Arcturus Publishing - The Complete Guide to Drawing Comics

Whether youre a mild-mannered amateur artist or a superhero of comic illustration, this book will help you to take things to the next level. weve drawn together a pantheon of amazing artists to give you expert advice about five different comic art genres.

Superheroes first exploded on to the American comics scene in the 1930s and 40s. Superman, the first of these larger-than-life characters, arrived in Action Comics #1 in 1938. Superheroes made such a huge impact on the medium that today, many people equate comics with superhero stories.

Science fiction comics were very popular in the 1930s, and it was from this genre that superheroes emerged. Sci-fi comics have continued to be especially popular in the UK, where comic fans thrill to the weekly adventures of futuristic antiheroes such as Judge Dredd.

Comics are the perfect medium for Fantasy adventures, since artists dont need to worry about special effects budgets. The number of exotic locations and weird creatures featured in a story are limited only by the storytellers imagination! Get ready to unleash a whole army of orcs, trolls and dragons on your unsuspecting readers.

Manga isnt really a genre so much as a nationality, since all comics from Japan fall into this category. Modern manga first emerged in the wake of World War II, during the American occupation of Japan. The style was initially influenced by American cartoonists such as Walt Disney, but it has since developed an entirely unique approach.

Horror comics with fantastic names like Vault of Horror or Tales from the Crypt were hugely popular in the 1940s and 50s. Comics cant make people jump with a bang, like a movie can. However, a talented artist can create an eerie and sinister atmosphere that will chill readers to the bone.

You dont need lots of expensive equipment to start creating comics. The most important tool is your own imagination!

Soft (B, 2B) pencils are great for drawing loosely and are easy to erase. Fine point pencils are handy for adding detail.

A kneaded eraser moulds to shape, so you can use it to remove pencil From tiny areas. Keep a clean, square-edged eraser to hand, too.

An artists pens are his or her most precious tools! Gather a selection with different tips for varying the thickness of your line work.

Good quality paper will make your artwork look professional, but you can draw your rough sketches on any scrap of paper to hand.

Fine line pens are excellent for small areas of detail. Brush pens are perfect for varying your line weight or shading large areas.

Very few people can draw a perfect circle freehand, so a set of circle templates is a good buy. If you dont have any templates, you can draw round various everyday items such as coins, cups and bottle lids to create your circles.

A set of artists curves is an inexpensive aid to drawing curved shapes of various sizes and angles. Many sets of curves include circular templates cut out of the centres of the curves so they can be used for drawing circles too.

Your comic characters may come from your imagination, but their body shapes will be based on reality. Here are some rules for proportions that you can use as a guide when drawing.

Measure characters in head heights. Typically, a person is eight times the height of their head, from top to toe.

Make sure your characters arms are in proportion. Straightened, they should reach down to mid thigh level.

Superheroes have extra-broad shoulders, thick necks and powerful arm muscles.

Women have a more slender build than men, with muscles that are less defined. the neck is longer and the waist more pronounced. Female characters follow the same eight heads principle.

The distance from shoulder to hips should be about two-and-a-half head heights.

Female characters hips and shoulders are similar in width. Males taper from broad shoulders to a more narrow waist and hips.

Superheroines do not have such large muscles as male superheroes, but their shoulders are broader than real womens.

Here are some guidelines to remember when drawing heads and faces. the best way to hone your skills is to draw real people. If no one else is available, use a mirror!