All stories have characters. Whether it's a film, game, or comic book, all characters need to be designed. Character design has become a distinct discipline in the entertainment industry, and character designers are employed by film and game companies across the globe to bring life to scripts and ideas. In this book, illustrator and character designer Kevin Crossley provides a complete overview of character design. Starting with the basics of materials, equipment, and software, Crossley will explain the processes professional character designers follow to develop characters for film, games, and illustration. From ideas and thumbanils, anatomy and reference, through effective drawing, 3D mock-ups and full turnarounds, this book covers how a character designer works to achieve professional results.

Discover the transformative power of figure drawing with Michael Hampton's definitive guide, "Figure Drawing: Design and Invention." Tailored for both the budding artist and the seasoned professional, this book distills complex anatomical concepts into an accessible, step-by-step process. 1. **Master the Mechanics**: Learn the intricacies of the human figure with a simplified approach to surface anatomy. 2. **Fuel Your Creativity**: Leverage your newfound knowledge to push boundaries and invent unique, dynamic characters. 3. **From Theory to Canvas**: Benefit from a practical, hands-on approach that takes you from conceptual understanding to application, turning theories into a streamlined workflow. 4. **Comprehensive Coverage**: Dive into an array of topics including gesture, figure construction, head drawing, and more, ensuring a well-rounded skill set. 5. **The Proven Choice**: Celebrating its 12th printing, this trusted resource has empowered artists globally to elevate their craft

Design creative characters inspired by real people. Let Mike Mattesi show you how to use life drawing to discover the poses, features and personalities which form the basis of character and then build, develop and 'PUSH' your drawings to new heights of dramatic and visual impact for believable characters audiences can relate to. Packed with color illustrations and photographs of the models who inspired them. With step-by-step explanation of how the characters were developed and exercises for you to sharpen your skills this is everything you need to bring your characters to life.

How to Draw is for artists, architects and designers. It is useful to the novice, the student and the professional. You will learn how to draw any object or environment from your imagination, starting with the most basic perspective drawing skills.\n Early chapters explain how to draw accurate perspective grids and ellipses that in later chapters provide the foundation for more complex forms. The research and design processes used to generate visual concepts are demonstrated, making it much easier for you to draw things never-before-seen! Best of all, more than 25 pages can be scanned via a smartphone or tablet using the new Design Studio Press app, which link to video tutorials for that section of the book! With a combined 26 years of teaching experience, Scott Robertson and Thomas Bertling bring you the lessons and techniques they have used to help thousands of their students become professional artists and designers. This book is indispensable for anyone who wants to learn, or teaches others, how to draw.

The ability to sketch confidently is an integral part to the beginning of any concept artist’s workflow! The Beginner’s Guide to Sketching: Characters, Creatures and Concepts teaches the fundamentals of sketching, showing how important concept sketching is to artists of all levels. Established artists such as Rovina Cai, Justin Gerard, Nick Harris, and Rebeca Puebla explain how and when to use a variety of sketching materials, before moving on to warm-up exercises and top tips. The book also features master projects that show how to progress from early concepts, through poses, designs and costume elements, to a completed scene. \nRovina Cai is a freelance illustrator from Melbourne, Australia, and has been featured in publications such as Spectrum Fantastic Art and American Illustration.\nJustin Gerard specializes in fine art and illustration and is based in Georgia, USA. He provides high-quality, original artwork for the publishing, game, and movie industries. \nNick Harris is an established UK-based illustrator, having worked in the industry since 1982, who has specialized in artwork for various children's publications. \nRebeca Puebla is a Spanish 3D senior character artist living in Madrid, Spain, working for Gameloft. Projects have included design, animation, and post-production for Ender's Game.

Beginner's Guide to Digital Painting: Characters is a comprehensive guide for artists wishing to create convincing and detailed characters. It features established artists such as Charlie Bowater (concept artist at Atomhawk) and Derek Stenning (freelance concept artist and illustrator, with clients such as Marvel Entertainment and Nintendo) who share their industry experiences by covering such aspects as posing characters, choosing the correct costumes, conveying emotions, and creating suitable moods. Conclusive step-by-step instructions make this an invaluable resource for artists looking to learn new skills, as well as those pursuing the next level.

Chris Hart’s how-to-draw books have sold in the several millions of copies. Now, in his latest, he delivers detailed instructions, inspiring ideas, and invaluable tips for creating appealing and original manga-style characters. Character design is the key to success in comic books and animated films, and with this clear step-by-step guide, it’s a skill that can be quickly learned. Starting with the basics—body types, facial features, costumes, and expressions—Chris shows how to draw a hyper kid, bratty teen, lovable pooch, cool rapper, and many other distinctive types. Then, he takes the reader on a guided tour in search of original characters in places that range from suburban malls to the glitter and glamour of Hollywood and Beverly Hills.

The best book on a hot new subject! This jam-packed how-to by a former Marvel Comics cartoonist offers everything a budding artist needs.Written and illustrated by a former Marvel Comics’ artist with brilliant hand-done images throughout, this graphic handbook of cartooning is without equal. It's simply larger, better illustrated, and more in depth than any similar title on the market. In elaborate detail, it focuses on superheroes and their atmospheric world filled with speed and movement. Every aspect of creating cartoons is taught: the supplies, developing mood, and the techniques that endow characters with personality. See how to draw a variety of faces (female, heroic, cute, gaunt), and give the appearance of age. From the skeleton to the torso, to the arms, hands, and legs, follow every stroke that goes into producing bodies of all shapes and sizes. Finally, there's instruction on sending those figures into running, jumping, punching, kicking action in a fully realized scene. With advice so thorough, any amateur can become a pro.

Learn from the men who changed animation forever Walt Disney’s team of core animators, who he affectionately called his "Nine Old Men," were known for creating Disney’s most famous works, as well as refining the 12 basic principles of animation. Follow master animator and Disney legend Andreas Deja as he takes you through the minds and works of these notable animators. An apprentice to the Nine Old Men himself, Deja gives special attention to each animator and provides a thoughtful analysis on their techniques that include figure drawing, acting, story structure, and execution. The in-depth analysis of each animator’s work will allow you to refine your approach to character animation. Rare sequential drawings from the Disney archives also give you unprecedented access and insight into the most creative minds that changed the course of animation. \nInstruction and analysis on the works of each of the Nine Old Men broaden your creative choices and approaches to character animation Original drawings, some never-before-seen by the public are explored in depth, giving you behind-the-scenes access into Disney animation history Gain first-hand insight into the foundation of timeless characters and scenes from some of Disney’s most memorable feature and short films

The sizzling hot author of Action! Cartooning (100,000 copies sold!) has created a truly "fantastic" second book: a visually eye-popping, covers-it-all manual on drawing and understanding fantasy art. A former Marvel cartoonist and one of the most talented young artists in this very hip field, Ben Caldwell now delivers his thrilling follow-up to Action! Cartooning. Fantasy! Cartooning is ideal for all kids and adults who love the Lord of the Rings movies, anticipate the Christmas 2005 release of The Chronicles of Narnia film, or have ever read a Harry Potter book. As before, Ben does not merely teach readers how to draw a line here or a circle there; he provides much, much more. Artists will find true insider tips on how to create mind-blowing scenes, awe-inspiring monsters, bigger-than-life heroes, and really incredible, magical landscapes. And because Ben Caldwell knows the fantasy genre inside out, he explains all the complex stories and legends behind each image, too.

You've researched your character extensively, tailored her to your audience, sketched hundreds of versions, and now you lean back content as you gaze at your final character model sheet. But now what? Whether you want to use her in an animated film, television show, video game, web comic, or children's book, you're going to have to make her perform. How a character looks and is costumed starts to tell her story, but her body language reveals even more. Character Mentor shows you how to pose your character, create emotion through facial expressions, and stage your character to create drama. Author Tom Bancroft addresses each topic with clear, concise prose, and then shows you what he really means through commenting on and redrawing artwork from a variety of student "apprentices." His assignments allow you to join in and bring your drawing to the next level with concrete techniques, as well as more theoretical analysis. Character Mentor is an apprenticeship in a book. Professional artists from a variety of media offer their experience through additional commentary. These include Marcus Hamilton (Dennis the Menace), Terry Dodson (X-Men), Bobby Rubio (Pixar), Sean "Cheeks" Galloway (Spiderman animated), and more. With a foreword by comicbook artist Adam Hughes, who has produced work for DC, Marvel Comics, Lucasfilm, Warner Bros. Pictures, and other companies.

This book was written and illustrated by Charles R. Knight (1874–1953), the acknowledged master of animal drawing and the man who American Biographies agrees "was generally recognized as the most distinguished painter of animal life." Those who have seen his murals, paintings, and bronzes of both prehistoric and modern animals in the New York Museum of Natural History or any one of a dozen other major zoological museums know why his work is so highly regarded. His animal portrayals are startlingly alive with beauty, virility, charm, power, and expression. He seems to have caught animals in the very act of feeding, stalking, resting, or in any one of the thousands of completely natural attitudes that animals assume. In this book, which is an extensive course in animal drawing, Knight offers an almost incredible wealth of practical instruction to commercial and fine artists, painters, sculptors, book illustrators, designers, decorators, and art students. He discusses animal musculature, bone structure, animal psychology, movements, habits, and habitats. He provides innumerable tips on animal proportions, the play of light and shadow, coloring, hair formation, feather arrangements of birds, scales of fish, how animals lie down, animal expressions, how a lioness bends back her ears when angry, and many others. Scores of animal categories are covered: great apes, tigers, lions, dogs, bears, cattle, horses, antelopes, sheep, goats, camels, swine, seals, rodents, young animals, exotic animals, crocodiles, snakes, fish, and birds. This work should help both practicing artists and art students achieve more natural and lifelike drawings. Especially valuable will be the many pointers on how to avoid stiffness and gracelessness in drawings of horses, deer, and other quick-footed animals; how to introduce the proper sense of bulk and power in sketches of such heavier animals as elephants and bears; and how to put into drawings of the cat family, from the household pet to the African lion, the superb lithe grace and wealth of subtle expression that we marvel at in the originals.

A fantastic visual voyage into the world of animals, both real and imagined. There is no end to the diverse and unique creatures that Terryl Whitlatch creates for us with her solid knowledge of anatomy and boundless imagination. Especially intriguing are the 100s of anatomical notes that are dispersed among her sketches, educating and enlightening us to the foundation of living bodies and their mechanics.

Character Animation Crash Course! is a veritable Genie's lamp stuffed with everything the aspiring animator could wish for! Renowned animator Eric Goldberg's detailed text and drawings illuminate how to conceive characters "from the inside out" to create strong personalities. Classic animation techniques are analyzed and brought to life through this unique book that offers readers animated movie examples that show, in real time or frame-by-frame, the author's principles at work. Add to this Goldberg's discussions of classic cartoons and his witty, informative observations based on the wealth of knowledge he's gained during his 30-plus years in professional animation, and you have a tour-de-force guide to character animation with the classic touch.

Arthur L. Guptill's classic Rendering in Pen and Ink has long been regarded as the most comprehensive book ever published on the subject of ink drawing. This is a book designed to delight and instruct anyone who draws with pen and ink, from the professional artist to the amateur and hobbyist. It is of particular interest to architects, interior designers, landscape architects, industrial designers, illustrators, and renderers. Contents include a review of materials and tools of rendering; handling the pen and building tones; value studies; kinds of outline and their uses; drawing objects in light and shade; handling groups of objects; basic principles of composition; using photographs, study of the work of well-known artists; on-the-spot sketching; representing trees and other landscape features; drawing architectural details; methods of architectural rendering; examination of outstanding examples of architectural rendering; solving perspective and other rendering problems; handling interiors and their accessories; and finally, special methods of working with pen including its use in combination with other media. The book is profusely illustrated with over 300 drawings that include the work of famous illustrators and renderers of architectural subjects such as Rockwell Kent, Charles Dana Gibson, James Montgomery Flagg, Willy Pogany, Reginald Birch, Harry Clarke, Edward Penfield, Joseph Clement Coll, F.L. Griggs, Samuel V. Chamberlain, Louis C. Rosenberg, John Floyd Yewell, Chester B. Price, Robert Lockwood, Ernest C. Peixotto, Harry C. Wilkinson, Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, and Birch Burdette Long. Best of all, Arthur Guptill enriches the text with drawings of his own.

Gary Martin's two volumes of The Art of Comic-Book Inking have become the industry-standard manuals for aspiring inkers seeking to take their work to the next level or for working professionals looking to broaden their skills base. Now, these two textbooks have been combined into a single value-priced volume and expanded with new material, including three additional blue-lined artboards featuring pencil art by master comics illustrators Jack Kirby, John Buscema, and Gil Kane. Gain insights into the techniques, tools, and approaches of some of the finest delineators in comics today, including Terry Austin, Mark Farmer, Scott Williams, Alex Garner, and many more. When putting pen or brush to paper, no tool is more helpful than The Art of Comic-Book Inking.

Good penning and inking comes with knowledge and practice, and this book enlists famous pros to share their wisdom. Includes step-by-step instructions by these industry giants to help budding artists master their craft. \n

From the editor of Yale's Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories, a smart and charming guide to the art of cartooning The best cartooning is efficient visual storytelling—it is as much a matter of writing as it is of drawing. In this book, noted cartoonist and illustrator Ivan Brunetti presents fifteen distinct lessons on the art of cartooning, guiding his readers through wittily written passages on cartooning terminology, techniques, tools, and theory. Supplemented by Brunetti's own illustrations, prepared specially for this book, these lessons move the reader from spontaneous drawings to single-panel strips and complicated multipage stories.\nThrough simple, creative exercises and assignments, Brunetti offers an unintimidating approach to a complex art form. He looks at the rhythms of storytelling, the challenges of character design, and the formal elements of comics while composing pages in his own iconic style and experimenting with a variety of tools, media, and approaches. By following the author's sophisticated and engaging perspective on the art of cartooning, aspiring cartoonists of all ages will hone their craft, create their personal style, and discover their own visual language.

"Magnificent! The best how-to manual ever published." — Kevin Kelly, Cool Tools\nScott McCloud tore down the wall between high and low culture in 1993 with Understanding Comics, a massive comic book about comics, linking the medium to such diverse fields as media theory, movie criticism, and web design. In Reinventing Comics, McCloud took this to the next level, charting twelve different revolutions in how comics are generated, read, and perceived today. Now, in Making Comics, McCloud focuses his analysis on the art form itself, exploring the creation of comics, from the broadest principles to the sharpest details (like how to accentuate a character's facial muscles in order to form the emotion of disgust rather than the emotion of surprise.) And he does all of it in his inimitable voice and through his cartoon stand–in narrator, mixing dry humor and legitimate instruction. McCloud shows his reader how to master the human condition through word and image in a brilliantly minimalistic way. Both comic book devotees and the uninitiated will marvel at this journey into a once–underappreciated art form.

\nFor years young, creative men and women have dreamed about making a living from their comic strips. But until recently their only avenue of success was through a syndicate or publisher. Now more and more cartoonists are doing it on their own and self-publishing their comic strips on the web. With the right amount of work, knowledge, and luck, so, too, can you. Scott Kurtz and Kristopher Straub offer their advice on how to create compelling characters, develop a solid comic strip, build a website, forge a community, and start earning money from your Webcomic without having to sell your soul. Written by the Eisner award winning cartoonist behind PVP, Scott Kurtz! \nPvP received 1.3 Million unique page views in Q1 2007 and averages 150k-200k per day! \n

This book is about the fundamentals of light, shadow and reflectivity; the focus is firmly on helping to improve visual understanding of the world around and on techniques for representing that world. Rendering is the next step after drawing to communicate ideas more clearly. Building on what Scott Robertson and Thomas Bertling wrote about in How To Draw: Drawing and Sketching Objects and Environments from Your Imagination, this book shares everything the two experts know about how to render light, shadow and reflective surfaces. This book is divided into two major sections: the first explains the physics of light and shadow. One will learn how to construct proper shadows in perspective and how to apply the correct values to those surfaces. The second section focuses on the physics of reflectivity and how to render a wide range of materials utilizing this knowledge. Throughout the book, two icons appear that indicate either “observation” or “action.” This means the page or section is about observing reality or taking action by applying the knowledge and following the steps in creating your own work. Similar to our previous book, How To Draw, this book contains links to free online rendering tutorials that can be accessed via the URL list or through the H2Re app.

From New York Times best-selling author of the Dinotopia series, James Gurney, comes a carefully crafted and researched study on color and light in paintings. This art instruction book is the follow up to the acclaimed Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist.James Gurney, New York Times best-selling author and artist of the Dinotopia series, follows Imaginative Realism with his second art-instruction book, Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter. A researched study on two of art's most fundamental themes, Color and Light bridges the gap between abstract theory and practical knowledge. Beginning with a survey of underappreciated masters who perfected the use of color and light, the book examines how light reveals form, the properties of color and pigments, and the wide variety of atmospheric effects. Gurney cuts though the confusing and contradictory dogma about color, testing it in the light of science and observation. A glossary, pigment index, and bibliography complete what will ultimately become an indispensible tool for any artist."James Gurney's new book, Color and Light, cleverly bridges the gap between artistic observation and scientific explanation. Not only does he eloquently describe all the effects of color and light an artist might encounter, but he thrills us with his striking paintings in the process." --Armand Cabrera, Artist

A truly unique visual delight offering insight into the development of animation classics like Bambi, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Lilo and Stitch as well as a tantalizing examination of unfinished Disney projects.

The ultimate guide to visual storytelling! How to make the audience ""feel"" the story while they are ""reading"" the story. Using his experiences from working in the comic book industry, movie studios and teaching, Marcos introduces the reader to a step-by-step system that will create the most successful storyboards and graphics for the best visual communication.After a brief discussion on narrative art, Marcos introduces us to drawing and composing a single image, to composing steady shots to drawing to compose for continuity between all the shots. These lessons are then applied to three diverse story lines - a train accident, a cowboy tale and bikers approaching a mysterious house.In addition to setting up the shots, he also explains and illustrates visual character development, emotive stances and expressions along with development of the environmental setting to fully develop the visual narrative.

Back in print! Panel Discussions is the combined knowledge of more than a dozen of the comic book industry's top storytellers, covering all aspects of the design of comics, from pacing, story flow, and word balloon placement, to using color to convey emotion, spotting blacks, and how gutters between panels affect the story! The struggle to tell a comics story visually requires more than a cool-looking image; it takes years of experience and a thorough understanding of the art form's visual vocabulary. Learn from the best, as Will Eisner, Scott Hampton, Mike Wieringo, Walter Simonson, Mike Mignola, Mark Schultz, David Mazzucchelli, Dick Giordano, Brian Stelfreeze, Mike Carlin, Chris Moeller, Mark Chiarello and others share hard-learned lessons about the design of comics, complete with hundreds of illustrated examples. When should you tilt or overlap a panel? How can sound effects enhance the story, and when do they distract from it? What are the best ways to divide up the page to convey motion, time, action, or quiet? If you're serious about creating effective, innovative comics, or just enjoying them from the creator's perspective, this in-depth guide is must-reading!