Novel vs Graphic Novel

[Miskatonic]

If you want to go w Manga your prospects of finding someone is probably much better than American style since it is WAY easier to learn. I would venture to say that most anyone can pick up Manga. If you have another year or two to dedicate to the project (and if you have a natural eye for perspective and placement) you could pick it up with minimal effort.

I wasn't familiar w Beserk so I just gave it a look. IMO the background art is really well done but the body language is awkward. I did watch Attack on Titan & read Blue Devil and another (can't remember the name atm) but it's difficult to switch back and forth b/n American & Japanese since the pages and dialogue run in opposite directions for top left to bottom right alone I prefer American comics though it has taken me years to start reading Marvel (even then, it's Original Sin so ...) I'm more of an Indie & Dark Horse kind of gal. But I feel like mixing American & Japanese styles has become more trendy in recent years. So ... don't judge but ... my little sisters are virtually obsessed with My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I have to admit- it is actually pretty cute. Anyway, their graphics (in both the comics and tv show) draw on both artistic traditions which gives it a unique look that (as far as children's shows go) I'm not opposed to.


Something else you'll want to look for is an artist that can be consistent. If you were to look at the first few pages of my comic and compare them to the last, you'd see that while my artwork improved through all the practice, the artwork is disjointed and looks like it was made by 2 different people. If you're hoping to publish it (beyond running a webcomic) that continuity will be important.

Quite a few of the 80's cartoons like Transformers and Voltron were done by Japanese studios so they've had an influence in the US for a long time.

When it comes to an artist I definitely want one that is extremely skilled at drawing faces and facial expressions. If I have to bring multiple people into the project that specialize in certain areas like clothing, backgrounds, etc., assuming I have the funds and it's an actual project that we intend to publish, then that would be one way to go. I'm not trying to get every panel to look like a Marvel comics cover page, but on the other hand I'm not looking for the typical artwork we see in shounen Manga like Naruto, which has to be pretty simplistic because of how frequently episodes are released. I think it's close to 700 now which you couldn't do with something like Berserk, which itself was started in the late 80's and has 300+ chapters.

I could certainly pick up enough of the basic stuff to start messing around with panels and basic character design, but truth be told I am extremely intimidated by the thought of learning how to sketch!

 

[TheCatholicCrow]

Quite a few of the 80's cartoons like Transformers and Voltron were done by Japanese studios so they've had an influence in the US for a long time.

I could certainly pick up enough of the basic stuff to start messing around with panels and basic character design, but truth be told I am extremely intimidated by the thought of learning how to sketch!

By recent I generally mean the last generation. Kind of a broad historical view and I should have been more specific. I didn't know that about Transformers. 80's cartoons are a bit before my time but I didn't really grow up watching very much television anyway.

I meant more with things like GIANT starry Manga eyes that take up 2/3rds of their face.

I looked up the Vinland Saga. I quite like the style as well.

Like anything, sketching gets easier with practice. There might be one thing you're great at and another not so much. (For me, fluid body language was hard but I loved detailed backgrounds, hair & clothes... hands and shoes are horrible.) Still, Manga really is much easier than you might think. It doesn't hurt to try -right? You might have some secret natural talent and not even know it.

If you learn best through books, you can always find a bunch of manga how to's @ Michael's and probably JoAnn's as well. Maybe Hobby Lobby - idk. I know I've bought a couple from Michael's though. Otherwise, this youtube channel is amazing if it helps to follow along as you watch someone do it directly.

 

[Miskatonic]

By recent I generally mean the last generation. Kind of a broad historical view and I should have been more specific. I didn't know that about Transformers. 80's cartoons are a bit before my time but I didn't really grow up watching very much television anyway.

I meant more with things like GIANT starry Manga eyes that take up 2/3rds of their face.

I looked up the Vinland Saga. I quite like the style as well.

Like anything, sketching gets easier with practice. There might be one thing you're great at and another not so much. (For me, fluid body language was hard but I loved detailed backgrounds, hair & clothes... hands and shoes are horrible.) Still, Manga really is much easier than you might think. It doesn't hurt to try -right? You might have some secret natural talent and not even know it.

If you learn best through books, you can always find a bunch of manga how to's @ Michael's and probably JoAnn's as well. Maybe Hobby Lobby - idk. I know I've bought a couple from Michael's though. Otherwise, this youtube channel is amazing if it helps to follow along as you watch someone do it directly.

Yeah I subscribed to Mark's channel! It's a great resource. I guess I would describe the characters I like as realistic Manga. I'm not much of a fan of the cutesy stuff that is focused more on young teens. The whole animal ears and tail thing is just bizarre to me. Though I've read that the Japanese really have a passion for things that are cute when it comes to pop culture, so it makes sense in that context.

I have like 6 of those How to Draw Manga books, but they are kind of old and the style is more of what we associate with Manga, the big eyes, no nose, etc. The majority of those how to books focus on that style unfortunately. However learning how to draw the human body, especially faces and the head in general, would be the most beneficial. At least then I could start mocking up character concepts.

From watching Mark's videos it seems like most of the character stuff is a basic outline and then lots of shading to give it detail and depth.

I've been looking at deviant art to see who is offering commission work but a lot of it seems to be amateurs that need a lot more practice before they'll be able to do it for a living.

 

[TheCatholicCrow]

I was thinking about this thread the other day and it dawned on me that I never recommended this -How to Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling.

Sadly, I don't own it but I did check it out from a library several years ago and I remember it being AMAZING! Most of the how-to-draw books are ridiculous and quite often condescending. If you're still interested in making a Graphic Novel or are just interested in seeing a different perspective on them, I can't recommend this highly enough. His artwork is GORGEOUS! He focuses on high contrast images using black and white. If I remember correctly, it also had some great info on capturing the proper visuals for an ethnically diverse cast. I checked it out at least 2 or 3 times... haven't gotten around to buying it yet but definitely plan to.

You're right. Many (how-to) manga books focus on the younger/graphically lighter styles such as Chibi. I think obsessing over "cute" things is not unique to Japan. (S) Korea (and now that I think about it, many of my Chinese friends also) really embrace it.

If you're having a horrible time getting started, perhaps try by tracing over comic art that you already know you like.

Keep us updated!

 

[Miskatonic]

A little late for a new post but I've decided to tackle learning how to draw. Found some good books and sites that focus on the traditional fine art methods.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

It depends on the style you're going for, of course, but one artist who writes decent books is Christopher Hart.

You should judge an art book by its cover.​

This^ one worked for me, especially when it comes to drawing female characters (torso skeleton and proportions), but he's well versed in other styles. I think if you head to your local art supply store, you'll find better books than you would at a book store. (In my case, there's a Michael's in the same lot as B&N.) You're best bet is to figure out what you can already draw, and what artistic style is one or two steps ahead of you. Do that, and you should be able to improve your drawing without getting overwhelmed.

Then draw your characters a lot before attempting a graphic novel. I'm going for a web comic, where improving over time is a little more acceptable. With a comic, it's okay if issue #2 looks better than issue #1, but not okay if page 16 looks noticeably better than page 1.

 

[Miskatonic]

I'm going to go the fine art, classical drawing road and then adapt that to the characters I want to create. Create a solid foundation for drawing everything. Figure drawing, perspective, etc.

I'm probably going to do mainly character design sheets and storyboarding as well. Still want to work with someone eventually.

As far as drawing I'm pretty much a blank slate, which is why I want to start from the basics and move up. I want to be able to draw from the mind and not need to rely on references and photos.