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Foundations in Comic Book Art: SCAD Creative Essentials
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.
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.
160 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
116 people are currently reading
214 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 30, 2016
An overview of a lot of useful skills for comics, and for drawing in general: perspective, gesture, shading, and some elements of software. It's all a bit surface level, but useful nonetheless, and a nice stepping stone towards learning about these topics in greater detail.
October 6, 2014
In Foundations of Comic Book Art, Sequential Art Professor John Paul Lowe takes you through the basic drawing and art techniques specific to comics you'll need to create your own comic books, strips, or graphic novels. Written in an encouraging tone for amateur artists, this book is a good addition to the aspiring comic book artist's library.
Lowe definitely has the skills and experience to write this book. Sequential art? That's a more formal, academic term for what comic book, graphic novel, and comic strip art are. He's worked in the industry and also taught at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Besides giving basic drawing overviews of the fundamentals, there were little tips and tricks that even I, a studio art major, never encountered (such as using coffee filters to clean ink pen nibs --they don't leave fibers like paper towels do). I also love his positive attitude: As he notes in chapter one, anyone can draw, as long as they have the desire and discipline. It's the same type of attitude my favorite drawing professor from community college had and it's one I believe in myself.
Even though I've drawn practically my entire life and majored in studio art, one thing I've never really done is draw comics. Though it seems to me at times comic book artists seem to be given a "lower status" in the fine art world, they have to be able to draw human figures from multiple angles, create believable environments, and many need to be proficient in inking techniques. Lowe covers all of these in this book, albeit in overviews, though there are many drawing exercises included. I was expecting (hoping really) for more than a brief chapter on digital techniques (Manga Studio and Photoshop are used), but it was interesting to find out that the majority of comic books in the United States are still hand-inked. I think perhaps because there are many books already out there on e.g. figure drawing, digital art techniques, etc. Lowe decided to focus on things he felt comic book artists needed to know ... kind of like a supplement to those other types of books.
I would definitely recommend checking out Foundations in Comic Book Art to anyone wanting to learn more about making their own comics. I think it'd be best for a teenage or adult audience, but if a younger artist had the initiative and drive, I'm sure they could handle the drawing exercises. I myself am inspired to take out the dip pen I got for my intermediate drawing class and try inking some line-art during my next school break.
*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through bloggingforbooks.org in exchange for an honest review, which I have done.*
Lowe definitely has the skills and experience to write this book. Sequential art? That's a more formal, academic term for what comic book, graphic novel, and comic strip art are. He's worked in the industry and also taught at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Besides giving basic drawing overviews of the fundamentals, there were little tips and tricks that even I, a studio art major, never encountered (such as using coffee filters to clean ink pen nibs --they don't leave fibers like paper towels do). I also love his positive attitude: As he notes in chapter one, anyone can draw, as long as they have the desire and discipline. It's the same type of attitude my favorite drawing professor from community college had and it's one I believe in myself.
Even though I've drawn practically my entire life and majored in studio art, one thing I've never really done is draw comics. Though it seems to me at times comic book artists seem to be given a "lower status" in the fine art world, they have to be able to draw human figures from multiple angles, create believable environments, and many need to be proficient in inking techniques. Lowe covers all of these in this book, albeit in overviews, though there are many drawing exercises included. I was expecting (hoping really) for more than a brief chapter on digital techniques (Manga Studio and Photoshop are used), but it was interesting to find out that the majority of comic books in the United States are still hand-inked. I think perhaps because there are many books already out there on e.g. figure drawing, digital art techniques, etc. Lowe decided to focus on things he felt comic book artists needed to know ... kind of like a supplement to those other types of books.
I would definitely recommend checking out Foundations in Comic Book Art to anyone wanting to learn more about making their own comics. I think it'd be best for a teenage or adult audience, but if a younger artist had the initiative and drive, I'm sure they could handle the drawing exercises. I myself am inspired to take out the dip pen I got for my intermediate drawing class and try inking some line-art during my next school break.
*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through bloggingforbooks.org in exchange for an honest review, which I have done.*
March 30, 2019
Very practical with lots of exercises to complete. I'm not sold that this is necessarily all the foundations for comic artists though it does cover some specifics on inking and all the examples were of comics. The examples could have been much more useful with more explanation. I still don't get three point perspective. Some things could have used more depth, like contours on the human body.
Doesn't include much on designing panels or pages, turn to Scott McCloud or Drawing words writing pictures for more guidance there.
Figure drawing is touched on but doesn't go into character design or facial expression.
Doesn't include much on designing panels or pages, turn to Scott McCloud or Drawing words writing pictures for more guidance there.
Figure drawing is touched on but doesn't go into character design or facial expression.
August 11, 2020
Een bijzonder sterk boek om de fundamenten van het striptekenen te leren. Het boek is rijk geïllustreerd en verspilt weinig ruimte aan overpeinzingen en motivatie. Het richt zich op technieken, vooral traditionele inkt technieken. Tegen het einde stipt het ook nog wat digitale technieken aan, maar dat is niet meer dan een handvol pagina's. Het biedt veel oefeningen om de technieken onder de knie te krijgen en mooie voorbeelden van wat er met die technieken te bereiken valt.
Een absolute aanrader voor wie wil leren striptekenen en van plan is met inkt te werken.
Een absolute aanrader voor wie wil leren striptekenen en van plan is met inkt te werken.
August 26, 2018
This is a good 101 book on how to draw, do perspective, and learn more about art techniques that will be used in general and in the comic book world. There is a whole segment on inking, which makes sense since John Paul Lowe started out as an inker before going on to DC Comics. If you're an advanced artist--not necessarily comic book or sequential artist--and you've read a lot of comics, manga, and manhwa, this book won't provide you with as much information.
May 11, 2023
Covers a lot of ground in the comic industry
This book is full of great ideas for helping people get started in the comic industry, don’t treat this as a how to draw book but more of understanding the ins and outs of comics, though towards the second half of the book, while informative I am a digital painter so I didn’t really pay to much attention to this half of the book which was dedicated to what type of tools to use for creating comics
This book is full of great ideas for helping people get started in the comic industry, don’t treat this as a how to draw book but more of understanding the ins and outs of comics, though towards the second half of the book, while informative I am a digital painter so I didn’t really pay to much attention to this half of the book which was dedicated to what type of tools to use for creating comics
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January 8, 2022Pretty technical. Contains what you might expect - materials, perspective, gesture drawing - art foundations! (Rather than stuff abt comics format and stuff). Tbh it was pretty brief and idk how instructive it really is. Basically just touches on each subject bc the most important thing is just to practice practice practice
January 28, 2019
Not really right for someone who's already an expert in photoshop and planning to create an entire comic digitally, but it would be a good starting point for someone who wanted to create comics with pen and ink.
May 28, 2018
Great book.
Must buy if you want to get to comic's. Just have some knowledge about drawing before buying this book, love this book.
Must buy if you want to get to comic's. Just have some knowledge about drawing before buying this book, love this book.
June 30, 2018
I really enjoyed the section on inking.
January 18, 2020
This is one of the best sequential art books I've read so far
February 3, 2020
An excellent crash course in sequential art; the sections on perspective drawing were really helpful.
*Some nude and sensual figures
*Some nude and sensual figures
March 16, 2017
This is a good book providing a lot of practical exercises and useful approaches for a beginner in sequential art. It holds a good amount of detail on the various topics it covers without overwhelming the inexperienced reader.
However, one central aspect to sequential art that it was lacking was a discussion of how to move from a single panel to a whole page. Lowe discusses sketching pages out with thumbnails, but there is no mention of the relationship between the panels other than how to make them align. I had expected more about various layout options, from the conventional to experimental layouts that create a copletely different sort of tension.
Still, this book has definitely put me in the right mindset to start drawing, whereas I felt overwhelmed by the daunting task beforehand. I will refer back to its useful tips.
However, one central aspect to sequential art that it was lacking was a discussion of how to move from a single panel to a whole page. Lowe discusses sketching pages out with thumbnails, but there is no mention of the relationship between the panels other than how to make them align. I had expected more about various layout options, from the conventional to experimental layouts that create a copletely different sort of tension.
Still, this book has definitely put me in the right mindset to start drawing, whereas I felt overwhelmed by the daunting task beforehand. I will refer back to its useful tips.
August 20, 2014
"Foundations in Comic Book Art" contains concise, easy-to-follow information on the principles of drawing for those interested in sequential art.
Throughout the book, he gave interesting exercises for the reader to do to improve their drawing. The author talked about the basic materials needed to start. He explained freehand drawing, contour lines, perspectives, and figure drawing. He explained some information specific to laying out sequential art and the materials needed to thumbnail, pencil, and ink the images. There were detailed sections on using pen nibs and brushes to ink and basic and advanced inking techniques. There was also a section on using Photoshop to create grids and to add patterns to scanned-in artwork. The illustrations did an excellent job of showing what the author explained in the text.
So it's a very informative and useful book. This book is probably best for a beginner artist interested in drawing comics and the artist who doesn't know the technical processes involved in drawing comics. However, this book didn't go into what it's really like to be involved in comics as an artist or how to best tell a story using the art (since the art carries half the storytelling load in comics). It's also pretty light on using digital tools to make comics. But it does well at what it set out to do.
I received this book from the publisher as a review copy through Blogging For Books.
Throughout the book, he gave interesting exercises for the reader to do to improve their drawing. The author talked about the basic materials needed to start. He explained freehand drawing, contour lines, perspectives, and figure drawing. He explained some information specific to laying out sequential art and the materials needed to thumbnail, pencil, and ink the images. There were detailed sections on using pen nibs and brushes to ink and basic and advanced inking techniques. There was also a section on using Photoshop to create grids and to add patterns to scanned-in artwork. The illustrations did an excellent job of showing what the author explained in the text.
So it's a very informative and useful book. This book is probably best for a beginner artist interested in drawing comics and the artist who doesn't know the technical processes involved in drawing comics. However, this book didn't go into what it's really like to be involved in comics as an artist or how to best tell a story using the art (since the art carries half the storytelling load in comics). It's also pretty light on using digital tools to make comics. But it does well at what it set out to do.
I received this book from the publisher as a review copy through Blogging For Books.
September 6, 2014
The Title Says It All:
I love this book! Fantastic! Awesome. It is fast reading, so fast that I read it in all of two hours, and that was taking it slow. I‘ve always enjoyed reading comic books and even now, I still read a couple now and then. I may be getting older, but I refuse to grow up. If you love comic books or know someone that does, I can recommend you purchase this without hesitation. The title says it all: Comic Book Art Fundamental Tools and techniques for sequential artists. Comic book artists will easily and quickly benefit from this book, but so can any other artist. The book is in full color with sample sketches and step by step instructions.
Written by John Paul Lowe, a teacher at the Savannah College of Art and Design, his career in comics began with DC comics in 1991. Flipping through the nearly heavy stock of this book, you know right away that this author knows what he is talking about.
Examples from the works of SCAD faculty, alumni and students are paired with Lowe’s easy to follow step by step lessons with exercises for readers.
Contents include: Anyone Can Draw, Learning to See, Perspective Basics, The Figure, Visual Problem Solving and Inking.
Overall, a fantastic book that any comic book lover, enthusiast or visual artist will enjoy. This is a treasure.
I love this book! Fantastic! Awesome. It is fast reading, so fast that I read it in all of two hours, and that was taking it slow. I‘ve always enjoyed reading comic books and even now, I still read a couple now and then. I may be getting older, but I refuse to grow up. If you love comic books or know someone that does, I can recommend you purchase this without hesitation. The title says it all: Comic Book Art Fundamental Tools and techniques for sequential artists. Comic book artists will easily and quickly benefit from this book, but so can any other artist. The book is in full color with sample sketches and step by step instructions.
Written by John Paul Lowe, a teacher at the Savannah College of Art and Design, his career in comics began with DC comics in 1991. Flipping through the nearly heavy stock of this book, you know right away that this author knows what he is talking about.
Examples from the works of SCAD faculty, alumni and students are paired with Lowe’s easy to follow step by step lessons with exercises for readers.
Contents include: Anyone Can Draw, Learning to See, Perspective Basics, The Figure, Visual Problem Solving and Inking.
Overall, a fantastic book that any comic book lover, enthusiast or visual artist will enjoy. This is a treasure.
October 1, 2014
As soon as this book came out of the envelope, there was a mad grab for it by my thirteen year old. He's really the only one of us who has any amount of artistic ability (at least when it comes to drawing) and as he flipped through the pages, I could tell that he would be coming back to this book many, many times. When I had a chance to read through it, I was especially taken with the fact that the author appreciates individuality and leads the reader through the book in a series of chapter leading from easiest to most difficult. So long as you don't skip ahead, anyone with artistic drawing ability should be able to follow along and certainly to learn. I know that I learned a lot and while I had a very solid appreciation for what my artist friends do when they work on comics, this just cemented just how awesome that they are. If you have any interest in comic book art, becoming a comic book artist, improving your own artwork or just want to flip through a book with some amazing work in it, written by someone who is down to earth, pick up this book. It's another that I'm suggesting for the holiday gift giving season.
October 6, 2014
This book is fabulous! It covers all the basics of creating great art. It has sections on perspective, figure drawing, and inking. The artwork in the book is amazing, and the advice is solid and easy to understand. While it doesn't cover absolutely everything you need to know about comic book art, it is a great resource to get you started on the right path. I especially liked the section on using photographic reference and turning your friends and family into comic book characters.
This book covers the artistic side of comic books, not the writing or the business end. But if you are serious about becoming a comic book artist, it's a must read. If you are considering buying this book for your child or teen, you should probably look through it first. Like most art books, it has nude figures in it. Learning to draw the human body is part of becoming a great artist, but it makes some people uncomfortable, so I thought I'd mention it.
Content: Nude figures
Source: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book covers the artistic side of comic books, not the writing or the business end. But if you are serious about becoming a comic book artist, it's a must read. If you are considering buying this book for your child or teen, you should probably look through it first. Like most art books, it has nude figures in it. Learning to draw the human body is part of becoming a great artist, but it makes some people uncomfortable, so I thought I'd mention it.
Content: Nude figures
Source: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
January 9, 2024
Not bad, but missing a lot of information I would have thought was important to have in a book about making comics. The scope of the book is very limited - the sections on drawing figures and on composition are disappointingly lacklustre and brief, and there is no discussion of colour whatsoever since the book focuses purely on black-and-white inked comics.
The sections on perspective grids and inking techniques are pretty solid. The inking section particularly gives good, practical advice on creating texture and value using traditional inking media. However, it doesn’t give advice about when to apply these techniques to use them effectively, e.g. how areas of higher contrast draw the eye, how thicker lines can be applied to objects closer in the foreground to give a sense of depth, and so on. The sorts of things that would have also greatly benefited from a more thorough exploration of compositional techniques.
The sections on perspective grids and inking techniques are pretty solid. The inking section particularly gives good, practical advice on creating texture and value using traditional inking media. However, it doesn’t give advice about when to apply these techniques to use them effectively, e.g. how areas of higher contrast draw the eye, how thicker lines can be applied to objects closer in the foreground to give a sense of depth, and so on. The sorts of things that would have also greatly benefited from a more thorough exploration of compositional techniques.
February 1, 2015
What a great book for all young artists. I am teaching high school art and want students to understand what to expect of college professors and real life. You get that here as well as the expected shove in the right direction for sequential artists- which is towards the drawing table it seems...which I love that Mr. Lowe even shows a picture of his work environment. I am also thrilled as a teacher to have some insight in regards to sequential art, constructive drawing, and using Photoshop and Manga. I liked this a lot. Three cheers for encouraging individual expression and hard work.
October 2, 2014
This concise book offers a lot of information for the aspiring graphic storyteller. In particular, the chapters on Inking and Perspective are nicely done. Plus, there is useful information on using Photoshop and Manga Studio. Nothing is covered in great depth, but there's enough material, so that an interested reader will know exactly what they need to study. As a bonus, there is a great full page Mark Shultz illustration, used as an example in the inking section!
April 20, 2016
This is a good reference covering a lot of territory regarding drawing and inking comics. I've come from a fine art and graphic design background, and wanted to learn more about how to apply my skills and creativity to this medium. I highly recommend this book to anyone else interested in fundamentals of making comics, and in particular, for its list of specific tools one should learn to use and love that are not just computer-programs.
May 31, 2016
So much information, but laid out in a very accessible manner. Besides the tendency of books like this to highlight technology (that will undoubtedly change and render that info moot), the info that remains tieless is given to you in a very simple way.
November 15, 2015
Good basics for beginner or intermediate
January 26, 2017
This could almost be a textbook for an introductory level course. It focuses on fundamentals and gives exercises to improve control and learn how to work with materials.
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