2D ANIMATION
2:53 AM PDT, June 13, 2009
Has anyone seen the new computer animated movie "UP"? Isn't it a curious phenomenon that all the theatrical movies are computer generated animation, and yet, on TV, the vast majority of animation is 2d (hand drawn)? A new, big, 2D theatrical movie is suppose to come out soon. Should be very interesting to see how it does. if it's a hit, it may change the landscape of theatrical animation. Stay tuned.
Updates
4:19 AM PDT, June 10, 2009
Hi, All,
Got some books coming out for you really soon... in August, "Figure It Out," which is a great book for the beginners on drawing people and figure drawing... And then in September, the granddaddy of them all, "The Humongous Book of Cartooning." Look for them on Amazon. Meet me on Twitter, at http://twitter.com/how2draw --Chris www.chrishartbooks.com DRAWING CARTOONS
5:03 AM PDT, April 26, 2009
A lot of people email me, asking me to look at their stuff to give them feedback. Getting feedback is important, but people aren't always available to give it to us when we'd like it. So what do we do?
We need to develop an editorial eye, so we can judge our own work dispassionately. The best way I've found to do this is to redraw our own stuff repeatedly, while trying to improve it each time. In the same way that writers hone their work by rewriting and polishing their stories, we professional cartoonists often redraw our "first draft" drawings, making significant changes, two, three times or more. Each time we make a change, we have to consciously put some distance between us and what we have just drawn, in order to create something new out of it, and see where it can be strengthened. If you get into the habit of redrawing your initial sketches several times, tweaking them, to refine them each time, you'll start to develop the ability to criticize your own work instead of relying on others. This won't completely substitute for the feedback of others, which remains, of course, important. But it's a valuable skill to develop. I hope that can be of some usefulness to you! DRAWING SEQUENTIALS
12:14 PM PDT, March 29, 2009
Greetings, Fellow Artists,
I was just working away in my studio on a new, top-secret, classified, ultra-restricted-access project, when I realized I hadn't blogged in a long time. So I decided to leave the drawing desk for a few minutes. Man, standing up sure felt good. I forgot that my spine straightened up. I ought to try that more often! I want to thank those of you who have purchased me recent book, "MANGA FOR THE BEGINNER." I had a feeling there were a lot of beginners out there who wanted something that was basic, but wide in scope. I'm glad this seems to have hit a chord, as it's doing nicely for the publisher. So thanks again. I often answer art questions on this blog, just as I have on previous blogs, but if there's something you want answered and you don't see it covered here, please don't hesitate to look up my website at www.chrishartbooks.com and email me through a link on the homepage. I'll try to get back to everyone quickly. I've been thinking about how difficult it is for some people to motivate themselves to draw sequential pages, and put together a sample scene/story, perhaps to pitch to a comic book, or manga, publisher or editor. These artists usually have no problem with motivation when it comes to drawing characters -- but it's telling a story sequentially that feels like work to them. I understand. All you wanna do is draw, and now, in order to draw a sequential scene, you've got to write, too. Well, who says you have to? That's why they invented writer-artist teams. Sure, there are some artists who do it all. But often, writers don't want to draw, and artists don't want to write --- they're only motivated by the things they LIKE to do. Writers write, artists draw. If you were to get a partner, you'd avoid doing the stuff you dislike, and you'd get the added bonus of having a partner to give you feedback. We can all use feedback, and positive encouragement. As the artist writing from someone else's script, you would give it a fresh perspective. You would also start to draw with eager anticipation, in other words, you would start thinking like, "Wait til he sees how I drew this scene!" You try to impress each other, and ratchet up your level, with the result being a better product than if you were each going solo. So if you're still putting off doing some sequential pages, only because of a lack of motivation, the problem is a common one. Consider getting a creative partner. Regards, Chris Hart Ready to Submit Your Work?
6:24 AM PDT, October 21, 2008
How do you know when your work is ready to submit to publishers? The gnawing question, "Is it really good enough?" may never get definitively answered before you actually dip your toe in the slush pile (the batch of unsolicited submissions publishers receive). If you submit too soon, you can spoil a valuable contact. If you continue to wait, opportunities may be passing you by. It takes time, and one must suffer rejections, before making a first sale. Therefore, the sooner you get started (and the sooner you get your first rejections), the sooner you'll get published.
Okay, let's say you've got an uncle who's a famous comic book or manga artist. You're done. Just ask him. He'll tell you if you're ready. This advice is for those of you who do not have an uncle in the business. All of us like to show our friends our work. We get compliments, we get praise, we get easy-to-handle suggestions, not harsh criticisms. This is all good stuff. But don't take a scatter shot approach to it. Find one or two friends who you believe-- 1) Have a good eye 2) Like the style of art that you're trying to draw 3) Are candid about their opinions When you show this friend, or friends, your artwork, ask them for specific feedback. Is the character likable? Or brave enough? Is the pose dynamic enough? Does it look professional to you? Was my first draft better? Don't settle for "I like it." You need to know. As this process goes on, your friend will probably enjoy the fact that his opinion is valued by you. But also, you will be training him to become articulate about comics, manga or cartoons. His observations will most likely become keener over time, as he learns to express himself better, and he'll also become more confident in his opinions. This will help you. Of course, he's still only a layperson. At some point, you will have a good collection (portfolio) of drawings that your friend thinks are great. Now you're ready to take the next step. (A word of caution: Teachers and parents generally don't have the eye necessary to comment with critical helpfulness about the vibrant commercial arts of comics. They just aren't clued into it the way you are. They are likely to think something is too violent when, in fact, there's not ENOUGH action in the scene.) At this point, you're still at the level of everyone else who likes to draw, although perhaps somewhat more advanced. If you're really serious about getting published, which means becoming a pro, then you're ready to take the next step. Now you've got to toughen your hide a bit, because the next round of criticisms will not be as supportive, but will be more candid. Please understand that no matter how good you think you are, the people to whom you are going to show your stuff have seen better. A lot better. But they're also interested in spotting new, raw talent. Very interested. I'm talking about the portfolio reviews given at MAJOR comic book conventions. You have got to get there. These are organized, one-on-one meetings between professional comic book editors and prospective new talent. (Check the schedules of the local comic book convention for portfolio review times). What should you bring to the interview? A dozen, and not more, pieces of art. The editor doesn't want to see everything you've ever drawn, and he doesn't have the time. Pick only the cream of the crop. You can use your art critic-friend for help in making your selections. You can include original character designs, life drawings, and your own ORIGINAL take on established characters. For example, you might show how you would draw various poses of famous action heroes. And most important, they are looking for HOW YOU TELL A STORY, visually. They don't want to see one-shot after one-shot. So submit at least a spread of how you would draw a scene, complete with panels and dialogue balloons. It doesn't have to be inked. If you're not a good inker, then better leave it in pencil. If you are a good inker, so much the better. What are you likely to hear from the editor? Some comments, criticisms, and advice. Don't ask for a job. If he's impressed with you, ask if you could submit something to him, and get his contact info. If he's not impressed, better try out his advice and criticisms, and approach him again at the next "Con." He'll be impressed that you heeded his advice and made the adjustments to your style. This is how you make contacts in the business. Get as many numbers as you can. Look for the same people or, at least, the same publishers, at each "Con." If the guy you met last time isn't there, then tell the publisher whom it was you met with previously the person's name. He'll take note that you "know" his colleague. If you're in art school, definitely tell him that. Ask his advice, don't try to impress. Remember, he's there to share his experience. Treat him as if he were an employer. Be polite, not filled with pride and immodesty. A real artist knows he or she has a lot to learn. You can also get comments and make contacts at the "artist's alley" at conventions: the place where pro artists set up their booths to draw on-the-spot art commissions. They like to schmooze, and will be happy to take a quick look at your drawings. I've given demos at comic conventions, and I'm always happy to review portfolios. If you're getting lots of compliments, and interest, you know you're ready to submit your work. In the cover letter, remind the editor of where you met him. If he doesn't handle submissions, ask him who does. You can find submission parameters for each publisher on their websites. Instead of the comic book convention route, sometimes, a person can locate, through a family friend, someone who is in comics. Perhaps that person can set up a meeting with you and a comic pro. Bring your portfolio. What is it that you are after in that meeting? You want to make a good enough impression so that this pro will meet you a second time. You want to be able to go back to him and show him, just as you did with the editor, the improvements you've made based on his comments. And ask him if you're ready to submit. Maybe he has some contacts he will share with you. Ultimately, when to submit is up to you. Do not be disheartened if you get rejections at first. Everyone does. It's the ones who use those rejections to make improvements, and persevere anyway, who ultimately make the sale. Good Luck! Chris FOR GRAPHIC NOVEL FANS
3:19 AM PDT, May 29, 2008
My new manga graphic novel, "The Reformed," has just arrived and is now on sale on Amazon and in bookstores. It's an intense vampire-love story, with its main character trying to break free from the dark brotherhood of blood suckers, and plenty of exciting fight scenes that ensue. And there's a shocker ending that I will not give away.
This project came about when an Asian manga artist with whom I had worked before asked me if I was interested in collaborating on a graphic novel. I would write it, and she would illustrate it, she proposed. I am a real fan of her style (her name is Anzu). I could write during part of the day, for a few hours, early each morning, and then devote most of my day to drawing my own books, and then, finish the day with an hour or so back on the graphic novel. It seemed like a way to add a little extra flavor to the workday. Plus, I had come up with an idea that excited me. And whether it's a drawing, or a piece of fiction, when the idea gets your motor going, as a creative person, you take your cue from that feeling and go with it. You yourself probably can relate to this. Being in Asia, there was always a time delay. I would send her chapters, and she would send me character designs, and then scenes. We would trade comments, and make adjustments. it was interesting to learn that she and I had different "favorite" characters in the story. A graphic novel starts out with lots of energy -- but remember, it's huge -- 176 pages. and Anzu is a fine artist -- she puts a giant amount of detail into each panel. so she was getting tired midway through. But she kept pressing on, and every page had the same care, page after page. She does great elegant, yet dangerous vampires, and a dark, beautiful world of the undead. She did a cover for the publisher, which they liked. And then, a few weeks later, totally by surprise, she sent them a completely new cover, with tremendous detail, and they went nuts. They loved it. Now, this is not usually how it works in book publishing. Usually, the art director at the publisher gives the artist specific directions before the artist begins a to draw the cover. But this one just hit the nail on the head, and they used it EXACTLY as she had drawn it. (Go to "The Reformed" on Amazon to see the cover). If there's a subject that interests you, and you'd like me to blog about it, drop me a line at www.chrishartbooks.com, and let me know. Thanks for stopping by! A Few Hints...
8:02 AM PDT, April 24, 2008
Greetings, cartooning, manga and comics warriors! Just back from the New York City Comicon. This show is just getting bigger and bigger. It’s certainly one of the biggest cons, second only to San Diego. Lots of artists’ signings. People in storm trooper outfits and other costumes. Mostly American style, but also manga comics. The sophisticated sculptures of action heroes is increasing in popularity. These figurines are really amazing. Reminds me of the character sculptures that animators use to stay on model.
I hope you’ll be sure to check out my newest books, which are on sale now on Amazon: “Drawing the New Adventure Cartoons,” Cartooning: The Ultimate Character Design Book” and “Manga Mania: Romance.” I’ve been getting emails lately, asking how to get published. Yeah, I know it seems like a mystery. But I think I can give a few pointers. First of all, there are a lot of ambitious young people who want to see their work in print – right now. But if you’re 14, 15 or 16, it’s really better to hone your craft and wait until your art has matured somewhat. Remember, you’re going to be competing with people who have been doing this professionally for over a decade. If high school art class is unsatisfying, then going to a community arts center is an ambitious way to lift your skill level. When I was 16, I used to go to the Cartoonist’s Union offices in Studio City, California, for their life drawing classes. Some community art centers are now even teaching manga. But if they’re not, take general art, or figure drawing, and apply what you’ve learned to your personal style, which may be manga, action heroes, or cartoons. The basic principles apply across the board, even if the styles are different. You can always get the tips you need on the styles you like through my books. For adults, check out the continuing education classes in art at your local colleges. You often find excellent art teachers at the dedicated art colleges. Going a couple of times a week can really improve your drawing. And for everyone starting out, go to the comicons. There are cons all over the country. Bring your artwork, and schedule some time to get you work seen at the portfolio reviews by the editors of the publications you’d like to work for. And for manga artists, check out Tokyo Pop’s “Rising Stars of Manga” contest. Some big talents have been launched through it. Cartoonists may wish to join their local chapter of the NCS (National Cartoonist’s society). Animation enthusiasts will want to join ASIFA, the international society for animation. Children’s book artists have the SCBWI (Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). I hope that helps! For some free tutorials on manga, cartoons and comics, check out my website at www.chrishartbooks.com. REPORT ON THE NEW YORK ANIME FESTIVAL
2:07 AM PST, December 11, 2007
Your intrepid reporter (me) just got back from the New York Anime Festival at the Jacob Javitz Center. New York is a weird town, and in any other city, people dressed up like super goths for Cosplay would raise eyebrows. But here, the locals just thought they were from Greenwich Village.
As I worked past the Sailor Moon look-alikes, cat girls and other anthros, I made it into the sanctuary of manga. And yes, although it says "Anime Festival," it appeared that manga was king. Stopped by Tokyo Pop and spoke to a few editors at length. Then I moved onto Del Rey, where I saw a large poster for my upcoming graphic novel, "The Reformed." It's a story about a dark and brooding vampire who falls in love with a human he was about to kill. It's written by me. My partner, Anzu, an Asian manga artist, has just finished illustrating it. Then it was off to Artist's Alley, which, I must confess, had a few highlights, but was generally somewhat disappointing. Yes, I know fan art is fun to draw, but when an artist concentrates almost exclusively on fan art, he or she becomes good at copying favorite characters, but not a good manga artist. For example, the Rising Star of Manga got their start not by drawing something already published, for Tokyopop, but by coming up with something original, from their own heads. When I asked to see the original art in these artists' portfolios, it was far below their fan art level. There was tons of merchandise available. If you had a personal shortage of small, squeezable, furry toys, this was the place to be. I especially liked the smaller booths. There are tons - TONS - of smaller independent publishers of great manga coming up -- as well as Japanese publishers who are now making inroads into the U.S. market. Look for them to shake things up in the next few years. If they bring out new material, with a new angle, I believe they can survive. If they try to simply copy the big boys who already dominate the field, I think they'll get stomped on. Okay, that's your mini-tour. Hope you liked it. You can always visit my website for more stuff, at WWW.CHRISHARTBOOKS.COM It's Been a While...
11:25 PM PDT, August 26, 2007
Sorry it’s taken me a bit since my last posting. I’ve been swamped. I've also been completely redesigning my website, which has changed to: www.chrishartbooks.com. Take a look. Great tutorials, FAQ’s – and you can drop me a line from there. It’s also got a link to Amazon, so if you see a book you like, you can get it. Let me know what you think!
My newest book, “Drawing Dragons and Those Who Hunt Them,” just came out, and after only two weeks, appeared on the top 50 list of the most popular art books in the country, according to Bookscan. This was a very cool book to draw and write. The trick to fantasy art, in my opinion, is making the creatures look “inevitable” – meaning that that the character designs should look organic, like some strange product of evolution. And the battles between man and beast are most dramatic when they are drawn at great scale (fully contrasting heights), and well-posed. You want to avoid flat profiles when you have such great opportunities for layering scenes, for example, staging a tiny human standing directly front of a towering dragon, bathed in its evil shadow! I didn’t make it to the San Diego Con this year, as I had been to the New York Comicon, and the BEA (Book Expo America), but I plan on going next year. If you were at the Con, post a reply to this blog, and let the readers know how it was, and what you liked. For you manga fans, look for my new “Manga Mania: Occult and Horror,” coming in November, 2007 – which is sooner than you think…! I'm hoping to make it to some anime Cons this year. If you can recommend any good ones in the New York Tri-State area, please let me know. Thanks for stopping by. Chris Drawing Tip
5:35 AM PDT, March 28, 2007
I've been getting asked a commonly asked -- and important -- question for aspiring manga and comic artists: How do I make my character look the same when I turn it at different angles? Okay, rather than give you a simplistic answer, I'm going to offer you what I believe is the crux of this problem, and how to solve it. So if this doesn't interest you, skip this plog, because it's going to go into some depth. But most serious cartoonists and comic artist have run into this at some point in their careers (like driving into a brick wall!), and they are interested in breaking through this challenge once and for all.
So here goes. Buckle up. Everyone has had the experience of doing a great drawing, completely on inspiration, and quite by accident, and going, "Wow, how did I do that?" And try as they may, they cannot reproduce it in any other pose. They don't dare change the original drawing -- they don't know how they did it in the first place, but it sure looks good, and they don't want to mess with it. Sound familiar? Sure. Sound frustrating? Of course. This is the question that was put to me recently, and it lead to an interesting exchange that I thought might be valuable to pass along to you. The problem is that you have no idea how you created the original drawing. It's your job to FIRST figure out how you created the ORIGINAL pose before you try to reproduce it in another direction. Makes sense? To do that, place a piece of paper over the original, and put it on a light box. Or if you don't have a light box, get some tracing paper, which is inexpensive. Now, trace over your original drawing (let's say it's a drawing of a head). Now draw a basic "construction" of the head, as if it were a simple mannequin, with center lines, etc. Once you've done that, you have a "blueprint" of the head of the character you drew. Now what you do is you turn the BLUEPRINT, not the finished head. So redraw the blueprint in another direction. Then add the details to the blueprint in order to give it expression. And that's how you do it. BUT... (you knew there was a "but!") You are almost certainly going to discover, as you create your construction from your original drawing, that your original drawing doesn't lend itself to a "correct" construction. Maybe the eyes are not exactly even, or perhaps the nose off the "center line." But the original drawing looked perfect to you only a moment ago! What happened? The dirty little secret is that it probably wasn't perfect to begin with. It was a good starting point. But by "deconstructing" it, you've revealed its weaknesses, and shown that you would NEVER have been able to turn the thing, because it was never a correct drawing in the first place. You will probably have to adjust the original after all. The lesson is: Don't fall in love with your first attempts, no matter how seductive they may be. I know it's hard, especially, if you have just drawn something that appears to be above your skill level. But be willing to create a workable framework out of it, otherwise, you won't be able to repeat the character, and it will stay a one-shot. Keep Drawing! Chris
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Bio
I started drawing character designs for a small animation studio in San Diego, California, when I was still in High School in Los Angeles. I used to drive 136 miles, each way, on the weekends, when I was 16, just for the opportunity to get paid to draw. Cartooning was a magical experience to me.
I graduated from High School, and attended the character animation program at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, California. At Cal-Arts, we had to do a lot of intense animation, which I found tedious. I was more interested in character design, and story, rather than drawing twelve poses to create one second of movement. It wasn't for me. So I left and enrolled in, and graduating from, New York University. The social scene at Valencia consisted of a sandwich shop, where you could buy a magazine, if you got there early enough. New York city had slightly more to offer. After I graduated, I worked as a staff writer on several NBC prime-time, comedy-variety television shows. I also wrote for 20th Century Fox, MGM-Pathe’, The Showtime Cable TV Network and Paramount Pictures. But then the Writer's Guild went on strike. Writers in Hollywood weren't allowed to work for TV or the screen. So I went back to my cartooning roots. And I began writing for the Blondie comic strip, and began contributing regularly to Mad Magazine, and did some cartooning for magazines. My cartoon work got noticed by Watson-Guptill, a premier publisher of art books. They asked me to do a book for them on drawing cartoons. They had never done that before. The result was “How to Draw Cartoons for Comic Strips,” and it sold briskly. They asked me to do another, and then another. Well, 2.5 million copies ago, and sixty books later, I'm still at it. My book, “Manga Mania: How to Draw Japanese Comics,” quickly became the number one selling art book in the country (source: Bookscan). It is also the winner of the prestigious New Jersey Library Association’s Garden State Teen Book Award for 2004 in the category of nonfiction for grades 6-12. The Young Adult Library Services Association selected two of my books for their prestigious "2003 Quick Picks for Young Adults." Those titles are: "Anime Mania: How to Draw Characters for Japanese Animation" and "Mecha Mania: How to Draw the Battling Robots, Cool Spaceships, and Military Vehicles of Japanese Comics." my title, “Manga Mania: How to Draw Japanese Comics,” was selected for 2002. The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) chose my book, “Drawing Faeries: A Believer’s Guide,” for their 2004 “Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults” reading list. The “Children of the New Earth” online magazine awarded the book its “CNE seal of Excellence.” My book, "Manhwa Mania," which introduces Korean style comics to manga audiences, was chosen as a "Quick Pick for Relunctant Young Readers" by the American Library Association in 2006, ages 12-18. In 2004, I was asked by the Loew-Cornell Art Supply Company to develop a series of eight top-quality art kits, which would feature my manga, cartooning and comic drawings. The kits are now completed. They will be available, on Amazon, in fall, 2006. My work has also been been featured in such publications as American Artist, Publisher's Weekly, Newtype (the premier manga publication), Mad Magazine, Highlights for Children, Crayola Kids, Ranger Rick, Cat Fancy, Dog Fancy and Boy’s Life. My tutorials have been featured on Animation World Network, one of the leading websites of the animation industry. And if you’ve read this far into my bio, then I'm more impressed with you than you are with me! Thank you so very much for letting me offer some inspiration to you in your art adventures. Keep Drawing! Chris
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