Working Methods: Comic Creators Detail Their Storytelling And Artistic Processes

By Scott Hampton, John Lowe, Mark Schultz

Professional comic artists interpret scripts every day as they successfullytransform the written word into the visual form. However, rarely do we get toexamine the process that is unique to each artist. Unlike any other "how-to"book, Working Methods puts the minds of comic artists under the microscope, highlighting the intricacies of the creative process step by step. For thisbook, three short scripts are each interpreted in different ways by professionalcomic artists to illustrate the varied ways in which they "see" and "solve" theproblem of making a script succeed in comic form. Working Methodsdocuments the creative and technical choices Mark Schultz, Tim Levins, JimMahfood, Scott Hampton, Kelsey Shannon, Chris Brunner, Sean Murphy and Pat Quinnmake as they tell a story, thus allowing comic fans, artists, instructors, andstudents into a world rarely explored. Hundreds of illustrated examples documentthe artists' processes, and interviews clarify their individual approachesregarding storytelling and layout choices. In Working Methods, theexercise may be simple, but the results are profoundly complex.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 189390573X
• ISBN13: 9781893905733
• Release Date: June 2007
• Publisher: Two Morrows Publishing
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 8.5" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

A veritable font of information.

A wide range of artistic styles and working methods. Shows the entire process as well as a reproduction of the finished piece. Great book to own.

Unique

This book is exactly what the title says. There are 3 scripts, each penciled by 2 or 3 different artists. There is also an interview with each artist about his Working Methods on that particular script and in general. A great read, they should make more like this.

Like the Books title says

I enjoyed this book very much. What is interesting is that although the artist's styles range from straight to cartoony, they all face the same storytelling issues. And that's what the majority of comics concern themselves with: storytelling. Each artist gives a rundown on how he approaches the comic he has to draw, from the types of pencils and pens/brushes used to even, in some cases, the size of paper, down to the finishes. It's all very clear. If you can't be at the side of the artist when he creates the work, this is a great substitute. I do have one quibble, despite a five star rating (for editorial content). For whatever reason, the publishers chose to present the question asked in a plain text and the artist's answers in italics which is inverse to how these things are usually presented. But that's a minor quibble (maybe it only bugs me). Otherwise, buy this book. You won't be disappointed.

Want to know how comics are made?

This book is an excellent way to see the creative process on how comic book writers and artists come up with ideas! I have enjoyed the book quite a bit and reccomend it to anybody wanting to know more about the process in which comics are written and drawn! Awesome book! A must-read for wannabe comic book creators like me.