Superheroes and Beyond: How to Draw the Leading and Supporting Characters of Today's Comics

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Superheroes remain the most popular genre of characters in comics and comics-inspired movies. Superheroes & Beyond by Chris Hart shows aspiring artists how to create a huge array of original comic book heroes and villains. The characters found within these pages are broken down into step-by-step constructions that help the student of comics visualize the basic forms and individual features of comic book superheroes.
 
The subjects covered include: drawing faces, drawing the head from all angles, expressions, light and shadow and its effect on the face, heroes, villains and supporting characters, hands and fee,; foreshortening poses, the dynamics of drawing action; sexy gals; talking in speech balloons, placement of speech balloons and captions, storytelling, use of light and dark in silhouettes, superhero environments, and drawing the splash page.

About the Author

Christopher Hart is the world's bestselling author of drawing and cartooning books. His books have set the standard for art instruction with more than 2.5 million copies in print in eighteen languages. Renowned for up-to-the-minute content and easy-to-follow steps, all of Hart's books have become staples for a new generation of aspiring artists and professionals.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill; Original edition (November 10, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823033058
• ISBN-13: 978-0823033058
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #112,025 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great useful book for all, November 20, 2009

By	G-Art (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews

This is a wonderful book. Both my kids are enjoying it tremendously even though they are both at very different levels of drawings (16 & 9). It has a vast variety of examples from simple to complex. Chapter are organized according to themes, both black and white as well as color. An overview of the superhero body give us a intimate understanding of the shape we are trying to create. The examples begin with the basic form lines to the full figure and down to the specific details to create the perfect superhero. The book also includes a chapter on lighting in order to enhance the image as well as a chapter on essential comic book elements for the more advanced cartoonist.
A great useful book for all

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get it now!, November 12, 2009

By	Larry "Larry" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

I had to pick this up as soon as it came out! Who doesn't love a superhero or at least dream of being one? I've had a few of those dreams but in the future they will be more realistic because after reading this book, it is etched in my psyche. There is a great instruction on drawing face and body as well as a great section on lighting- very enlightening if I can use a pun. Also the book kept me laughing. Funny and entertaining and of course instructional.

1.0 out of 5 stars Not even a comic book artist?, February 1, 2010

By	A. Nonymous - See all my reviews

For anyone wishing to learn about drawing comics and comics characters, there are much better books available. It's worth noting that this so called author Chris Hart, only writes "how-to" books, he isn't a comic book artist. There are much better books available, by actual authors and artists who ACTUALLY make and draw comics and comics characters for a living, here are just a few...

How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way BY Stan Lee, John Buscema (THE CLASSIC! And a great book for beginners of all ages).

The DC Comics Guide to Pencilling Comics (Paperback) BY Klaus Janson

How To Create Comics, From Script To Print (Paperback)BY Danny Fingeroth; Mike Manley

Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels BY Scott Mccloud (Amazing and detailed work That Christopher Hart should have read before writing any book about drawing comics).

Panel Discussions: Design in Sequential Art Storytelling (a great book with many artists writing about their work, with many art samples)

Comics and Sequential Art: Principles and Practice BY Will Eisner (Probably for a more advanced teen, but the single greatest work on how to draw comics)