Cartoon Cool: How to Draw New Retro-Style Characters (Paperback)

by Christopher Hart (Author) "It's everywhere you look, in animated television shows and comic books..." (more)
Key Phrases: retro cartoons, retro look, retro style

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Love that Sponge Bob? Always lurking in Dexter’s lab? Wishing for Fairly Odd Parents? Millions of fans watch these shows avidly, often solely for their zingy, stylized look and hip visual jokes. Now there’s a drawing book just right for everyone who admires that quirky style: Cartoon Cool. Top-selling author Christopher Hart shows beginning cartoonists, retro fans, and all other hipsters how to get that almost-1950s look in their drawings. His trademark step-by-step drawings and crystal-clear text are sure to make Saturday mornings more creative!

About the Author
Christopher Hart is the world's best-selling author of cartoon and drawing titles, with more than two million books sold. He lives in Connecticut with his family.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill (April 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823005879
• ISBN-13: 978-0823005871
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #48,887 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #6 in	Books > Comics & Graphic Novels > Manga > By Creator > Hart, Christopher
  #24 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Drawing > Figure Drawing

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great guide for students and working animators, December 31, 2006

By	R. Gorey "Behemoth" (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Hart breaks down the basics of modern character design in ways anyone could easily assimilate and recreate. This book came in handy when I taught animation to college students: being able to draw is only the first step to creating characters one can move about with ease and appeal. Hart's approach, and the examples he uses, are perfectly suited to the more modern techniques of Flash, but are also adaptable to classical animation. This book is a great find, offering practical, useful advice to those who intend to take animation seriously. I'd advise serious animation students to have it as part of their library, along with "The Illusion of Life", "Your career in Animation" by David Levy, and "The animator's Survival Kit" by Richard Williams.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, I found my style!, June 20, 2006

By	SimpsonsJunkie "Struggling Cartoonist" (SW Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

I have purchase a good number of Chris Hart books. I have been through regular style, happy-go-lucky cartooning to comic book style to manga. I just wasn't getting the hang of them. Then I saw this book. I figured since I was a Dexter's Lab fan, I would give it a try. It was so easy for me to do! It just clicked with me.

I had found Christopher Hart books to range from well-explained to poorly-explained. This one falls deeply into the well-explained category! It explains differences in representing genders, how different types of eyes and other features can change a school girl into a sexy seductress. There are just so many tips that take the regular lessons and sort of glue them together or reinforce them.

It goes without saying that everyone is going to have one style they can do better than any other. If you have tried the others like I had, give this one a shot and don't be suprised if it is the one for you.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My students' favorite book!, February 19, 2006

By	P. Willoughby "WillowDesign" (Tampa Bay, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had to order an extra copy of "Cartoon Cool" so the students in my elementary school art class could share Chris' amazing book!

While all my K-5 students enjoy "Cartoon Cool", I find that my 3rd thru 5th grade kids learn the most about drawing based on Chris' style and instructions. Simple lines and curves, uncomplicated anatomy and basic shapes for hair and faces, all contribute to successful creations from my budding artists. The retro style is so popular now, and is a refreshing change from all the manga characters of recent years.

Thanks for another great book, Chris!