By Selena Lin (TokyoPop)
ISBN: 978-1-42781-023-6
I don’t know if it’s possible for an entire genre – or possibly culture – to be shallow but the Japanese creators of Manga are obsessed with the word “Cuteâ€. That’s not in any way a value judgement but it does make this rather good beginners manual in the arts of making comics Eastern-style just a wee bit cloying unless you’re the ten year old girl it’s aimed at: and maybe even for them too.
And that’s a genuine pity as this book has a lot of solid advice and information which could benefit any would-be creator who wants to experiment with the medium. Broken down into five basic lessons Manga drawing tools and supplies, Getting Ready to Draw, Creating Finished Work, Special Techniques for Manga Creators, and Colouring. This slim tome covers all the necessary basics with simple instructions (even on the eternal artist’s bugbear Perspective) whilst the section on applying tones with a computer even taught me a few things.
Aimed primarily – if not exclusively – at young girls this is a valuable aid to learning your craft, but maybe you’d best keep a bag of lemon drops handy to counter the sugary taste.
© 2004 Selena Lin. English translation © 2008 TokyoPop Inc. All Rights Reserved.