Comic Art Now

by Dez Skinn and Mark Millar

Book Overview

Comic art has finally reached acceptance as a legitimate and important art form in its own right, and is a source of inspiration for musicians, fashion designers, and Hollywood directors. In Comic Art... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061447390
• ISBN13: 9780061447396
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Harper Design
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 2.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 10.0" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

Comic Art Now

I love this book. Im am still taking it every place I go. As a student of Graphic Design and Illustration, it is very helpful to see who the current favorites are in the industry. Lots to know! Also the back of the book has lots of contact info and web info. This book has inspired me all over again!! Michael

A Cornucopia of Art Styles

OK, quick question...Is comic book art better today than it was 25 years ago? I'm betting most of you will say yes. You may be right, but then again, you may be wrong. It's an ages old argument when comparing eras. You hear it in sports all the time. Who is the better golfer, Tiger Woods or Arnold Palmer? It might be easy to say Tiger Woods but Palmer didn't have the advantage of playing with today's precision engineered titanium clubs that allow golfers to hit the ball further and more accurate than ever. When Palmer used a wood club, it was actually made of wood! Much the same can be said of today's comic book art. Artists today have the advantage of superior printing and coloring processes. 25 years ago, art could not extend to the very edge of the page and had to be enclosed within panels. The colors were often dull and don't hold up very well over time thanks to the cheap newsprint paper. It's virtually the first thing you notice in today's comics. The art is bolder and brighter with an unlimited color palette. The advent of computer programs like Photoshop and Corel Painter gives artists the ability to produce effects that they either could not do by hand, or would be too time consuming to do by hand. Comic Art Now is the perfect showcase for these techniques with its international sampling of comic art from various genres. Nearly every piece of art in the book was either created or finished in one of the programs I mentioned. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but what might a Neal Adams, Jim Steranko, Barry Windsor-Smith or Berni Wrightson had been able to produce if they had these programs 30 years ago? British comic book editor and comic expert Dez Skinn is your host for a look at the best in modern comic art and it's a great book for aspiring comic artists. Each piece of art includes the title of the piece, the artist, the methods used on the piece, the artists e-mail address and/or website address (don't bug them too much) and comments from Skinn and the artist on each piece of art. Would-be artists should pay particular attention to the comments as they often pass along valuable tips. "Heroes and Villains" is the opening chapter and features the premier characters of comics, the superheroes! Michael Golden's outstanding "The Silder Surfer Strikes" is one of the true highlights of the entire book. It's an homage to the silver age and Jack Kirby in particular, but aided by Photoshop to achieve a look of movement that you could not achieve with a mere hand-drawn and colored piece. Following "Heroes and Villains" comes chapters on Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Horror, Humor, and Comic Noir. Not all the art is digitally created or enhanced, however. Some of the best pieces in the book come from veterans like Mike Ploog who provide some incredible examples produced solely in pencil or pen and ink, such as his whimsical "The Bridge" which fans of Marvel's 1970's fantasy series Weirdworld, will certainly appreciate. Wh

Celebrating the best in comics art

Over 100 artists are featured in Comic Art Now -- a great selection of sample art from artists from the US, UK, Brazil, Sweden, Manila, Tokyo, Singapore, Bulgaria and more, as well as their contact details. Some genres such as humour are under represented but what has been included is the cre3am of the crop, with some stunning samples from the likes of Sam Hart, Neill Cameron, John Higgins, John Hayward and other top artists. It's definitely a useful product but I hope the publishers expand on the title in future editions.Comic Art Now