Comic Art Superheroes

Create your own jaw-dropping comic art characters who burst off the page with personality and power!

This is the essential, practical guide to creating believable, unique characters, authored by influential artist Sam Hart - comic book guru of over 30 years.

Aimed at young teens and upwards, this must-have guide is the perfect introduction to creating dynamic, memorable comic book superheroes, supervillains and monsters. With step-by-step instructions and skill-building exercises integrated throughout for fun, fast results, you will build your characters from the ground up:

• Start with a comprehensive introduction to the human form, looking at muscles, movement and amplifying characteristics for a superhuman finish.
• Give your characters charisma and personality through their facial expressions, head movements and masks.
• Clothe your characters: from spandex to fabric, this section contains everything you need to know to give your superhero their vital, identifying costume.
• Translate power onto paper (from flight, strength and speed, to x-ray vision, magic and even weaponry).
• Create believable, dynamic action poses.

Once you master the basics, you’ll move on to advanced skills like creating dramatic perspective, adding narrative and inking to create comic-style tone and shading. Sam also shares special secrets on creating drama and dynamics through layout a key element of comic book art!

Finally you’ll find advice on ensuring artwork is print-ready with resources including blueline pages for showing your professional-quality work.

With a foreword from John Higgins, prominent comic book artist and writer best known for his colouring work on two of the biggest and most groundbreaking graphic novels of all time  Watchmen and The Killing Joke, this is the must-have guide to bringing your own comic art to life.

Book Contents

Foreword by John Higgins 6
Sam Hart 8
Tools and Materials 10

Chapter 1
Body Basics 12
Where to start 14
Exercise: Stickman 15
Muscle and bone 16
Exercise: Beyond Stickman 19
Arms 20
Legs 22
Torso 24
Exercise: Drawing the torso 25
Exercise: Twists and turns 25
Body shape 26
Poses 28
Heroes of all shapes and sizes 30
Villainous designs 32
Making a monster 34
Exercise: Silhouettes 38

Chapter 2
Faces 40
Skull and facial muscles 42
Superheroic and supervillanous faces 44
Different shapes 46
Different angles 48
Expressions 50
Neck and hair 52
‘T’ of the face 54
Aging 56
Exercise: Emojis 58

Chapter 3
Uniforms 60
Spandex and capes 62
Tech 64 Streetwear 66
... And the exotic 67
Fantasy 68
Masks and facial coverings 70
Colours 72
Exercise: Stacking characteristics 74
Exercise: Temperament 76

Chapter 4
Powers 78
What makes a superpower? 80
Magic 82
Elemental forces 84
Rays 86
Visual FX 88
Exercise: Exploring power origins 92

Chapter 5
Action 94
Movement and balance 96
Exaggeration for visual impact 98
Foreshortening 100
Interaction 104
Exercise: Solo to group 106
Exercise: Putting it all together 108

Chapter 6
Extras! Advanced Skills 110
Narrative: building a better comic book 112
Secrets of the page 114
Getting perspective 116
Drawing from life 118
Think ink 120

Chapter 7
Resources 122
Category kickstarters 122
Print size, format and resolution 123
Blueline page 124

Afterword 126
Index 128