Saturday, June 5, 2010

How to draw the animated style

Animated heroes (in blue) are less rugged and grungy than those in comic books (in black}. They don't look as though they've been through a war. Although heroines are attractive, they aren't as overtly sexy, because the average animation viewer is younger than the average comic book reader - and the characters must be age-appropriate. Still, animated shows make up for this with clever line-work and imagery. Just look at the impressive design-work in the Batman Beyond series. 

ANIMATION:  AN OPTION FOR YOU?

Industries operate in a cyclical way; when some doors shut others open. Animation provides good opportunities for comic book artists to use their talents and make professional contacts. Plus, animation isn't relegated to television anymore. It includes all sorts of computer and internet applications. It's also a good strategic career move to have several sources of income. Sometimes, the producers of an animated show or webcast will be in a scheduling panic and will pay handsomely to get character designs done quickly. This is because they can't begin production until the characters are locked in place. Often, they'll look to comic book artists to create these designs, hiring animators later on to do the actual animating. These gigs are often short-term but pay quite well.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Male vs. Female eyes



MALE vs. FEMALE EYES.
The male eye is narrower and more rectangular, whereas the female eye is more tear shaped. Draw the male upper eyelid with a heavy line but the lower eyelid with a thin one. Both eyelids on the female eye are drawn with heavy lines. It's sometimes thought - erroneously - that thick eyebrows are only for men. But fuller eyebrows are great for drawing attractive women, too. Some famous models, such as Cindy Crawford and Brooke Shields, have fuller eyebrows, which draw attention to the eyes and can underscore a sultry look. Pencil - thin eyebrows have little impact.



IMPORTANT EYE TIP.
Whether you're drawing men's eyes or women's eyes, the top eyelid should touch or cover part of the iris. Don't leave any white space between the upper eyelid and the iris - unless it's for a specific expression, such as shock or surprise.










FEMALE LASH CONSTRUCTION.
Women's eyelashes are grouped together in a thick line, if you draw each individual lash, the result will look spidery.






P.S. The material is taken from the book "Christopher Hart - Drawing Cutting Edge Anatomy."

Monday, May 31, 2010

How to draw eyes

When focusing on the details of the human body, the first order of business is the most important feature of the face: the eyes. Eyes can make a character look beautiful, seductive, evil, insane, charismatic, or determined. Well-drawn eyes give characters that extra sparkle that makes them memorable.
Remember that the eye is a three-dimensional sphere inside the head. The eyelid is tugged over it. It's this stretching of the eyelid that creates the almond-shaped look of the eye. The upper eyelid slants down severely near the tear duct. Both upper and lower eyelids have thickness, so each is drawn as a double line, or with one thick black line to indicate lashes. The lashes become thicker toward the outer edge of the eye.
The eyebrow is drawn on an arch that dips at both ends. Try practicing the eyes on this page. The various angles and expressions will give you a greater understanding of the form.


P.S. The material is taken from the book "Christopher Hart - Drawing Cutting Edge Anatomy."

Saturday, May 29, 2010

How to draw muscles in profile

Muscles that looked slender from the front, such as the vastus externus (outer thigh muscle), are often revealed to actually be quite massive when viewed from the side. The external obliques are prominent at this angle. And the entire deltoid (shoulder)muscle group-which is really comprised of three heads (front, middle, and back)—is overpowering on the male figure in this view. Note, too, how the collarbone juts out slightly at the bottom of the neck on both the male and female figure.


P.S. The material is taken from the book "Christopher Hart - Drawing Cutting Edge Anatomy."

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Female hands...

Female front...

Women have a higher percentage of body fat than men (just don't tell them that). On comic book figures, you indicate this body fat by creating fuller curves without high definition. That's not to say that the comic book woman is soft, but her muscles are long and lean—and don't "bunch" like the muscles on a comic book man. You don't want her looking like a female professional bodybuilder. Think more in terms of her being a toned athlete with looks that could kill.


P.S. The material is taken from the book "Christopher Hart - Drawing Cutting Edge Anatomy."

Female back...

When comparing female anatomy to male anatomy, the first thing you'll notice is that her lats don't give her that wide-back look. Also, her traps aren't an accentuated muscle group because she needs a long, supple neck to retain her femininity. Never draw her external obliques as separate muscles, as they appear on a man; there's no "bump out" of the obliques. And, she has wide hips and full, muscular thighs. Also, square-not drooping-shoulders are a feminine look.


P.S. The material is taken from the book "Christopher Hart - Drawing Cutting Edge Anatomy."

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Hero muscles...

You can't fight bad guys unless you have big biceps and a few other oversized muscle groups. Again, there's no need to memorize these. Just familiarize yourself Each group of muscles interlaces with the next group, and so on. I'll go through each individual muscle group step by step in a clear, easy - to - follow method so that you'll get it. "Go slow" is the key to our approach. And note a new point to remember here. The secret to drawing strong characters is threefold: make 'em wide on top, narrow at the waist, and big in the legs. Look to "bunch" the shorter, more compact muscles of the upper torso (the abs, pecs, and delts). Look to create striations (long lines of definition) on the longer, thinner muscles of the legs (the thigh and calf muscles).


P.S. The material is taken from the book "Christopher Hart - Drawing Cutting Edge Anatomy."

Hero back...

The "lats" (you bodybuilders know that lats stands for latissimus dorsi) dominate the back. The shoulders top the lats off with even more width. The "traps" (more bodybuilding lingo for the trapezius) gives the neck a hunched look, which is excellent for highlighting brute strength. The gastrocnemius (calf) is the biceps of the lower leg and bulges accordingly. The external obliques (what your girlfriend derisively calls your love handles) are actually muscles that you would see if you ever lost those last ten pounds.


P.S. The material is taken from the book "Christopher Hart - Drawing Cutting Edge Anatomy."

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Classic heroine body...

She's also eight to  ten heads tall but, in most cases, will have a smidgen of extra length due to her high heels. And, don't overlook this fine point: Her shoulders should be wider than her hips. Don't be afraid to give her wide shoulders. It won't make her look masculine. In fact, it's just the opposite. Wide shoulders and wide hips, connected by a narrow waist, are extremely sexy. What you want to avoid is giving her thick neck muscles and large shoulder muscles. In addition, her legs can be muscular, but they should also be sleek and shapely.


P.S. The material is taken from the book "Christopher Hart - Drawing Cutting Edge Comics."

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Classic hero body...

This is a durable body type. This guy can be a hero, antihero, or leading man with no particular powers. Either way, he's athletic in appearance but not suffocating in his own muscles. He's driven by personality more than physique and physical stature. The average person is six to seven head-lengths tall. The classic comic book hero is eight to ten heads tall, this makes him appear more impressive.




P.S. The material is taken from the book "Christopher Hart - Drawing Cutting Edge Comics."

Friday, May 14, 2010

How to draw man's head...

1. Start with the basic outline of the head, which is a combination of the skull  and jaw.Note that over half the head in the skull area is represented by a globe.
2. The eyebrows fall a little more than halfway down the globe, and the eyes are a lot lower down on the face than you probably thought they were.The tops of the ears are even with the eyebrows. And the bottoms of the ears are even with the bottom of the nose, which also happens to fall at the same point as the bottom of the globe.From the bottom of the nose to the chin, divide the face into thirds by drawing two horizontal marks.The top mark is where the lips meet; the bottom one is the crest of the chin.Give him inward-sloping curves along the forehead. This is very important.They meet the eyebrows at the point where the eyebrows change Direction and turn in toward the bridge of the nose.
3. Details, details. Most beginners start off drawing the details because it's fun. 
Delay gratification until everything is locked in place, pals; it'll pay off. Then it's time to noodle with the image. Add those sleek contours that travel diagonally from the cheekbones to the chin.
4. Finally, tighten everything up and erase any guidelines.


P.S. The material is taken from the book "Christopher Hart - Drawing Cutting Edge Comics."

Thursday, May 13, 2010

How to draw female head...

Same deal, different head. Proportionwise and placementwise, the structure is basically the same as that of a man. You've still got the skull/jaw combo, and you tick off the horizontal guidelines in the same spots. Now come the differences. Leave off the contour lines of the forehead in the finished drawing. Anything that articulates the bone structure of the face, such as those forehead contour lines, makes her look more masculine. The exception is cheekbones, which are very sexy on women. The forehead should look totally smooth - not  a wrinkle on it.
Soften the angles of her jaw and chin. Raise the outside of her eyes slightly. Fill out  the lips (as if you didn't already do that!)and ease up on the    bridge of the nose or omit it entirely.


P.S. The material is taken from the book "Christopher Hart - Drawing Cutting Edge Comics."