of holding the brush. You are told it takes a great deal of practice to use a brush, but not how to go about that practice.
On the good side, there are great discussion on panel layout and flow, using reference materials, drawing the face in different ways and in different ages and a very good guide to the different facial features. The writing is clear, the art well executed and the teaching style encouraging.
For someone serious about drawing comics, this is a worthwhile addition for your bookshelf. But don't start here. I'd personally start with Christopher Hart's How to Draw Comic Book Heroes and Villains, which covers the same ground as this book while including most of the omissions I mentioned above. And for working on your figures, I highly recommend How to Draw Anime and Game Characters: Basics for Beginners and Beyond (don't be put off by the manga base for this book, it will benefit anyone interested in comics).
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Better than the others, so far..., August 10, 2003
This review is from: Drawing Dynamic Comics (Paperback)
Granted this book isn't particularly special and covers pretty much the same sort of basics, fundamental principles, etc, as a lot of the other 'how to draw comics' books out there - it's a bit different and somewhat better by comparison. It's extremely tough to find a good 'how to...' book out there that covers both basics and more advanced areas which is also helpful and satisfying for most people with different needs for it. I have searched many bookstores and I found pretty much the same sort of thing every time. In the end I thought of which one was more informative, precise and practical without being overly stressful, repetitive or boring. One that didn't rely on flashy colourful examples or reference material that looks great but doesn't really guide you in the right direction. I thought this one was one of the better ones, if not the best. I thought some of the other books really focused more on the finished product and work which was appealing, slick and contemporary-looking - but there wasn't much of a guideline for how to achieve those sort of results. They sort of suggested that most serious comic-drawers draw in the same style. This one isn't really an exception in that way, the same sort of old-fashioned aesthetics and ideals apply. However, I felt this book covered most areas further and the points were not as strict or stubborn. Anything you learn from this book can be loosened and applied to your own individual style. I also felt that this book was easier to understand, adventurous and fun. This is one of the best 'how to...' books so far. It explores most areas further than the other books and introduces new themes. It's probably not what some comic-drawers are hunting for but it's better than most the others
(that are more accessible) and it's also excellent for those who want to recap a lot of things.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Maybe not for beginners, but nothing much for the advanced., February 6, 2003
This review is from: Drawing Dynamic Comics (Paperback)
Some nice samples of comic art, with basic 'how to draw people' info. Unfortunately the author never really shows a direct connection between the two. Something about exaggerating motion and form would have been helpful.
About 1/4 to 1/3 of the book covers developing a complete comic, that is finally inked in B/W. But nothing about using color. Nothing about getting work 'camera ready' and / or how to digitalize it.
I think some of Burne Hogarth timeless books would be a much better investment
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