Foundations in Comic Book Art SCAD Creative Essentials (Fundamental Tools and Techniques for Sequential Artists)

by Lowe, John Paul

• ISBN13: 9780770436964
• ISBN10: 077043696X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2014-08-12
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill

Summary

A comprehensive guide to creating and developing comic book and graphic novel art, from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), one of the world's leaders in sequential arts instruction.

Artists seeking a way to break into the exciting world of sequential art first need to master the tools, techniques, and habits used by their favorite pencillers, inkers, and digital artists for creating dynamic, exciting comic artwork. In Foundations for Comic Book Art, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)—a leading force in art and design education—enlists one of its top instructors, John Paul Lowe, to provide aspiring comic book makers with a thorough primer for creative comics, featuring must-know concepts like contour drawing, mastering perspective, using photo-reference, and adding digital patterns. Examples from the works of SCAD faculty, alumni, and students are paired with Lowe’s easy-to-follow, step-by-step lessons and exercises for readers, demonstrating the vital processes all would-be sequential artists have to know before joining the ranks of the comic book–making elite.

Author Biography

JOHN PAUL LOWE began teaching at the Savannah College of Art and Design in 2002. He has served as the school’s chair of the Sequential Art Department and as dean of the School of Communication Arts. In 2013, he happily returned to the classroom and his art studio. His career in comics began in 1991 with DC Comics. Lowe has also worked for Marvel Comics, Image Comics, Archie Comics, and Dark Horse Comics. Lowe is the creator of the award-winning annual Sequential Arts Anthology, and the author of Working Methods: Creators Detail their Storytelling and Artistic Processes.

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
is a recognized leader in art and design education. SCAD’s talented faculty members are drawn from around the world and have exceptional credentials and valuable professional experience. Professors and alumni have worked for companies such as Marvel Comics and DC Comics, Walt Disney Company, Lucasfilm Ltd., Pixar, Electronic Arts, and many more. For more information on SCAD and its programs, visit www.scad.edu.

Table of Contents

1. Anyone Can Draw
The Two D’s: Desire and Discipline
Necessary Materials
Exercise: Drawing Objects from Memory

2. Learning to See
Drawing Straight Lines
Exercise: Freehand Drawing
Seeing Forms
Contour Drawings
Exercise: Defining Volume through Line
Drawing Multiple Objects

3. Perspective Basics
How to Divide a Square
Creating Symmetrical Curves within
Two Squares
The Cube Method
Perspective Drawing
Placing Objects

4. The Figure
Gesture Drawing
Foreshortening
Exercise: Drawing Figures from Memory
Drawing Multiple Figures

5. Visual Problem Solving
Thumbnail Drawings
Exercise: Composing Thumbnails
Using Photo Reference
Visual Research
Using Photoshop with Photographic Reference
Creating Blue Line Pages to Ink

6. Inking
Inking Tools
Pen Inking Techniques
Exercise: Inking with a Pen Nib
Brush Inking Techniques
Exercise: Inking with a Brush


7. Advanced Inking Techniques
Using Unconventional Materials to Create Unique Textures
Masking an Illustration
X-Acto Knives and Straight Razors
Sponges, Toothbrushes, and Other Alternative Inking Tools
Black-and-White Design

8. Software Applications in Comic Book Art
Creating a Grid in Photoshop
Using the Perspective Tool in Manga Studio
Using Manga Studio to Apply Screentone Patterns


Conclusion
Credits
Index