Draw Comic Book Action: Techniques for creating dynamic superhero poses and action - Softcover

Garbett, Lee

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1446312976 ISBN 13: 9781446312971

Publisher: David & Charles, 2024

Synopsis

What does every aspiring comic artist REALLY want to draw? Action, of course!

Learn how to render all aspects of adrenalin-filled movement, from jaw-dropping superhero antics to kick-ass fistfights. The hallmark of the comic book, the action is what draws a reader in and keeps them hungry for more – in this classic guide all the skills you need to make your action fast-paced and full of movement are laid out on the page, from one of the best creators working in comics today.

Techniques for drawing every dynamic action are explained, from body contact and flying through to fistfights, group rumbles and full-on battles. Everything you need to know to get started as a comic artist, from the tools you need, to techniques for shading and linework are covered, with specific tips and tricks related to creating comic art for publication. Author and comic book artist Lee Garbett introduces the basics of anatomy for comic art, and explains a number of the classic and important poses to master when looking to create dynamic and exciting layouts.

Clever exercises show how to achieve convincing movement, from dynamic standing poses, to running, swinging, flying and fighting. How to use these poses in compositions is also covered, as are a number of the more classic hallmarks of comic art, such as explosions and fight scenes. The concept of camera angles is also explained – the feature of the medium that allows every aspiring artist to be a director, and the rules of pacing are laid out to help the artists guide the comic reader through their vision.

The Action File of comic character drawings in dynamic poses forms an invaluable resource for practice and reference, and can be referred back to again and again, allowing each artist to develop their comic drawing skillset and discover that making drawing comic book action is creative, inspiring and endlessly exciting!

About this title

About the Author

Lee Garbett is a New York Times best-selling artist, best known for his work on Batman, Lucifer and Batgirl for DC and Spider-Man, Loki: Agent of Asgard and Defenders for Marvel Comics. Lee has produced concept design and promotional imagery for several movies, including X-Men: Days of Future Past and Mile 22 and worked on various ad campaigns and poster designs for the likes of Lucasfilm, Warner Bros and The Jim Henson Company. He is based in the UK.

From the Back Cover

Superhero feats and exhilarating fights are the climax of a comic book; here readers will learn to draw this fun and vital part of comic art. Techniques for drawing every dynamic action are explained from running, swinging and flying through to fist fights, group rumbles, and battles.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

When I was first approached to do a ‘how-to’ book my immediate thought was ‘no way! Who am I to tell people how to draw comics?’.

But then it sort of stuck in my head. After all, I did have some issues with the way some other how-to books had been put together in the past. I’d read a couple and I found them very vague, especially when it came to the figure work. I hated the stick-man that suddenly jumped to a fully rendered figure in three steps. Where’s the ‘how-to’ in that?

If I was going to do a book then it would be nuts and bolts. Basics. Nothing too flash, nothing overly rendered or detailed. Something clear and not daunting to the reader. I wanted a book where it looked like it was possible to see how you got from A to Z.

Not that I was going to do a book, I mean, what did I know about comics?

That’s when the initial reaction started to change from being a reason to not do the book to a reason to do it. Maybe, just maybe, as I’m so new to this myself, I could pass on some of the stuff I’d recently learned. Maybe I could help other new artists out there because I was just discovering ways to do this myself. Maybe this was the perfect time to do a how-to book? I most definitely am still learning but what if we sort of learned together? I started to love that idea, it stopped it from being this ‘step back and let me show you how it’s done’ mentality to a ‘I’m not sure if this is the right way but it’s a way and it’s how I’ve approached it’.

I don’t teach anatomy or form in this book, not really. Just the stepping stones. You’ll need to look more into that yourself. Study anatomy. Study people. Study movement, mannerisms and body language. Study the way clothes hang. Never stop studying them. Even when you’ve become the greatest artist in the world! I think an artist is sorta like a shark – if you stop moving forward you die.
The best artists out there are never satisfied with their work and want to do better each time. Yes, it makes for a slightly embarrassed life but it’s also what keeps you fresh and relevant. Also, find a style and develop it. You’ll naturally move towards a certain approach and while it’s good to let your influences guide you to some degree it’s your own personality in the work that will make it sing.

Finally, why action? Why focus on that? Well, it’s surprisingly not much talked about by a lot of other books out there, yet it’s the fundamental key to most mainstream comics. In fact mainstream comics are defined by Action. Sure, we want the day-to-day soap opera of our latest heroes life, but what makes that hero different from those in other media is that he sometimes has to smash a costumed villain through a wall, or rescue a space shuttle, or fight an eight-armed menace.

So, here we go, time for some ACTION...

Edition details

• Publisher: David & Charles
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1446312976
• ISBN 13: 9781446312971
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 128