How to Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling [Paperback]

Shawn Martinbrough (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 30, 2007

How to Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling is an instructional book based on the cinematic, high contrast noir style of acclaimed comic book and graphic novel illustrator, Shawn Martinbrough.



Martinbrough’s work has been published by DC Comics, Vertigo and Marvel Comics, illustrating stories ranging from Batman to the X-Men. This is his first book, released through Watson-Guptill Publications and The Nielsen Company.



In How to Draw Noir Comics, Martinbrough shows how the expert use of the color black is critical for drawing noir comics. He demonstrates how to set a mood, design characters and locations, stage action and enhance drama, and discusses important topics like page layout, panel design, and cover design.



How to Draw Noir Comics includes The Truce, an original graphic novel written and illustrated by Martinbrough which incorporates the many lessons addressed throughout the book, and has an introduction by critically-acclaimed novelist Greg Rucka, author of the graphic novel Whiteout, currently in production as a major motion picture.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Shawn Martinbrough illustrates many DC and Marvel comics, including
Superman, Detective Comics, Batman, and X-Men. Other clients include LucasArts, Playboy, and many others. In 2004, he was named one of "Washington, D.C.'s Best" by The
Washingtonian. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill (October 30, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823024067
• ISBN-13: 978-0823024063
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.4 x 11 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,021 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #17 in Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing > Cartooning
  • #38 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Pop Culture > Art

More About the Author

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Straightforward with lots of personal examples January 27, 2009

By Parka TOP 50 REVIEWER

Format:Paperback

Length: 0:17 Mins

Everything in the book is explained simply and clearly with lots of personal examples. He tries to address the many approaches to creating noir comics and does them well. For example when explaining the tools he used, he would talk on the type of ink to buy (fade and erase-proof), how to maintain them and choosing the right tools for the job.

The main bulk of the book deals with comic creation specific to noir style. He explains the ways to create mood, lighting and texture to aid the story. And also touches the comic creation part like paneling, pacing, creating drama, choosing backgrounds, using references and more. All the examples included are well caption to emphasis the techniques reviewed.

At the end of the book is a 16-page noir style graphic novel to show readers the finished product.

This book is a great introduction to noir comics and serves as a great reference.

You can view more of Shawn Martinbrough's work at Verge Entertainment, which is a company he founded with his partners.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Pretty but . . . February 6, 2011

By Arthur Elliott

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I love Shawn Martinbourgh. I really really like his art work, his Detective Comics run in particular. His thick blacks are amazing to look at and there are a lot of great images in this book..

But the "Why's" behind the book are weak or non existent. This book just isn't in depth enough. If you know enough about making comics to be aware of this book then you are aware of all the "tricks" he shows you. He skims by the thought process for panel set up. He skims past framing the central action of a panel. It's mainly skim. Never any cream.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable insight from a distinctive creative voice March 3, 2008

By J. DOUGAN

Format:Paperback

I'm a comics writer, not an artist, so I almost started this review by saying that I bought the book just to look at the pictures. And who could blame me? Shawn Martinbrough is one of the most original and distinctive stylists in modern mainstream comics. In a sea of imitators and variations on a house style, his artwork is instantly recognizable. His run on DETECTIVE COMICS with writer Greg Rucka (who writes the introduction to this book) is a landmark to me, in that it was one of the things that brought me back to reading comics after a long absence.

But Martinbrough's strengths lie far beyond his style - he has a true mastery of the *craft* of sequential storytelling, which is what makes this book such a valuable read, for aspiring artists and students of the medium in general. Reading about his process has given me much food for thought in how to evaluate and critique the work of other artists, as well as in how to better compose my scripts for artists to create the maximum impact in the collaboration. In short, HOW TO DRAW NOIR COMICS is a fine read for anyone interested in creating comics, whether one's work is done at the drawing board or at the keyboard.

Oh, and you get to look at the cool pictures, too.