How to Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling (Paperback)

~ Shawn Martinbrough (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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.

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: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #44,889 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

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

By	Parka (Singapore) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

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.)

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great great GREAT book!!!, November 28, 2007

By	echobanzai (nyc) - See all my reviews

hey, i have been a fan of martinbrough's since his days on Creeper, then his LEGENDARY run on BATMAN! way back, he did some inking on some MILESTONE comic books, and you could see, how much he IMPROVED the pencils, by adding his amazing inks to the art. and now, they finally got it right! Martinbrough, whose dark and moody inks have always intrigued, has made a 'HOW TO DRAW' book, and this is THE book to own! I love drawing in black and white, pen and ink, and now, i have the perfect reference book to work from. i HIGHLY recommend this book to everyone, who wishes not only to be a better comic book artist, but to be a better ILLUSTRATOR as well. tons of great art, tons of great ideas, this book is just hands down, a WINNER. buy it!

4 of 4 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 (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.