How to Draw … Style

How to Draw Tattoo Style || Andy Fish & Veronica Hebard
How to Draw Graphic Novel Style || Andy Fish
How to Draw Manga Style || Ilya-San & Yahya El-Droubie
How to Draw Fantasy Style || Scott Altmann

I’m going to review these as a series because they’re all from the same stable (the packager Quintet, who generally specialise in quite elementary books) and have a broadly similar approach.

The cover blurbs imply that each of them is pretty much the complete guide to their subject and that they’re all you need to master drawing in the style covered. Well, yes, up to a point. The problem is that, although they all give some useful background material and ideas, this is about where the good bit leaves off. The “how to do it” sections are more or less reduced to a description of the sort of things that are possible and some sample illustrations. True, there are a few step-by-steps, but they hardly amount to any kind of coherent progression and certainly wouldn’t form a complete guide that would enable you to master the subject.

If you were buying a book for someone else, perhaps someone who had expressed a mild interest, you might think that these were good value. However, if you have a serious interest and you’re looking for something to get you started or to give you a reasonable amount of ideas, look elsewhere. “Superficial”, that’s the word I’m looking for.

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Draw Gothic || Gecko Keck

There’s been no end of fantasy art instructional titles, covering every imaginable aspect of the form but, as far as I know, Goth art is to date a neglected field. It would be unfair of me to say that, from this offering, I can see why and I won’t because it’s not my field. The desire to wear black clothes and white slap has passed me by, but Goth is a well-established culture and it’s inconceivable that there isn’t an art form associated with it.

Whether this book is any good is something I can’t tell you because I don’t find the results attractive. What I can say, however, is that it goes through all the right motions and that the instructions and demonstrations are clear and well laid out.

http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=artbookreview-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=0M5A6TN3AXP2JHJBWT02&asins=1844484769