20 February 2008, 3:30 AM
I have been practicing in preparation for drawing a full comic/manga/whatever for quite some time now, and as I've been working, the following two books have proven really useful for me.
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way (Paperback):
http://www.amazon.com/How-Draw-Comics-Ma...963&sr=8-1
Despite the title, it's a very good primer on how to get the basics of sequential art done and done right. It was written during the peak of Marvel, I think, and they do a great job of simple and easy-to-understand art and layout. This is a good place to start before moving onto more complex concepts in comic layout and planning.
Comics & Sequential Art (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Comics-Sequential-...999&sr=8-3
Will Eisner was a master of the form, and this is a scholarly analysis of how comics work, and how they can be made to work. I think you should read this one after the first, as it is pretty complex and can be hard to work through as a result.
And personally, I've found that the most important thing I can do is draw all the layout on scrap paper before doing anything to the full pages. This lets me re-arrange and redesign panels until I'm content with the layout and look. It also helps me to visualize the scene, which makes it easier to draw things and have them look alright, especially in the detail department.
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way (Paperback):
http://www.amazon.com/How-Draw-Comics-Ma...963&sr=8-1
Despite the title, it's a very good primer on how to get the basics of sequential art done and done right. It was written during the peak of Marvel, I think, and they do a great job of simple and easy-to-understand art and layout. This is a good place to start before moving onto more complex concepts in comic layout and planning.
Comics & Sequential Art (Paperback)
http://www.amazon.com/Comics-Sequential-...999&sr=8-3
Will Eisner was a master of the form, and this is a scholarly analysis of how comics work, and how they can be made to work. I think you should read this one after the first, as it is pretty complex and can be hard to work through as a result.
And personally, I've found that the most important thing I can do is draw all the layout on scrap paper before doing anything to the full pages. This lets me re-arrange and redesign panels until I'm content with the layout and look. It also helps me to visualize the scene, which makes it easier to draw things and have them look alright, especially in the detail department.