This clever book teaches artists the unique skill of drawing perspective for spectacular landscapes, fantastic interiors, and other wildly animated backgrounds to fit comic-strip panels.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
If you are a serious artist then you will probably have to study a few perspective books before you learn all you need to know about the subject. This book deserves to be in that collection. It covers the nuts and bolts of the correct methods for drawing in one, two and three point perspective and offers hints for shortcuts that you can use to build drawings with a perspective look, even if they are not technically accurate, when you have to work with a deadline.
What I like about the book is that it provides thorough context for understanding not just the how, but the reasons behind the perspective techniques. If you know the rules you can do it, but if you understand the context in depth you can make informed decisions about when to follow the painstaking rules and when to use the shortcuts.
The book is also written in a very approachable visual medium. Basically it is a comic book following in the tradition of Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics".
The book also includes some facinating bits of trivia about 3 point perspective, when it was developed and why, and the lengths that some artists, like M. C. Escher, had to go to in order to properly employ it.
The book has two shortcomings. The first is a consequence of its comic format, there are a large number of pages which present more character development than is strictly necessary to get the information across. By contrast, most perspective books are very condensed, explaining as much as can be explained with illustrations and diagrams. This not only goes into detailed discussion of perspective, its uses and theory, but does so within the voice baloons of two characters.... Read more ›
What I like about the book is that it provides thorough context for understanding not just the how, but the reasons behind the perspective techniques. If you know the rules you can do it, but if you understand the context in depth you can make informed decisions about when to follow the painstaking rules and when to use the shortcuts.
The book is also written in a very approachable visual medium. Basically it is a comic book following in the tradition of Scott McCloud's "Understanding Comics".
The book also includes some facinating bits of trivia about 3 point perspective, when it was developed and why, and the lengths that some artists, like M. C. Escher, had to go to in order to properly employ it.
The book has two shortcomings. The first is a consequence of its comic format, there are a large number of pages which present more character development than is strictly necessary to get the information across. By contrast, most perspective books are very condensed, explaining as much as can be explained with illustrations and diagrams. This not only goes into detailed discussion of perspective, its uses and theory, but does so within the voice baloons of two characters.... Read more ›
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By Karma
Format:Paperback
A tome about comic perspective in comics form, this book helped me discover new principles in perspective and the REASON for these principle. Not just for your scenery, human bodies in perspective are also covered... but you had better know anatomy before hand. The reason for the missing star is because Chelsea uses two forms of curvilinear perspective, but suspiciously absent is the chapter ON curvilinear. Even with this oversight, Chelsea has written an engaging and fairly complete perspective guide. Look closely at the icecubes on page 131 and try to find the hidden pictures!
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
By "skunkbomb"
Format:Paperback
I found this book extremely helpful, in more ways the one. Instead of your usual text with diagram format, it has a refreshing comic book format. This means that examples are almost always right there, WITH the text that discusses it - so you can absorb what's being talked about with out having the "break concentration" and look for the relevant connection between explanation and example. Also, rather than discuss only the "terminology" and the like, I found the explanations were geared so that anyone who can read could understand them - without a dictionary being close to hand! I'd highly recommend picking up this book - to the beginners and pros alike! The gains from it's knowledge are definately worth the price.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
By Nancy Beiman
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Nothing more need be said about this book other than that one of the great Disney layout men, Kendall O'Connor, loved it when it was given to him as a Christmas present. High praise for a fine book.
It's the best guide to perspective for cartoonists, who are often not known for following 'normal' perspective. Celsi knows his business but also knows how to entertain. This is a must have for any comic artist or animator.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
David Chelsea has produced an informative and entertaining resource in this book. He's cleverly managed to sum up perspective lessons from numerous sources into one compendium for comic book artists, fans of the genre interested in learning how it's done, or even the casual artist.
After the opening chapters dealing with depth cues, the picture plane, the horizon and vanishing point, and the use of cubes in illustration, he divides the book up into several tutorials covering one-point perspective, two-point perspective, three-point perspective, the use of circles and ellipses in perspective and the human figure in perspective.
You can easily sit down with a sketch pad (I would also recommend some graph paper) and go through his lessons one by one to get a more hands-on approach (I intend to do this soon!). The three-point perspective lesson is very complex but worth the effort, especially for the burgeoning comic book artist. Three-point perspective, as Chelsea points out, allows the artist to render some pretty dynamic scenes.
When I first saw that the majority of the book was written in comic book form, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. However, once I got into it, I found it to be very entertaining. I was learning the process of perspective illustration while enjoying the medium I love: sequential art!
I highly recommend Chelsea's book. Even if you never sit down and attempt to use his methods, it will help you get your head around the whole topic. He also provides several short cuts for those who want to achieve those dynamic perspective effects without doing all the tedious legwork.
After the opening chapters dealing with depth cues, the picture plane, the horizon and vanishing point, and the use of cubes in illustration, he divides the book up into several tutorials covering one-point perspective, two-point perspective, three-point perspective, the use of circles and ellipses in perspective and the human figure in perspective.
You can easily sit down with a sketch pad (I would also recommend some graph paper) and go through his lessons one by one to get a more hands-on approach (I intend to do this soon!). The three-point perspective lesson is very complex but worth the effort, especially for the burgeoning comic book artist. Three-point perspective, as Chelsea points out, allows the artist to render some pretty dynamic scenes.
When I first saw that the majority of the book was written in comic book form, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. However, once I got into it, I found it to be very entertaining. I was learning the process of perspective illustration while enjoying the medium I love: sequential art!
I highly recommend Chelsea's book. Even if you never sit down and attempt to use his methods, it will help you get your head around the whole topic. He also provides several short cuts for those who want to achieve those dynamic perspective effects without doing all the tedious legwork.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Perspective for Comic Book Artists
Perspective can be a daunting, intimidating subject, but it's easier to grasp the way the author presents it. The illustrations are humorous and well done add to the experience.
Published 8 days ago by Mike Andrulonis
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great learning book that is also fun
This book was recommended to me by my art school drawing teacher and it helped me so much. The author focuses on how to create depth cues when drawing, especially on how to... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Ehrenstein
3.0 out of 5 stars
not as accessible as hoped
I bought this book at the recommendation of Scott McCloud but was disapointed in its accessibility. I have basic drawing techniques but have never attended an art school or had a... Read more
Published 19 months ago by penboy
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you are intrested read it!
If you are intrested about perspective and you are a total noob, read this book first, than onc eyou reach the end if you are still intrested go read a real perspective book. Read more
Published on April 16, 2011 by Cdrop
4.0 out of 5 stars
You will gain perspective
This book is excelent! Chelsea has found a way to teach complicated subjects (like three-point perspective and human figure) without being too technical. Read more
Published on February 12, 2011 by Guilherme de Souza
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic!
This book is so helpful, so full of information and examples, and so clever - it's become a coffee table book in my studio. Read more
Published on February 11, 2010 by Dr. Nim
3.0 out of 5 stars
Frustrating! I still don't understand!
I needed a refresher on perspective so I picked up this book again which I have owned for years. I remember now why I never finished it, I can't understand it! Read more
Published on July 13, 2009 by Sam
4.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Two Perspective Books You'd Need to Get It
In my opinion, the only perspective book (of the many I've looked through) that covers practically EVERYTHING is Vanishing Point by Jason Cheeseman-Meyer; that one goes into just... Read more
Published on April 2, 2009 by Jim Gray
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best texts on perspective
While the title says that this is a book on perspective for comic artists, it is actually a very good book on perspective for ANY artist. Read more
Published on December 6, 2008 by Thomas Luth
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great, I didn't learn perspective at all, but great anyway
If you are looking to learn how to render great backgrounds for comics of your own, this may be not the best option.... look, I really enjoyed the book. Read more
Published on September 19, 2008 by R. CORDOVA
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