017 4 If you are endeavoring to be ANY kind of artist , I highly recommend this book . Stan the man Lee and John Buscema have made it the most simplified , yet exhaustive , step-by-step process for any artist to follow . Your artwork will benefit greatly ; from the tools you need , to perspective , shadows and highlights , pencil techniques , inking techniques , . . . it's ALL here in one nicely illustrated and fun to read collection . I consider this an invaluable resource .
040 4 As I said in my title it is very good for beginners , BUT not very helpful for almost ANY seasoned artist . While it does cover basic anatomy , shapes and brakedown , it does not go through much depth or detail . Never the less it is essential to a flegling artist . Even the best drawers sould have this book as a reference at the least .
020 4 This book developed out of the classes / workshops thatJohn Buscema conducted in New York . Stan Lee wrote the text in conjunction with John's approach . It is a useful book for those students wanting to draw superhero . Buscema's examples are strong and he has an excellent base in drawing the figure . In this regard , I also recommend the work of Gnass and his spirit pose book , Emilio Soltero's Draw the line with many nice figures and comic related information , the work of Gil Kane who also worked out ideas of the figure .
Stan Lee does a good job on the inking section . Buscema's comic ideal is limiting in that Lee / Buscema propose the figure to look a certain height or look , when heroes comes in all shape and sizes . However , the section on how to make the panels dynamic work well . There is a section where a boss is getting upset and the two versions they present are very different .
Buscema's art here is worth the cost of the book as most of his work was inked by other artists .
The DC books on comics are also great .
014 4 I first came across this book several years ago , but at first wasn't interested ( I'm not much of a Marvel fan . . . though Spidey is always cool ) . But upon inspection , it's easy to see that this book is far more usual than for just sketching spandex-clad super guys ( and gals ) .
From the basics to a more mature level , HTDCTMW is a friendly , easy to reference , awesome volume on perspective and application .
Drawing comics , like any other art form , is a gift and there's nothing that can ' teach ' you that . Maybe a more ' acclaimed ' book can teach you to copy , but it can't teach you to draw . This one comes pretty darn close .
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way ( Paperback )
This is sort of a classical text , focused on covering the various aspects of drawing comics .
Though drawing comics involves a lot about learning to draw , I would think that an ability to draw whether inherent or acquired would be a necessary starting point to effectively use this book . On the contrary one might as well get started here and then hone the necessary drawing skills .
As in any specific form of art , such as Illustration , Fine art , Animation art , Commercial art etc , Comics art has its own set of skills that need to be honed .
This is a book written by Stan lee and John Buscema , one a great story teller and the other a fine artist . It does cover several aspects of the trade .
As the title suggests the genre is more towards the ' Action ' side , as opposed to a style such as Disney , Asterix or that of Herge's Tintin .
A significant amount of the book focuses on the figure and its action , which is so vital to this type of comics , and these are real gems . The quick setup of a pose , the dynamism needed for convincing action , the looseness of the approach , and then the focus on the form , the details of the figure the head and so on are very effectively presented .
the other important ingredients of composition , perspective , foreshortening are covered in detail .
There are of course couple chapters that deal with comic book covers , and the all important comics inking .
Though obviously this was written in a pre-digital period , all the information can be readily applied to today's all-digital comics creation .
Coming from successful practicing veterans , the entire book is packed with practical information .
001 4 The art of drawing comics can be very demanding , and any attempt to create a how-to that can teach all of its elements in equal depth is doomed to imperfection . That being said , this is a good starting point for young artists who think they may have some skill and need to know what to do with it .
This was one of the first real how to draw comics books and has become a classic over the years . The book describes the tools of the trade , the terms used , and the Marvel creation process , covers the basics of anatomy , form , perspective , layout , and the use of black , gives techniques on inking and lettering , and shows examples of how the art can make a story more exciting . Stan Lee's prose is fun to read and John Buscema's art is very clear in illustrating the principles being taught .
If Buscema's art looks a little dated today , it may be because first off , this book was made to be simple and easy to understand , and the art is done likewise , not cluttered up with intense detail and crosshatching . It may also be because he has a solid foundation of a knowledge of anatomy and how to compose a picture for maximum clarity and effect which , unfortunately , certain influential contemporary artists don't have .
This book does not have the room to go into depth on the deeper concepts of comic theory ( how to lay out a page , for instance , or how words and images can be used together to heighten mood ) . For that I would reccomend Will Eisner's Comics and Sequential Art . For giving a good , basic overall foundation , however , this book does , however , deserve a place on the shelf of any comic artist .
002 4 I think every serious or aspiring artist should own this book . I've had a copy since the early ' 80s , andit became so dog-eared from frequentuse , that I had to buy another . John Buscema is an excellent teacher . After all , if you're goingto learn to draw , you might as well learn from the best ; and John IS the best , IMO . Among other things , the book contains vital rules for drawing in perspective , and drawing lifelike human faces and figures . This is not just a book for comic fans , or kids , it's for everyone !
003 4 This is not only the best and most comprehensive book in learning to draw comic book style art , this has some of the most basic , yet most critical drawing techniques , techniques such as the vanishing point , character swatches , layouts and breaking figures down into shapes , for example . . . I did not have this advantage when I was learning to draw . When I started out as a child , I discovered all of these techniques the difficult way , through trial error . . . A process that regrettably takes years . I wish I knew about this book when I was a kid . If I had , I would have advanced so much more as an artist , I couldn't even imagine where I'd be today .
Anyways , I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning how to draw , period . This really is THE book , people . Search no more . It LITERALLY contains everything I know on drawing techniques ( I've been drawing since I've been old enough to hold a pencil ) . And not only is it informative , it's extremely fun ! The way they present thier lessons , reading practicing along with it makes you feel like you're goofing off with a comic book , as if you weren't learning anything ( although you are ) . Ideal for those with a 30 sec . ( or less ) attn . span . The only thing that keeps me from rating it 5 stars , however , is that they should encourage readers to take up more of an interest in drawing real life , things around you , as well as comics . Because it's real life elements that serves as inspiration for the true comic book artist . Real life drawing is the foundation for comic book style art .
004 4 I received this book over 20 years ago , and I can't begin to tell you how it ignited a fire within me to draw . This is a great book for those who wish to draw superhoroes , but don't have a clue where to start . There are very few books that we remember as we age , but for me this is one of them .
005 4 A bestseller for people of beginning-to-intermediate ability , this book has been an inspiration to many , many people . . .
Its real popularity and genius lie in its effective use of exciting , pencil-drawn Marvel characters to give us a basic understanding of Marvel comic-making in general . It's * still * one of the BEST introductions to comicbook making available today .
My favorite things here : Stan Lee's writing - he keeps things lively & entertaining ; John Buscema's drawing - his pencil drawings in this book compare favorably with even * today's * newest professionals ( at least in my opinion . . . ) ; the * entire * chapter on drawing the human head ; the crisp pencils & teaching in chapters 9 & 10 - on composition & penciling the actual professional comics page ; * every * Jack Kirby drawing ; and then maybe most inspirational & influential of all - this book's semi - * famous * Bibliography ( ? ? ? ) . . .
It's true - The reason this part is semi-famous is because it successfully recommends to us some of the BEST how-to-draw type teachers ever : George Bridgman , Burne Hogarth , Ernest Watson , Jack Hamm , etc . Personally , I prefer * different * titles than what's recommended here ( e.g . My favorites = The Book of a Hundred Hands ; Dynamic Figure Drawing ; and The Art of Pencil Drawing ) , but mentioning these authors effectively steers a person in the right direction . In this sense - this Bibliography * itself * is worth the entire price of the book ( ! ) . Many professionals * today * have picked up skills from these great teachers . In conclusion : Highly Recommended !
006 4 I'll start off by admitting that this book is a bit on the begginers level . However , the first time I picked up this book was when I was seven . Over the years I kept checking it out of the library over and over just to draw the pictures in the book . I didn't even read it until I bought the book at the age of 16 . Any time since then that a person has asked me how they can learn to draw super heroes , I always reference this book . I tell them to skip the reading , draw everything , and then go back to read it , then draw everything after they do that .
It's an easy read and was truely inspirational to me in developing my own style of comic art . One of my top favorite books ever .
- Matt
007 4 Even if superheroes are not your cup of tea , get this book . You'll learn more about inking , perspective , proper form , drawing for impact and structure than any other tome . Action comics are hard to do and the beginner needs all the help they can get and you'll find it here .
008 4 Have you ever wanted to learn to draw comics ? If you have , this book is the place to start . How to Draw Comics : the Marvel Way teaches A-Z on comic-book drawing , using the Marvel comics style .
The book is written by one of the founders of Marvel comics , Stan Lee , and is illustrated by veteran Marvel artist John Bucema . I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to draw comics .
The writer uses many pictures with excellent analysis of each . He writes as if he's talking to you , using a humorous tone . This book would be comprehensible for teens through adults .
The book includes many excellent pictures which make it very comprehensible , and fun to read .
How to Draw Comics : the Marvel Way is an great starting point for any wanna-be comic-book artist .
009 4 I remember when this book came out years ago , and was always curious about it . But other of life's callings caused me to never pursue it . Now that I have a six-year-old boy who likes to draw , it renewed it's interest with me , and yes , I picked up a copy from Amazon.com . I'll review it on two fronts .
First , I looked through it myself . I was impressed with the way they started you off with the basics , and got progressively harder . One could say Duh ! to this , but the good point about it is that it gets you into actually drawing the famous Marvel characters relatively early . Like with the second lesson . It also takes you into the world of the things to look out for if you were involved in putting an actual comic book together . So not only do they cover how to do the action figures , it shows how to draw backgrounds to provide prospective , covers the topic of inking , and even has a chapter on drawing covers ! So it does cover the entire spectrum .
Second was how the boy took to it . While he has a busy schedule , and while no , he doesn't spend every waking hour with it , when he does he has been known to spend a couple hours per sitting practicing the drawing . Once I got him past the idea that the first one had to be perfect , and that practicing over and over again was what made you a good illustrator , he took to it very well .
011 4 I finished reading this book today ( December 21 , 2002 ) and I found equal to Tom Alvarez's book ( reviewed separately ) . While this book didn't discuss clothing and drapery like Tom's book , it did discuss foreshortening the human figure more . Like Tom's book though , it didn't have a chapter on bone and muscle structure which I believe are important ( i.e . what if you have to draw for a horror or fantasy book where zombies or skeletons are the norm ? ) . The book does refer to you anatomy books in the bibliography including reference to animal drawing books .
I'm now window shopping at Amazon for a good step-by-step anatomy book suited for comics-art . I think I'm going to get Figure Drawing Without a Model by Ron Tiner ( I wanted to get Jack Hamm's How to Draw The Head and the Figure but Ron's book has more pages plus it's more recent - Jack's book was published in 1983 and one of the reviewers said that his characters look like 50 ' s cartoons ) .
012 4 I bought the book under influence from a friend of mine who said it was essential if you wanted to draw superhero comics . I can tell you , I was NOT disappointed . It starts off with the basics . Later going into the obvious subject , how to draw great superhero comics . I learned alot from this book , e.g.the human head and the vital information on the stance of the character you draw or create .
If there is a down side to the book , you could say it is also it's greatest aspect . It is the variety of subject it goes into . This book will help you become good at ALL ( or at least most ) of the subjects it goes into . Which is a great thing . But it doesn't teach you to be great at any of them . Which is pretty obvious since this is a book that teaches you every aspect of drawing great comics . After you've read this book ( and you want to keep progressing ) , you really should check out the books which the authors suggest on each subject touched upon in this volume ( quoting the book ) .
A must buy , an essential if you will .
013 4 No one is more qualified than Stan The Man : Lee and Big
John Buscema . Stan's trademark prose and Buscema's art
establish the foundation for what will become a good learning
experience for any aspiring young artist . Got my copy back
in 81 or 82 . Had to replace it in 92 ( things get lost when
moving . ) . And it still has an honorary place on my shelf .
If you are a kid with an interest in learning to draw , this
book is a good place to start . It keeps things simple .
However , you probably don't want to make it your bible .
The Marvel Way as outlined in this text was established by an
older generation of creators who are now mostly retired
or died off .
( Indeed , John Buscema passed away earlier this year )
The new jack fandom of artists is proven to have their own
aesthetics and principles and may clash with some of what
this book teaches . And BTW , this all started to
happen long before the intrusion of the manga / anime style , so
there are other aspects to blame .
As pure nostalgia , this book isn't bad at all . And you could
always give it to your kids .
015 4 This review is from :
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way ( Paperback )
How to draw comics the Marvel Way is a good book but it's very old information . I think that Marvel comics and the comic book industry has changed since this book was published in 1978 and 1984 . Don't get me wrong ! I like this How to draw comics the Marvel Way ! book written by Stan Lee with artwork by John Buseama , but the books information is too old . I think comic book artists today use better materials besides paint brushes and india ink . You buy Markers with india ink in them at an artsupply store . there are other things in this book that do not appy to comic books in 2008 as well . If your a begining artist , I will recommend this book but It's not for advance artist . B +
018 4 That is what this book is a great overview of the medium of comic book illustration . I have followed up with most of the suggested readings at the end and feel I have improved . It is also fun to read as Stan Lee's use of vocabulary is humerous at times . If you just wanted to know a little about how superhero comic books are put together it is great for that as well .
019 4 It is really a pleasure to come across this book online . I bought it maybe thirty years ago , when I was a preteen , and was developing a serious interest in design . Without a doubt , much of it is dated ; particularly since so much of what the book describes can be done on a computer , and quickly . However , in doing graphic design work / illustration , I have often fallen back on the basic principles communicated in the book-e.g . its cues on how to render the human body . Subsequently , I think that it's an excellent primer , and will provide you with a great foundation on how to illustrate .
021 4 I have no artistic talent whatsoever . My stick figures were bad before I started to go through this book . I have only really been working on learning how to draw for about a week , at the time of this review . So far my stick figures look like they could almost be comic book characters ( well , they look better than just about anyone else's stick figures ) .
My only concern is that the book takes a while to get into drawing figures , which was my desire ( as I assume would be most people who get this book ) . However when it does get to drawing figures it certainly gives lots of good examples .
You won't be Jim Lee when you are done with this book , and you probably won't be drawing any of the bad girl characters made popular in the 90 ' s . But you will be confident in drawing classic characters .
022 4 For confidence building in the beginner this book is a joy .
Easy to follow step by step diagrams and useful tips .
Breaks some of the more complicated aspects of drawing down into easy to handle exercises .
If you think you cannot draw but would like to , take a look at this book . ! ! !
023 4 The Marvel way is the best way ! I have drained bookstores and libraries for every drawing guide I can find . I was foutunate I found it . Before , I was drawing . . . versions of anime like figures . Now I can draw people ( and some objects ) with out batting an eyelash ! The best thing about this book is the fact that it covers everything you could possible want to know about drawing . I am managing now after half a year of reading and rereading this book , to make pieces of art that I can be proud to show off to friend and family . If the lingo doesn't make sense at first , don't worry , as you develop your artist eye it will begin to show you how something is somehow wrong . Then go back and the light blul will click over your head . Don't expect greatness over night . I am still improving the finer points of my art , but I am confident that I will successfully be able to draw near professoinally . ( I dont have vast amounts of talent in this area : ) ) Best of luck to you PS Buy this book ! ! ! !
024 4 They used to know how to tell stories about characters with pictures - and if anybody cares , here's what they knew . In an age when comics are all about layers upon layers of muscles drawn by people with no basic command of simple anatomy or proportion ; in an age where comics are all about melodramatic , showy over-staging and over-the-top page layouts , and characters with no personalities ; in an age where comics are basically dead , this book deserves a quick peek .
025 4 This book won't teach you how to draw . If you have any talent , then you're already drawing all the time anyway , and drawing anything and everything you can . This book will tell you how to draw for comic books , which requires more than just good draftsmanship ; it also requires the ability to tell a story in pictures .
Buscema covers perspective too , telling you what you need to know about it to get started . ( Books dedicated to the subject won't tell you any more . )
In addition to the drawing tutorials , Buscema gives some instruction on inking . He explains the techniques , and then it's up to you to practice and master them .
This is a great book , and it's still valuable . Illustrating styles in comic books may have changed since it was published , but the fundamentals are the same , and there's no one better to teach them than Buscema .
026 4 My Mom bought this book for me when I was about 12 years old . I was going to be the next Frank Frazetta / John Byrne . . . so I was very excited to get it for a birthday . It taught me alot about perspective , figure drawing , presentation , and lettering . . at least it got me started . But the most important thing I learned from this book was to draw constantly - - draw anything and everything , every day for the rest of my life . That's what will make you a good artist .
027 4 Some of you folks writing reviews are , like me , graphic designers . And , yes , I too have owned this wonderful book . I even laughed at the publication date at the top of the page because mine is from 1978 !
Lee and Buscema are two of the foundation blocks of Marvel Comics and I wouldn't expect anything less from this wonderful work . If you are a beginning or almost intermediate comic book artist , I can't think of a better place to start than this book . I still refer to it , sometimes , for reference tips .
I won't bore you with a diatribe of what can be learned here . . . just buy the book . I think you'll be surprised that , in 30 years , you'll still own your dog-eared , yellowed , frayed-out copy . I've still got mine .
Oh , and when you're done with it , do yourself a favor and take a look at some Burne Hogarth books .
Enjoy !
028 4 For anyone wanting to just start drawing , then this is a pretty good book to start with . It starts out with basics like figure drawing and perspective and moves on to subjects such as composition and panel creations . However , don't expect to come out an expert artists after reading this book . It merely is a stepping stone to get you started on drawing really cool comics . The exercises are presented really simply and almost systematically so that it's easier on a novice drawer . What the book lacks is any information on technique . You'll notice that the artist's drawings are much better than your's , but don't feel bad , that's because he's probably holding the pencil differently or is using a technique other than just holding the pencil like he's writing an essay ( which is how all us beginners start out ) . Bottom line is , it gets you aquainted with drawing and the step by step exercises makes sure that you have reference to work off of so that you can compare your work and progress with the illustrations in the book .
029 4 It's a good book for getting started . It was one of the first How-to-Draw books , and even if it's a little dated it's still better then some modern How-to-Draw books . It gives you some proportion guidlines , faces , dynamic angles , inking and the comic book cover . It's not very stylized , which is good because the book isn't commanding you to copy their drawing style . One of the reasons that I think it's good is becouse it makes you want to draw . A lot of modern books are kind of blah in the sense that you just like looking at the pictures . This book is for begginers without having a baby drawning style which makes you feel like a fool . This book is very well made , and one of the only weaknesses I can think of is it dosn't show you how to draw everyday clothes ( folds etc . ) . I really like this book becouse it's a firm starting point .
030 4 To me it seemed that the intention of the book was not to teach anyone how to draw , despite the complaints of most readers , but simply how to draw comics with the overral structure of Marvel comics . The chapter about the angles of the scenes and how they position the characters shows how people at Marvel would do it and how other people would and at that intent the book is absolutely perfect . It is actually , in my humble opinion , more useful as reference to experienced artists than to people who don't know how to draw . If we have a look at most comic books we find on a newstand we will have in our hands works of very experienced artists yet with not nearly as much intensity as Marvel's .
031 4 This is a terrific book for those hoping to hone their skill for drawing comics . This book paired with Frederic Delavier's incomparable
Strength Training Anatomy
will seriously improve your ability to draw athletic , muscle-bound characters !
033 4 I bought this for my 11 year old son for his birthday . He's been trying to draw superheroes lately . When I began flipping through it , I recognized many of the images . I then remembered I had this book when I was a boy . I checked the original publish date and found it to be 1978 . Yep , this was it . It's a very good book for those who need some structure with regards to their pencil drawing . The concepts of human form , perspective , dimension etc . are easy to understand with many , many examples . Step by step instructions make it easy . Even those with limited artistic abilities will be able to draw well using this book . I recommend it highly !
034 4 This review is from :
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way ( Paperback )
The reason why I bought this book is because I want to learn how to draw comic for hobbie , and Stan Lee really explain everything so nice and easy that any person will learn , the draws by Joe Buscema are just perfect . The book introduces you to many vocabulary of the industry of comics , is a very complete book . If you work in the comic industry , this book is a perfect beginnig and if you are a comic fan like me , then you must have this masterpiece .
035 4 The reason why I bought this book is because I want to learn how to draw comic for hobbie , and Stan Lee really explain everything so nice and easy that any person will learn , the draws by Joe Buscema are just perfect . The book introduces you to many vocabulary of the industry of comics , is a very complete book . If you work in the comic industry , this book is a perfect beginnig and if you are a comic fan like me , then you must have this masterpiece .
036 4 Personally , the only way I could draw an excellent square is if you spotted me three of the sides . I grew up reading Marvel comics and had the good fortune that my parents went grocery shopping at a small neighborhood store where the owner allowed me to read the comics while they shopped .
Therefore , I read this book not as an aspiring artist , but as someone who is interested in and can appreciate the artistic talent that went into making Marvel comics the success that it is . And from that perspective , this is an excellent book . In a few captions and example illustrations , the many ways in which the dramatic effect can be enhanced are demonstrated . Using these techniques the superheroes appear more heroic and the villains even more villainous .
If you are like me and just appreciate Marvel comics or want to become a better artist , then this is a book that will be of great value to you .
037 4 I have some graphic art experience . Our instructors always emphasized the fundamentals of drawing . With computers today many believe you don't need to know how to draw . They are wrong .
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way is more than just learning comics it is learning how to draw . It is one of the best area to begin . If you are advanced maybe you will pick up some ideas from the powerful examples . It starts with the tools , then perspective , to stick figures , to motion , to faces , to putting the panels together , and finally inking .
If you can draw comics then you can draw anything . I don't consider myself to be a good artist . This book is where I started , and I have improved ever so slightly . There is just something about comics that intrigues people . There is the fact of the art and all its meaning and ideas that come from it . There is also a story told by the art with panels that allow the reader to visualize the world the artist created . If that is what you want to do then this is the book to start with . That is the drawing aspect and not the layout or story telling theory .
I also recommend Draw the Marvel Comic Super Heroes and Super Heroes by Joe Kubert . ( And as always feel free to check out my Amazon profile . )
038 4 Very good book for beginners , or if you've been at it for awhile . Great examples of how to make drawings more interesting / exciting . Good instruction in 1 , 2 3 point perspective . Excellent explanation of body and face proportions . Lots of right vs wrong examples . Worth having in the library if you want to make interesting drawings .
039 4 I read this book , and after only having read half of it , i was a much better drawer than i was in the beginning . It takes no time to learn how to draw like they ask you to , and the book gives you great easy tips to make your characters more real . It covers everything , from the faces to inkin to layout of a cover ! I can only recomend this , and can't say anything bad about this book !
041 4 This book teaches you so much about how to draw comic superheros and villians . It teaches you human anatomy , perspecitve , and inking as well . I think that this is a great book and whoever loves to draw , I think that they should own this book .
042 4 This book is a good book for artist who will spend some time on it . Stan Lee and John Buscema used many ideas for drawing the charectors in an easier way . They also wrote it so normal people could understand it . This book help me make my charectors look more authentic and almost come alive .
043 4 I'm not a fan of most Marvel comics , particularly the 60s and 70s style this book is presented in . But the techniques it demonstrates ( more lucidly than a lot of others ) are useful for any style of comic art ( or even for laying out more realistic drawings ) . Most fan-artists who THINK they know how to draw ( but they don't and it shows ) could stand to take a look at this book .
044 4 This review is from :
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way ( Paperback )
Not gonna lie - - the book is rather dated in terms of its stylistic leanings , but it's still full of practical advice and techniques which any modern artist will find useful . Plus , it's always a hoot to read anything Stan Lee writes !
045 4 Not gonna lie - - the book is rather dated in terms of its stylistic leanings , but it's still full of practical advice and techniques which any modern artist will find useful . Plus , it's always a hoot to read anything Stan Lee writes !
046 4 Probably one of the best books on comics for the beginner . Great simple overview , and awesome dynamic art examples , and unlike many of the How to draw comics books out there , it's done by comic book pros ! Some other great books to try after , also by comic pros . . .
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 )
047 4 This was a gift for my husband . He loves comics and drawing so thought it was a great gift idea . He loves it , says it has given him a whole new view on his art . He refers to it often and is very pleased with it . Fast shipping too . Thanks a lot !
048 4 This review is from :
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way ( Paperback )
This book really breaks down the way to draw like a Marvel pro . Its fun and easy . Anyone can do it . Perfect for your self or as a gift . I love it .
049 4 This book really breaks down the way to draw like a Marvel pro . Its fun and easy . Anyone can do it . Perfect for your self or as a gift . I love it .
050 4 I have a feeling that most of you contemplating buying this book are replacing an ancient or lost copy of it and know exactly what you're getting , in which case you won't be disappointed . Over the years the title has become somewhat misleading and should now read , How to Draw Comic the way Marvel did it from the late 70s to the late 80s using the tools available at that time or perhaps more marketably : How to Draw Marvel-style Retro Comics .
Stylistically , I wish this book would recirculate around the Marvel offices to remind creators what their comics are supposed to be like . It is far from cutting edge or eye opening , however . At the time of its publication I think it was extremely innovative and captured an innovative style . But styles have life cycles . . .
Having said all that , I love this book , although I suspect that a big part of that is because of my nostalgic feelings for it .
051 4 This review is from :
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way ( Paperback )
This is sort of a classical text , focused on covering the various aspects of drawing comics .
Though drawing comics involves a lot about learning to draw , I would think that an ability to draw whether inherent or acquired would be a necessary starting point to effectively use this book . On the contrary one might as well get started here and then hone the necessary drawing skills .
As in any specific form of art , such as Illustration , Fine art , Animation art , Commercial art etc , Comics art has its own set of skills that need to be honed .
This is a book written by Stan lee and John Buscema , one a great story teller and the other a fine artist . It does cover several aspects of the trade .
As the title suggests the genre is more towards the ' Action ' side , as opposed to a style such as Disney , Asterix or that of Herge's Tintin .
A significant amount of the book focuses on the figure and its action , which is so vital to this type of comics , and these are real gems . The quick setup of a pose , the dynamism needed for convincing action , the looseness of the approach , and then the focus on the form , the details of the figure the head and so on are very effectively presented .
the other important ingredients of composition , perspective , foreshortening are covered in detail .
There are of course couple chapters that deal with comic book covers , and the all important comics inking .
Though obviously this was written in a pre-digital period , all the information can be readily applied to today's all-digital comics creation .
Coming from successful practicing veterans , the entire book is packed with practical information .
052 4 This is sort of a classical text , focused on covering the various aspects of drawing comics .
Though drawing comics involves a lot about learning to draw , I would think that an ability to draw whether inherent or acquired would be a necessary starting point to effectively use this book . On the contrary one might as well get started here and then hone the necessary drawing skills .
As in any specific form of art , such as Illustration , Fine art , Animation art , Commercial art etc , Comics art has its own set of skills that need to be honed .
This is a book written by Stan lee and John Buscema , one a great story teller and the other a fine artist . It does cover several aspects of the trade .
As the title suggests the genre is more towards the ' Action ' side , as opposed to a style such as Disney , Asterix or that of Herge's Tintin .
A significant amount of the book focuses on the figure and its action , which is so vital to this type of comics , and these are real gems . The quick setup of a pose , the dynamism needed for convincing action , the looseness of the approach , and then the focus on the form , the details of the figure the head and so on are very effectively presented .
the other important ingredients of composition , perspective , foreshortening are covered in detail .
There are of course couple chapters that deal with comic book covers , and the all important comics inking .
Though obviously this was written in a pre-digital period , all the information can be readily applied to today's all-digital comics creation .
Coming from successful practicing veterans , the entire book is packed with practical information .
053 4 I am a seasoned professional graphic designer / illustrator and I sometimes give private art lessons on the side . I give every student a copy of this book , as it is kid-friendly ( no nudes and lots of cool characters to keep kids interested ) and gives a really solid overall explanation of universal drawing fundamentals .
This is the best book I've found for sharing the basics of drawing and design with kids and big kids . I'm about to buy another copy to give someone .
054 4 I remember when this book first came out in 1978 . . . it was like having a comic book course right at your fingertips . I loved the way they show the reader how to make the panels flow with the story . How exaggeration is critical when drawing bigger than life characters . There are a lot of books since that picked up the ball and did better than this . The Hart comic how to's come to mind . . . but this is the one that started it all . . I wish Buscema had written a few more volumes on his own . If only I could have taken his drawing classes back in the seventies .
056 4 This book is an extremely useful primer for the beginning cartoonist , whether you intend to draw superheroes or not . It goes briefly into most aspects of drawing , and has many drawing excercises which will build skill and experience . There are sections dealing with anatomy , perspective , inking , composition , and other important elements to help you learn the basic skills for drawing and cartooning .
057 4 I first read this book in the 7th grade , it was prehaps the most informative and eye opening book on the comic art . Unlike some comic illustration instructional books , How to Draw Comics the Marvel way handles more than just charater design . They show budding artist how to make comic panels interesting . This book keeps you from becoming a copy-cat artist .
058 4 This is an exellent book for anybody just starting in the comicbook biz or if u just wanna trace a picture of spider-man . It goes through all the steps of making a hero to getting it published including a great section that walks u through perspective and characture design . And I would like to recommend this book 4 any aspireing comic book dreamer !
059 4 Upon opening the book , you are immediately hit by how dated it looks . The art is from the days of Kirby ( and Buscema ) , and reflects a time when color seperation was one color per block . Once over your possible reaction against ( or in favour of ) the arts age , you start to realise just how good a book it is . The book starts you of gently , and gives you a good learning curve , adding new techniques chapter by chapter , encouraging you to experiment with new ways of doing the same thing . There is a definate emphasis on Marvel Superheroes , but seing as may will not be recogniseable ( often due to depiction rather than modern day obscurity ) to all but the most knowledgeable comic buff , that really shouldn't bother anyone . The format takes a simple step by step approach , with an entertaining commentry from Stan Lee . In many ways , it is Stan's writing that make this book work . The book could so easily have been an incomprehensible , boring textbook , instead of an enjoyable , easy read . If it's fun , you learn better , and in this respect , the book is absolutely perfect . Since I've been so gushing about the book , why haven't I given it 5 crowns you may be wondering ? Well , the answer is simple , It deserves 5 crowns for the starter , but if you have already advanced sufficiently ( and that amount is not particularly loads ) it rapidly becomes useles , due to the fact that it doesn't go into great depths about technique . It quickly outlives it's usefulnes . Mind you , for that price , Idon't think you'd be lamenting it all that much .
060 4 This book helped me to learn the fumdementles of comicing.It had great insite an a hint of comodey the only part of this I disliked was it did not help in the actual drawing of a full character though there were a few chapters to help develope the stick figure etc .
061 4 this book well written . i got it when i was very young and it helped me quite a bit . a must have for any aspiring comic artist with limited experience
062 4 When I was a teenager , this book was the bible for any kid wanting to get into comics . In retrospect , I wonder why - - I mean , it's not really informative and it doesn't give anything away - - i.e . , give you any details on the finer point of comic book storytelling and drawing . In short , it's as instructional as a Lee Ames book , and that's not saying much . Besides , in light of the new direction that comic books are going these days , it's a bit dated . If you really want to get into comics , here are four great books to get you started : The Encyclopedia of Cartooning Techniques ( an overview of cartooning , from technical stuff to business aspects ) , The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Art Techniques , Chris Hart's How To Draw Animation ( because animation helps a lot , kids ! ) , and let's not forget Wil Eisner's great book that started it all ! Sorry , Stan . My verdict - - 2 stars ; but add an extra star if you're a 12 year old aspiring comic book artist just for it's inspirational benefits .
063 4 I owned this book many years ago and have access to a copy . I even own the recently released digital version .
What Lee and Buscema have brought forth is fine for the aspiring but unskilled artist . You learn the very basic method of producing comics in an old style used decades ago by the ' greats ' in comic artistry . Unfortunately , for those hoping this book provides a modern foundation , things have progressed significantly and almost unabatedly .
Those seeking to create comics have to understand the market will not bear another Stan Lee , or even a Jae Lee , imitation . To survive in the tight economics of comic book rendering , an artist must produce something original in style , form and imagination . Rehashing Buscema line work will not ' make the grade ' , to use a cliche .
That being said , this book has its merits for those willing to start somewhere other than ' real ' art books . This volume provides the basic infrastructure to create artwork reminiscent of Spiderman 1975 .
My suggestion to all would-be comic artists : eschew this book , learn the human form from all perspectives , poses and attitudes . Learn from non-idealized , non-stylized drawing sessions based on real life . From there , drawing a superhero , in your own way , will become a task far more advantageous commercially and artistically . You will be capable of producing a genuinely original and attractive style , capturing the attention of potential employers .
Other than that , it makes for a decent rainy Sunday hobby .
That's my two cents , here's your change .
064 4 If you're a kid who is really serouse about comic art . . . this book's for you . If you're a kid who is tired of stick men and wants some instruction . . . this book's for you . If you have ever marveled at comic pros like Jim Lee , Andy Adam Kurburt and countless others . . . this books for you . If ya wanna know how to construct a hero or villin . . . this books for you . But if you are majoring in art at highschool . . . this book IS NOT for you ! This book is best described as a transition betwean the kiddi stuff and learning the real hard core stuff behind comic art .
065 4 I am a professional artist , fine art not comics , and bought this for my son who wants to be an artist working for marvel one day . Don't get me wrong I am oldschool , I grew up on heavy metal , epic ( marvel's answer ) , ec , 2000 A.D . ( rogue trooper , and the man himself , Judge Dredd ) , the watchmen , etc , etc . . . so once it showed up in the mail , I read it myself and came to the conclusion that it is a perfect book for my son .
What better source to get an idea of what marvel wants than from stan the man himself ? And John Buscema , a veteran of Marvel really added to this book . He has always been one of my favorite artists ( especially liked his savage sword work when I was a kid . )
This is the place to begin for anyone who wants to break into the comics industry or maybe submit a portfolio to Marvel . I believe ( could be wrong ) they are still one of the few houses which still accept inquiries and portfolios whereas DC asks people to go to conventions to network . . . . . kinda hard when you are a starving artist or living abroad .
066 4 The character styles in this book are dated ( men look like slightly bigger women ) . You will not learn how to draw huge men or extreemly shapely women with this book . It just skims the surface of most issues .
Still it is a good introduction to drawing . It teaches all the basic rules . I have had my copy for years and I still like reviewing it every once in a while .
067 4 Overcoming Stan's hyperbolic style , the earlier chapters of the book are the most useful and where any aspirant artist should make sure they have everything covered . Particularly good are the perspective chapters .
Later on the book tends to gloss over things , partially ( one suspects ) because they are harder to explain . Having been through various copies over the years I can assuredly say I have yet to actually glean anything from the composition chapter and there is precious little of any use in the inking section .
A good foundation , but nothing particularly more .
068 4 It's a nice book !
It tells U rules about how to draw the human figure , male or female that U can always relate to . Also faces , acion poses , dynamic angles , body construction , comic panels , vanishing point , etc . The drawings are great , even if they're a bit dated .
069 4 I bought this book when I was a teenager , and found the content very helpful when drawing comics and cartoons - the Marvel Way . The Stan Lee Humour and John Buscema art work were truly inspirational . All the sections from figure drawing , through to layout , inking and perspective were simple and straightforward , making it easy for a novice to understand . That , however , was also the book's downfall . Overall , it tended to lack depth and I was always left with the feeling that there should have been more . If your looking for a ' starter ' - buy it . But if you want a ' main-course ' , look elsewhere .
070 4 i decided to start trying to draw American style comics instead of manga style . When I first picked up this book I loved it . Buy this book .
071 4 More info about his book , along with a useful reading list for aspiring artists of the comic genre , available at Amazon.com , is available for your perusal at :
072 4 I bought the book after seeing it in the Although my scottish background meant that I did some shopping around to find the best price .
Having read the book . It is good so far as it gives you an insight into what the editors look for in relation to an average comic stripe or the Other type .
It has good pointers on how to proceed for those starting out which I believe will also assist later on as a reference . Remember editors change but what they look for as far as comics with punch remains the same .
It doesnt cover the indepth how to if you are wanting to know how to draw the perfect comic hand so that it looks real you will need a more specialised book for your needs .
This book covered aspects such as 1 , 2 3 point persectives . The different view points that you would need to be familier with as well as how to go about setting up a Splash Page ( cover page ) . Its also bring's you up to speed with the lingo used in the industry .
One thing the book emphasises again and again is that you need to practise your current skills and continue to develope them with practise .
It also covers materials needed . Ultimately I already had some ability with drawing . If you are a beginner . . . with absolutely no experience then it is a good starting book . I would also advise to accompany this book with another on drawing , just the same .
If you have some experience in drawing then this book will do you very well .
If you already work for Marvel . . . . don't bother unless you think your work is not up to scratch . . . . but even then . . .
It shows you the door but you still need to learn how to walk to get through the door .
073 4 I have yet to see one book succinctly and intelligently teach someone how to draw well . This book is no exception . While Stan Lee and John Buscema do an excellent job of explaing the basics behind comic book art , there will never be a good substitute for years and years of practice . The book does have it's good points : why some things work better than others , details on different approaches to drawing , etc . Layout and composition are also handled fairly well , as well as some of the commercial reasons behind why a comic sometimes appears the way it does . As far as drawing books go , this was done very well . However , simply reading it will not help your talent withouta vast amount of practice .
074 4 This book is well put together , but not very useful to a learning artist . The style is really outdated . All the heroes look pretty much the same ; Caucasian , strong-jawed Reed Richards-type people . And all the heroines look the same too !
075 4 For all you aspiring artists , if you can't draw , this won't help . If you can , then you really don't need this book .
It may be mildly interesting for an afternoon to someone who draws leisurely .
076 4 An entertaining look at how the comic work was approached at Marvel way back when . I can't draw , and have no real desire too , so basically got this out of interest .
As far as that goes , it was a reasonable read . For actual artistic types it is probably a bit more useful .
077 4 Just thought worth mentioning about this book is John Buscema as an artist . The best thing about this book are his drawings . You can look at his drawings for minutes and just derive pleasure from them .
That provides for inspiration ; just gawking at Buscema's illustrations makes it click . Since no-one else seems to have noticed that he ' s actually a highly , highly talented artist I decided to fill that gap . I think he's drawings are much more beautiful than many other's of today are . More could be said about his style . Such as the balance and expression and the flow in the drawings are amazing . Even when simple the taste is stunning .
As far as the textual content goes , well , Stan Lee's writing style is corny and seems directed toward 5 year olds , or younger . But nevertheless he writes in sync to the adjacent illustrations and is just corny , and are not nonsensensical . It's just something about the writing style in particular that can be kind of silly ( no offense ) .
This book , due to John Buscema having made the illustrations , is worthy of having since they alone can provide for needed inspiration . Many other areas missing such as topic depth and detailed explanations , John Buscema's drawings make up for it since you buy the book because you want to learn to draw and that begins with inspiration .
In the end , all these things , as far as learning something goes , are quite meaningless . In the end , only when you actually know what you're doing will you understand what they all actually meant . Practice is what leads to result , and inspiration is the fuel for it , and Buscema provides that . ( Lee too , albeit somewhat ' corny ' ) .
YOU NEED THIS BOOK . The only weak point I find in the book is that the comic style is a little old ( 70 - 80 ) but as the great Stan Lee says : You can bend the rules when you've learned them perfectly ¿ what does it mean ? , after you know the basics you can draw your own super heroe / villain with the actual style [ I preffer the John Buscema draws GREAT ONES ! ! : ) ]
So ¿ do you want to know what you will learn or when you need the book ? ok I'll tell you :
If you don't know how to start drawing
Lesson 1 : The Tools-and The Talk-of The Trade !
If you draws seems flat and unreal
Lesson 2 : The Secrets of-Form ! making an object look real
If your stuff seems out of place
Lesson 3 : The Power of-Perspective !
If your human characters seems anormal
Lesson 4 : Let's Study the-Figure !
If you CAN'T draw a human being
Lesson 5 : Let's Draw the-Figure !
If you can't draw heroes / villains in action , think in a lesson name
Lesson 6 : The Name Of The Game is-Action !
If your heroes / villains seems out of perspective guess what
Lesson 7 : Foreshortening ! The Knack of Drawing the Figure in Perspective !
If your heroes / villains seems with horrible heads
Lesson 8 : Drawing the Human Head !
All that is what you need to draw exellent characters , HUMAN characters and the book have four chapters more named :
Lesson 9 : Composition !
Lesson 10 : Draw Your Own Comic Book Page !
Lesson 11 : Te Comicbook Cover !
Lesson 12 : The Art Of Inking !
But take notice of this , the book tell you how to draw humans , HUMANS , my draw style has improved since I buy this masterpiece .
Keep in mind , you must have a little practice in drawing , also remember that the book doesn't teach you how to make shadows . If you have the money and can't do anything from the chapters then buy it . BUT , but if you already can do everything from the chapters then don't buy it .
And / or if you're looking for advanced drawing methods This book isn't for you .
As a final note I will tell you this . If your drwaws seem to be done like you draw with the foots , BUY IT . If your draws seem very good , have perspective , good faces , right proportions , and only need shadows then DON't buy it .
Hope you found usefull this review and another thing , in every lesson the first page is a good quick draw of John Buscema that's an excelent detail .
I WILL NEVER SELL THIS BOOK
Oh , I almost forgot Manga [ stinks ] , DC & Marvel RULES ! !
010 4 First I wanted to see when I was looking for a drawing book is a review wich tell me if this is a good book and I tell you something ¿ Why do you think I give five stars to this book ? . . . exact ! ! , the book explains everything of the basics needed to draw comics . Oh , you can draw your own characters but you can't draw them in action , or you can't draw faces , or you can't make them keep the proportions , or they don't have the right perspective or anything like that , well I tell you something : YOU NEED THIS BOOK . The only weak point I find in the book is that the comic style is a little old ( 70 - 80 ) but as the great Stan Lee says : You can bend the rules when you've learned them perfectly ¿ what does it mean ? , after you know the basics you can draw your own super heroe / villain with the actual style [ I preffer the John Buscema draws GREAT ONES ! ! : ) ]
So ¿ do you want to know what you will learn or when you need the book ? ok I'll tell you :
If you don't know how to start drawing
Lesson 1 : The Tools-and The Talk-of The Trade !
If you draws seems flat and unreal
Lesson 2 : The Secrets of-Form ! making an object look real
If your stuff seems out of place
Lesson 3 : The Power of-Perspective !
If your human characters seems anormal
Lesson 4 : Let's Study the-Figure !
If you CAN'T draw a human being
Lesson 5 : Let's Draw the-Figure !
If you can't draw heroes / villains in action , think in a lesson name
Lesson 6 : The Name Of The Game is-Action !
If your heroes / villains seems out of perspective guess what
Lesson 7 : Foreshortening ! The Knack of Drawing the Figure in Perspective !
If your heroes / villains seems with horrible heads
Lesson 8 : Drawing the Human Head !
All that is what you need to draw exellent characters , HUMAN characters and the book have four chapters more named :
Lesson 9 : Composition !
Lesson 10 : Draw Your Own Comic Book Page !
Lesson 11 : Te Comicbook Cover !
Lesson 12 : The Art Of Inking !
But take notice of this , the book tell you how to draw humans , HUMANS , my draw style has improved since I buy this masterpiece .
Keep in mind , you must have a little practice in drawing , also remember that the book doesn't teach you how to make shadows . If you have the money and can't do anything from the chapters then buy it . BUT , but if you already can do everything from the chapters then don't buy it .
And / or if you're looking for advanced drawing methods This book isn't for you .
As a final note I will tell you this . If your drwaws seem to be done like you draw with the foots , BUY IT . If your draws seem very good , have perspective , good faces , right proportions , and only need shadows then DON't buy it .
Hope you found usefull this review and another thing , in every lesson the first page is a good quick draw of John Buscema that's an excelent detail .
I WILL NEVER SELL THIS BOOK
Oh , I almost forgot Manga [ stinks ] , DC & Marvel RULES ! !
032 4 Okay , I'll just make this quick :
This book is full of excellent information . That being said , if you have little or no inherent artistic abilities you WILL struggle with this . If you are a child or are just beginning then start somewhere else .
Thanks .
