Hart - Manga for the beginner midnight monsters : how to draw zombies, vampires, and other delightfully devious characters of Japanese comics

To my uncle and aunt, Bob and Alene,
who bring creativity and joy into my life

Welcome to the glimmering world of elegant darkness, where handsome vampires are irresistibly seductive; pretty little girls have soulless eyes; and teens are confused by forces beyond their control. The realm of monsters and the supernatural is visually striking. It stirs our deepest fears with characters that are deceptively beautiful and yet deadly. At the same time, these characters are often tragic heroes, born to a world where they dont belong. Its compelling stuff. And now, with this book, learning to draw in the hottest style of manga is as simple as following the step-by-step illustrations and hints, which are carefully crafted to speed up the aspiring artists learning curve.

Within these covers lie the frightening characters that viewers cant look away from. Their bewitching charm and sinister slinkiness captivate manga fans. The shelves in bookstores and the listings online overflow with spooky stories about dashing vampires, dangerous temptresses, zombies, and other perennial supernatural favorites.

In addition to providing a complete overview of how to draw popular monstrous character types, I also include sections on drawing moody backgrounds, using color, and more.

Youll learn the newest trends in making manga monsters. Among these is the technique of mixing genres. Ill demonstrate how to create characters by marrying one popular style with another to produce something completely new and fresh. For example, when goth style is combined with the look of schoolgirls, it results in shoujo-goth, a haunting style.

This book belongs on the shelf of anyone who enjoys drawing manga. Because of the widespread appeal of the supernatural, artists simply cant afford not to learn how to draw its monstrous inhabitants. This timeless style is represented by some of todays most popular graphic novels, including Vampire Knights and Bleach , to name but a couple.

Are you ready to embark on a deliciously evil adventure in drawing? If so, then lets get started.

T he world of midnight monsters is one where the good are bad, and the bad are even worse. It features darkly charismatic characters. Here deceit and seduction are as commonplace as Sailor Moon look-alikes at a manga convention.

But before you begin to draw these glamorous and wicked characters, let me give you a brief overview of some of the more popular denizens of darkness, doom, dread, and any other gloomy terms that start with the letter D . With this foundation in place, Ill lead you to a fantastic world of drawing tutorials. Scared? Id tell you not to be, but then Id be lying. So grab a pencil, a clove of garlic, and a wooden stake, and lets begin.

What makes a monster a monster? Is it the way these characters avoid the sunshine like the plague, sleep all day, and do their work only at night? Not really, because that would describe every college kid in America. Is it the way a monster has to deceive and trick people in order to live? Maybe, but that also applies to lawyers. What about the fact that many monsters live their lives in fear of being impaled by a stake through the heart, their flesh being seared by a cross, or melting if they should ever come into contact with water? Bingo.

Style is an important aspect of art. Although the goth style is grounded in solid drawing techniques, its also highly atmospheric and stylish. The look is smooth, devious, but also refined, cultured, even sumptuous. It is critical for manga artists to be able to capture this look in their drawings. And thats why this book marries technique with style in all of its tutorials.

Meet the typical good girl. Shes happy and neatly dressed. Not someone you might mistake for the living dead.