I,

I --

Everyone at Watson-Guptill.

!xtcutiw Editor. Candace Raney

De1lgn md color. KADA Design, Inc.
front cover delign: KADA Del!gn, Inc.
Smlor Production Manager: Ellen Greene
Published in 2005 by Watson-Guptill PubUcations
a division of VNU Busineu Media, Inc.
770 Bro.tdway
New York, NY 10003
-w.wgpub.com
Copyright <Q 2005 Art Studio LLC

Ubruy of Coapele c:ataloglng.ba-I'Uitcation Data

Dart, Chriatopher.
Drawing cutting edge fuaion :
American comics with a mmga influence I Christopher Dart.
p. em.
Includes Index.
ISBN 0-823001601 (pbk.)
1. Dumm bebags-carlcaturea and cartoons. 2. Action in
art. 3. Cartooning- Technique. 4. Comic books, strips, etc.-United
State1-TechniquL 5. Comic books, strips, etc.-Japan- Technique.
1. Title.
NC1764.B.BB4H3B 2005
741.5'973- dc22
2005014139
AU rights reserved. No part of thil pubUcation may be reproduced or
used in any form or by any means-graphic, electronic, or mechanical,
Including photocopying, recording, or information storage-and-retrieval
systems- without the written permluion of the publisher.
Printed in the United States of America
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9/13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 OS

Jfnky Coronado: 48-51

Roger Cruz: 13, 34- 41
Chris Hart: 11 (all except left image), 12
(all except bottom right), 16 (all except
bottom image), 17 (top right, bottom
left), 22-33
Fabio Laguna: 116-119, 126-143
Phil Moy: 102-116, 120-125
Khary Randolph: 2-3, 6, 76-85, 88-93
Diogo Saito: 60-61, 63-75
Steven Segovia: 8-9, 11 (left), 12 (bottom
right), 15, 16 (bottom), 17 (top left,
bottom right), 18-21, 42-47, 52-59,
86-87, 94, 95-101

lntrodurhon

Sltrh rhoroders
FUSION MeN
HeADTII:fS
FUSION FeMA(..e5
w AND "DDWN ANGt,e5

ft o t AnnfOAIJ
FUSION MUSCI,e5: nre MeN
MUSCt,eS IN ~OFII,e
MUSCI,e5 FfZOM nre BACK
FUSION Mt.JSCI,e5: THe WOMeN
FeMAI,e MUSCI,e5 IN ~OFII,e
FeMAt.6 MUSCt,es FfZOM iH6 BACK
nre CONC6PTS IN USe
TU12NIN6 STANDARD INtO FUSION
STANDARD VS. FUSION H6120
DI2AWIN6 iH6 80DV FfZOM A(..t, ANGt,eS
FINeSSING TH6 FUSION FeMAI,6 FOI2M

10
13

18

20
22
2/.f
26
28

30
32

3'f
3q

Po e

P51Qn

fi More

THe WIDe SHOT

POSrrtONING IH6 DOMINANI CHARACrel2
D61'Ait,S AND SKINNV PAN61-5
Til,liNG IH6 HOI21ZON I.IN6
FUSION LINe QUA1,11V
FUSION SHADING
1-IGHI, SHADOW, AND MOOD
THe MOON AS A LIGHT 50UI2C6
EDGe LIGHIING
OTH612 LIGHTING EFFeCTS
SOUND EFFeCI L6'T'Tei21Ne

G
88
sq
qo
q1

qz
qi.f
q6

'f7

qa

qq
101

fortoon u51on

102

THe BASICS
IH6 FACe tiP Ct..DSe

10'1
105

nre FeMAI,e FACe liP aose

10s
110

from eolltg to fontosu

S2

CArrrOON FUSION EXPI26SSIONS

THe CArrrOON FUSION H6120
Tfofe CARIOON FUSION H61201N6
SUPPOIZTING CffARACT612S
HANDS
DIFFereNt AGes
AMAZING SII-HOU6TT66

TI2ANSFOI2MING A CHARACT612 WrrH Ct,OTH6S

A COStuMe STAPt,e
WINGS AND HOI2NS
D12AMA VS. SUP612POWei2S

5/.f
56

Drowmq ~tmn

128

57
58

H rdore Heroes

GO

72
7/.f

THe I.IN6 OF ACIION

MOI26 ACrtON POSeS
MAKING CONiACI: FIGHI SC6N65
THe Tffre6 STAGes OF A PUNCH
FINDING iH6 121Gffl DISIANC6
THe POSIIMPACI SPt.ATT612
ADVANC6D PUNCHeS
BAI,ANCe AND MOMetmJM
GIANII20801S
56A MONST612S CArrrOON-FUSION SiVI-6
LAND MONST612S

128
12q
130
131
132
13'f
135
136
138

4rtmn-Hero Fusmn

78

Index

MASKS AND MOI26

BODV A'Ti'IIUD6

78
7q

~
FOWeR OF GUWT CHARAC1"6I2S
FUSION AND MeCHA
G6111NG POWel2 FfZOM P612SP6CIIV6
SUPei2CUI2V6S

83
8'f
85

ordrobe:

Klt,t,el2 ON TH6 EDGe

FeMAt.6 rl6SISTANCe FIGHI612
MAI,e lreSISIANCe FIGHI612
TeAM t,e;AD612
MAI,e TeeNAGe FIGHT612 PII,,T
F6MAI,e TeeNAGe FIGHI612 PII,,T

nre

'iO
'f2
'iS

62

66
68
70

sz

112

113
11'i
116
120
122

WO
W2

omic book artists have to stay

current to be on top of their game. As new
styles emerge and gain popularity, artists
either adapt or go the way of the dinosaur.
No one who reads comics can be oblivious to
the huge impact manga has had on the
industry. What started out as a trend has
quickly turned into a colossal category that's
here to stay.
Artists are quick to capitalize on the next
new thing. But rather than attempting to
create a clumsy imitation of manga
(Japanese comics), American comic book
artists have selected the coolest stylistic
elements of manga and merged them with
the mainstream American style of comics.
The result is Fusion. It's bold and powerfuljust as you'd expect from American comicsbut with the elegance and gracefulness of
Japanese comics. It's a sleeker, trendier look
that focuses on characters with style and
charisma rather than on overblown muscles
and capes. The major comic book publishing
houses, as well as the independents, have
been working in this style for a while. Isn't
it time you hopped on board?
Many American artists who don't
necessarily want to draw manga nevertheless
would like to incorporate some of its
influence in their work, in order to stay edgy

and relevant. No matter what kind of

comics you like to draw, Drawing
Cutting Edge Fusion will enhance your
skills because it covers all aspects of
comic book art, including: simplified
anatomy, the use of the line of action,
the creation of effective silhouettes,
the staging of fight scenes,
foreshortening, costume design, comic
book panel design, and more.
This book also focuses on the cartoon
style of Fusion, a new trend gaining
popularity not only in comic books but
in television animation, as well (a field
in which many comics artists find
successful careers as character designers,
storyboard artists, and creative
producers). This appealing style also
belongs in your artistic repertoire.
And, as with all my books, my aim is to
give you a complete course in drawing
comics, with all the necessary basic,
intermediate, and advanced techniques.
This book contains many never-beforerevealed secrets that the pros use to create
amazing comic book images. If you want to
draw comics, you can benefit from this
book. Comics are an ever-evolving art form,
and every artist needs an edge. Fusion can
give you that edge.

, \"

AS""'""" c\-\i"' cveoo.t-es

oo. s'ee~ev ~oo.ce.

-r\-\e v.yyev Yi.y i.s

t-1.-\\'o\ 'ov.\- st-i" s\-\ows
so""'e t-1.-\ic~\\ess.

~e 1.-\oo.iv 1.-\oo.S t-1.-\e t-yyic"'-' s\-\oo.v\'

eJ..~es ~ ""'"""'~""' 'ov.\- it- C"'-"'""'so oo.f\'eoo.v s~

r~~e se:ar:ro,vs
oFr~~e,vose

~~~
~\ l fLCT>.

THE!'Nostr HAS "f'H~

11,41/J SE"C.T/0/JS:
1 5/NU'511f.!811 CYoi.II<Now, WH~
You~ IHI!"Hi!"I1PI1ci{f!'$.J
;!.

/J.Ii!/p~(W'.I"Pa= lfl1t.F IS ~NE;

~WeE lfl1t.P IS c.,tll-rt~

~ np 11NP Nosrnu (11tt- t:'.,llf.!rlt-.4~

When the head turns to a 3/4 vieW, the sharp jawline emphasizes the sleek look.

Mill.i~Motl {!otciotl

cveotse li11.es
(1.\ll.less si-vo~~_~
e~Mono~~_ is expv-esse.A)
Ele~otll.f- eyes

Trod1f1onof

Heotvy
cheekboll.e
cveotse

The head Cdn be dMded Into rougJW

equa~ thirds from top to bottom The

Jaw, which ~s up the lOWest thfrd.
is itself SUbdivided Into thirds here to
aid in the Placement of the mouth,
which falls on the upper subdivision

line. The space bewtween the eyes is

equa~ to the width of the nose at the

outer sides of the nostrils,

and each

eye is also about this same width.

'W}1e'f\ dfawlt\g

oeautifu\ wotnel'4
focUS ptiynarUy
of\ their eyes.

 {~ -.\
.

.........

j
Y,o\\e)' ~oi.w\- "'\\-\~ o~ eye'ovOW

~vo\-v'-'.::keS s\i.~V-\-\y.

I
I

A\l of you comic boo\< fans who are familiar

with manga won't be able to help but notice
the manga influence in this pose. The face is
soft and round, and the chin comes to a sleek
point-that's so
The nose is small
and upturned-again, the manga influence.
And strands of hair fall in front of the ears.
What is that, class? Manga influence~

manga~

Over-the-Shoulder Glome
Very appealing on female characters, the shoulder upjchin

down pose is playfully seductive.

The Of..\Hil\e o.P

.PG'\c e is SL\bHe.

Borh of the Heod: The floss1r "D10Iogue Pose"

Here's an essential pose for draWing two characte,. halring a conver>ation. Th;s is the position
relatively
easy tofigure.
draw. You rarely see beginners using this pose, although they should. And it's
for the listening

UI\.:Aevsi.:Ae o.P jG'I.w

14-\f..\S~ be visible.

tx\n~me "Up" Anq\e

t.yes 17\VI.J..
.....ose ~17\" oVI.
Sl7\""'e 17\vc.

Sbqb\ "Up" Anq\e

Neutral Angle

Blrght "Down" Angle

Ncse ot\\.A lips

"lYe clcsevi-cjei-1-.ev-.

Extreme "Down" Angle

Tip c.P \\cse

p01.v-i-i otll'y

cvev-lotps
L\ppev- lip.

Stm~tlttted

foundo\ton
lhis basic foundation has all you
need to draw the heroic, male
figure. once you have this in place,
you can decide hoW much muscular
definition to add.

~t-ev\\oc\eiJ..o"""e~~.s+-oiJ..ev.s

(wow, w\\e~~.\- 01. """ov.t-\\~v.\\)

<Sevve~~.\-V.S e~~.\\t-eviOY
(-r'Aese e~~.ve t-\\e
"""v.sc\es covevi"-B
t-\\e vi'o ce~~.~e. '(ov.
\t-e~~.ve \-0 -oe vevy

"""v.scv.\e~~.v ~o.,
t-\\ese t-o s\t-ow.)

b:.t-ev\\01.\ o'o\iqv.e
t(es, v.\\J..ev 01."
t-\\e~~.t- ~01.\- t-\t-eve' s 01.
"""v.sc\e. A"-J.. yov.' J..
\;..\\OW i\- i~ yov.
cov.\J.. st-e~~.y e~~.we~~.'l

~vo""" t-\t-ose ~vies\)

A'oJ..o"""i"'e~~.\s (-r'Ae

\owes\- sect-'lo"- ~
e~~.'oS 'ls t-\t-e \o\\~est-.)

MDJDr roml[

Booh Mus1l~s
Many aspiring artists give up on anatomy,
because it seems so complex. And it
seems so complex because too many
books focus on each muscle with equal
emphasis. Listen up: You don't have to
know every single one of the over five
hundred muscles in the body to have a
working familiarity with anatomy. These
are the major comic book muscles.
These, you need to know-but you
don't need to memorize the Latin
names. I've listed them just
in case you're interested.

This cl1art shows how the muscles appear

through the skin.~ it's the most important
muscle cl1art because we usually see people
with their skin on. If you look closely, you'll eee
that: some of the muscles have sofl:ened as
compared to the figure on the opposite page,
while others remain just as articulated By
varying the intensity of the muscles, you do
two things: CV You give the eye places to rest
when every inch of the body is not busy with
stressed muscles, and (2) you add vtsual
pacing, varying the look rather than l1avbtg a
one-note representation.

5tmvbtu~d toundotton
--rv..e J,.o~eJ. \i.\\e ver(ese\\1-s
t-V..e cv..we ~ \-V..e 'o"'-c~,
1,.-..i.J.J.e\\ 'oy \-V..e .:~~.vV/1..

--r\.\i.s

.:~~.ve"'- ~voJ.v..ces t-V..e

V~~."'-~ov, J.e~i."'i."'~ cv..V\Je o~

t-V..e ov..t-ev

t-\.\i.~k

Gi."'"''" c.:~~.W o,M.v..sc\es

.:~~.ve \-'fflC"'-' i.\\ coV~~.i.C
'oOO~ cV...:~~.v.:~~.&evs.

""\\.\e e"'J.

o~ \-V..e \e~ 'oo"'e

(~i.'oi..:ll.) \.\.:11.$ .:11. \\.:11.\-V..V.:II.\ 'oV..\~e

t-V...:~~.\- cve.:~~.\-eS \-V..e "'"'~\e.

MOJor rom1r Booh Muscles

The deltoid has
three pmts:
A the outer head,
B the middle head, and
C the inner head.
This is useful, because if
you want to add extra
def'tnition, you can
delineate tl10se three
sections.

Ul"ot

(A bo"e, 1\ot- ot IML\scle,

+-he L\11\ot pvof-vL\.Aes otf~e wvisf- 0\1\.:A CYeotf-es
+-he 1\otf-L\votl bL\I~e
wheve +-he otv~M bol\es
c o""eci- +-o +-he elbow.)

,.---,-~-- FibL\Iot

(A bo"e, 1\of- ot
IML\scle, +-he
.PibL\Iot bL\I~es ottit-s f-op ei\.A,
cveotf-i"~ ot
lit-t-le hob
+-he OL\f-si.:Ae o.P
+-he \c.l\ee.)

o"

\,.0\t-tssi.IMV.S J-ovsi.
1
(ov ''\0\T-$ ~

~___,..---

\..i.\\e o~
i.\\\\ev
\ e~ i.s
s\-vt'\i.~'-"T-

ov.t-ev 0\\\\:.\ e
'()o\\e i.s
\owev t-\,.-,0\\\
i.\\\\ev o\\e.

BOSI[ romll Booh Musdes

Sevel\i-h vevi-ebv.,_e
(This vevi-ebv.,.e is
visible o" i-he
l.\1\cloi-heJ. b.,.ck.)

eli-oiJ.

Tviceps
Cll\1\ev
he.,.J.)
Tviceps
(ol.\i-ev he.,.J.)

"\\\,

,;.'

_ ;.)/
~

'

jll

\,I, ' )

'"" (
I

~~~

' '

Suupbtled toundot,on

-(\.o~ l-> .,.vsc~\" 'I

t-'v-.e $'v-.OV.\J.ev$ (71.Ve
..._ot- ovev\y \t?l.v~e.

A\rn for \ol'\9

svreep\r\9 c1,U"t'eS

Bosrr romrr Booh Musdes

Coll"tv bo~e
(~is s~ows o~
-el.'\oo.le c~"tv"tcf-evs,
especi"tlly +-~e hobs
"tf-

+-~e e~c::A.s.)

Del+-oi.J.
Bo+-tol<o\ o.f!
vib C"t8e
o~'+- s~ow
J.e.f!i~e.J. vib

"-\V.scles o~
.f!el<o\"tle
~<1\v"tcf-evs.)

Pec+-ov"tlis
1'-\~0Y

Biceps

Ab.J.ol.'\i~"tls
( 0~ \.vOI<o\e~,
+-~e ov.+-li~e
o.f! +-~e "tbs
looks like
"t violi~.)

:J

StmtJ\ttu~d

foundo\ton

~e c111.'f'.Je \\\ \-\1\e

S""'~" o~ \-\1\e "~c\:.

\s e'l'~~~ev~\-eJ-.

Bnstr romtr Booh Musdes

( \

Del~oi"*

roo~ ~ -*e.Pi~e ~~e

~~vee -*el~oi"* po\V+s
0~ 0\ WOIA-\0\~
0\S )'OL\ IA-\i~~~
0~ 0\ ""'""~.)
Peci-ov.,..lis IA-\~ov
(Fov wOIA-\e~, ~~eve 1s
~0 oL\lk ov -*e.Pi~i~io~
0 ~ ~~is IA-\L\scle

------...,....

w~.,..~oevev!)

Tviceps
Biceps

Biceps .Pe!Ao\ovis

. _______

Stm\Jbtted toundotton

Bos1r rom1rBooh Muscles

Gv-e""t f-v-od"""~ttev
("This is +-he bi,<,
socket .Pov- +-he H\i~h
bo~tei it jives +-he
hips +-1-.etv- wi-'*tk)
elvis (This is bo~te,
ttot 1.<\l..\scle, bl..\t it's
1.<\pov-t""ltt becO\l..\Se
t ~ives +-he hips
~eiv- wi.,,..tk)

f\eJ<OV

COl."\'\
vOI.J..\01.\\S

nas

The torso
the most
muscle derznition because
the muscles are compact
and they ClWich down on

one another, whereas the leg

muscles are longer and leaner.

The biceps "~"'.,~.

hiceps IA1L\Scles <'~ve

sep"~v<'~f-eJ. by "~ +-hi"'

"'11-\Scle c<'~lleJ. +-he

COY<'\CObv<'lchi<'llis.

The wi"'Blike

1<'~+-issi!A1L\S J.ovsi
{l<'~f-s) Bive +-he

L\ppev boJ.y i+-s

wi.A+-k

~i.cY- \C\\-s
(\0\\-i.ssi.IMV.S J.ovsi.)
ovev\C\f Sfi,\,e.

"'fe\\J.o\\S o\\\y,
\Mv.sc\es \.\eve.

"o

IMC\Ssi.ve,
s\-i.c'Y-s ov.\fC\St- C\V\M.

foveC\viM
IMv.sc\e
'oe~i.\\S

C\'oove e\'oow.

~o\-1-oiM o~ ~C\W cv.v'JeS

i.\\ s\i.~V..t-\y t-o cveC\t-e
C\ s\eeY- \ooY-.

~e le~s we-*~e
hi~h i~tf-o f-he
hips o~t wo~e~t.

~e 'k~tee
we-*~es -*ow~t

i~tf-o fhe c"'l.P.

--r\.-\e \"'t-i.ssi.\1'\VS.
J.".-si. (t-1.-\e \~"\"'~""
\1'\v.sc\es "~ \-1.-\e
-o"'c~) "'"e S\1'\"'"

""' wo\1'\e"'-

Regufor
Nice but bland.

More Angufor
Rock-hard, but too bulky to
be graceful and llthe.

fUSIOD
Just as muscular as the
previous guy, but with a
thinner waist and legs, which
prevents him from looking
bulky and brutish even though
he's got big muscles and an
impressive build.

Stnndold

I[)

Bulkirt9 Up~
WhfYL -you 'bu"" up a c}taraCter
lr\ this cutt\rtged9e st-y\e1
don't s\rnpti mf\ate al\ of the
rnusc\es as if t'he'i were
oal\oons. mstead1 cut c\ear\1
angular \lr\eS m the hea'll'ti
rnusc\ed c}taraCter. Each
rnusc\e group sl'lould 'be
cornpac~ rather thar'L f\o.....nng
mto the neltt rnusc\e group.

fU51DD

.
.
Vtl
. V

OSING 8A51C MANN5GUIN-5iVL.e FIGUireS 15 A cSrziSAi WfH iO 5l.OCK

our A Pose AND A DI2AWING. I i Hel.P5 VOU cSei iHe POSe COJZrzeCi Ai
AN eAJZUf 5iAcSe, 5eFOrze DOING ANV e2ASING WOUL.t> MeAN HeAIZfACHe
(Oft HOW Wel.L. I KNOW iHAi{). I i AL.50 eNA5l.e5 VOU iO GUICKL.V iU12N

our MAN'( P05e5 5eFOrze 5eiil.INcS ON iHe FINAL. ONe.

THe Vf;rzTICAL. l.INe5 5KeiCHet> DOWN iHe Mlt>t>L.e OF iHe TOJZSO, AIZMS, AND L.e65
ACi A5 A Hei..PFUL. GUIDe iO KeeP iHe l.IM55 AND iOJZSO IN AL.J6NMeNi. THe
MANNeGUIN 50t>le5 Arze 5Uil.i
OF INI>IVJI>UAL. PA1215 5iACKet> iOOeiHeiZ, AND
!Herre'S ALWPH5 iHe t>AN<Se2 iHAi, WHeN FITTING i00e!He2 A JUM5L.e OF Plece5,
iHe oveJZAL.t. FL.OW OF iHe Pose cout.r> se L.OSi. A cetmzAL. verzr1CAL. t.INe ACiS
l.IKe AiH20UcSH-l.INe, KeePING MMHINcS IN PL-ACe.

our

Front

r
j

3/11

MAL.e POSTU!re, e51'eCIAWJI ON A CHARACieiZ SUCH A5 'THI5-A secrre-r

serzv1ce AGeN1"-1s USUAL.Vt' oorre UPRIGHT.

R~or

,
l

Measure a cl1aracter's
height from the heel,
not the toes.

Bette""'

e~ pelvis
is ~1.-.e

1.-.<1'1.\.PIN<I'I.y
pel\\~ 0~

t-1.-.e ooJ.y

Front

R~or

r nre iiZICK TO K66PING nre I..OOK OF THe 50DV CONSISTeNT trelre 15 TO KeeP THe 1
j

flAI5eD
:5HOUI.De25
C~15A

se'!fN L.OOK.

HIP6 AR6
FAI~IH

WIDe.

51.1NKV P05TU!Ze IN 5ACH ANG1,61 Wl'fH HIPS Til.TING DOWNWAJZD AND THe CH55T
PUSHING UPWAJZD TO GeT A Pf20NOUNC5D OV512Al.l. CUI2V5 TO THe P05TU!Ze.

Front

~/IJ

R~or

A \.')i.\\\:. (!1.\\P-

(!1. Y.1i.~ s~M-i.\e

f\i.v\-t71.\-i.CV.S
\.\et71.P- t-i.\\-

Dvess vi.ses
i.\\ -..,....eez..e

/
fU5\0D
Vou see
"the wink" in
lots of manga.
people don't really
wink when they're
happy, but this is a
caricature, and the
wink is an over-thetop, cute expression.
It gives the nonfighter character a
disarming sexiness.

\-\et71.P- t-i\\-S

-.,(!I.e\:.

i.wvi.t-i.\\~\y.

""(!l.\\\\eveP\.\t71.\\J- ~cse

~
\-\i.~\.\-1..\ee\eJ
sV.:ces ct71.v.se

~ee\- \-C

(!I.YC\.\
J_C\.'J\\'-'lt7\yJ_1

""'(!1.\:.i.\\~ t-1..\e

\e~s \cc\:. \c\\~e.,..

(!1.\\J- s\ee'iev.

Amer1ron

fU51DH

Amer1ron
fU51DH

tuston
AmettlDD

Av.....S tAve
tAVJtA'f ~vOIM
t-V.e '()oJ..y,
eiM~\.-\tAsi.z.i.vo.~
~ose ovev ~oVJ ev.

?>evo.\- \e~
vi.ses ~'((Ace~v.\\y,
\i.\--e (A J..tAvo.cev's.

Poi.vo.t-eJ.. t-oe cvetA\-eS tA

st-vtAi.~\.-\\- ~vovo.\- \e~ \i.vo.e
tAvo.J.. e\ovo.~tAt-es t-V...e \e~.

Amer1ron

fU51DD

You can also apply the Fusion style to female

fighters to increase their femininity and
attractiveness, although this will cause them

to lose some of their aggressiveness. But not

all fighters need to be murderous machines.
Plus, readers like to see sharp, good- look.ing
women battling the bad guys.

Wkei-keY'

yo~ ~Y'~W ~ W~Y'Y'iOY'

~o~~ess,

tke clotkes,

\'\~~e

OY'

~ wi\\~e~

k~iY'si-yle, ~\\~ ~ccessoY'ies

OY' bYe~~ i-ke ck~Y'~ci-eY'. It's \\Oi- e\\o~~k

to j~st

~Y'~w ~ ~y\\~\'\ite ~i~~Y'e. Yo~Y' ck~Y'~ci-eY'

\\ee~s ~ w~Y'~Y'obe tk~t sko~ts, "Loo~ ~t \'\e!" Yo~

c~\\ ~Y'~w ~\\ e~~y ~i~~Y'e, b~t ~\\less

i-ke cost~\'\e

is ~lso e~~y, yo~ lose. R~\\w~y \'\O~els ('ootk \'\~le

~\\~ ~~\'\~1~) \'\~~~ ~ ~Y'e~t Y'e~eY'e\\ce: -rke

~V~\\t-~~Y'~~ clotk~s \\eVeY \'\~~e it to i-ke

~ep~Y'~e\\t
c~Y'S yo~

si-oY'es-tkey'Y'e li~e i-ke cool co\\cept

see ~t ~~to skows-b~t i\\ tke Y'~Y'e~ie~

woYl~ o~ co\'\ic boo~s, o~i-Y'~~~o~sly

stylisk clotkes

~Y'e i-ke o\\ly w~y to ~o. Re\'\e\'\beY', yo~'Y'e \\Oi~Y'~wi\\~ yo~Y" typic~l ~iY"l-\\e)C+-~ooY"
~cHo\\

keY'o. -rkis is

OY'

\'\~\\~~ F~sio\\, i-ke

co\'\ics tk~t lives O\\ i-ke yo~z.oyo's e~~e.

~oo~-\\~i-~Ye~

\\ewest style

o~

Long, splashy hair is a must! It

shoulcflook.lik.e it's blo~ in a soft:
breeze whether or not tl1e other
garments are blowing.

Keep the
shoulders bare
as much
as possible.

Bare arms and

shoulders add a
provocative touch.
Bare as much
as possible.

Pants J:tang low

on the hips and

look se'X:>j when
the character
tilts her hips.

lvl!rgdog rhl[
In comics, the typical female city
dweller wears clothes that look like
they came from a boutique in
Tribeca, not from some chain
department store. This type of
character should never look like
she's going on a job interview.

High heels elongate the

look of the regs.

Mutof1ng
rollege roed
This outfit is a variation of
the ones seen in the manga
Magical Girl genre when the
schoolgirl outfits transform
into fantasy-fighter clothes.
When drawing a transforming
character, keep in mind that
special powers should not
overwhelm a character. (Note:
Mutating is different from
matriculating, although they
might feel similar.)

fontosg fighter
For fighting women wearing battle
gear, mix armor and unclothed
areas. long gloves and tall boots
are perfect for female characters
in the Fantasy genre.

1-\i,x: OlYIA-\Oy Ol"\.A

L\"\clo+-he.A "I.Yeots.

\-\i.~\.\ cv.\s\.\ows \.\i.t>S

Curls at the ends of

long, flo~ hair
are a hallmark. of
the Fantasy genre.

Costurrtes don't have

to be sk\rtt\g'r\t. Baggy-

\ookmg rrtatenafs
g\ve rrtore of a fee\\ng
of real\srrt

Capes aren't just for flying anymore. They

add a dramatic flair, especially for medieval
and sci-fi costumes.

Ropper
Everything on him should be oversized and loose.
Don't forget the gold chains.

Boots

OY

d\l-\~\::.y
s~e"'\::.eys

Do~'i- w"'~~"'
Yl.\~ low o~
0\IM!MO.

S[....oyt- j"'ck.ets
IMOYe

0\Ye

,AyO\IMO\i-tc

t-t.-."'~ c"'pes i~ +-t.-.e

Urbon fighter
He doesn't have any superpowers, but a few
weapons and supplies will help him out.

Fv.sio~ st-yle.

( -:X

[/

t:lffe the

po~~nce~

Face a::ss of the

eyeb the s~
are~
which
...T,..lcal of

lMI1ga VIllains.

A rnar\9a mf\uertce that's

apparent here \s the sketch)'
~\t)' of the pert \\rteS1 wh\ch
adds a ~r\tt)' fee\. lrt star\dard
Arnencar\ corn\cs1 the pert
strokes are c\e3}'\erl \ess sketch)'

~c+-e

+-1--.e

He S~Mc~es, ~tci
pl"'-~t~ti~t~ t-c be
0\YCV.\\.:A. lo~t~ e~tov.~l-\
t-o ~e+- C0\1\Cev.

e>ctve~Me "'-"'-ivcv.+-.

H~ ,~CI'\\\S ~OY\A/0\Y..:A. i~t """

""~~vessiv~ pos+v.ve,

s\1\oi.\I.Aevs hl.\\\d\e.,l.,

\\ev~v v~lA)C~~

THE INDIES
The "indies," as the independent
comics publishers are called, can
risk taking a chance on more
hardcore cl1aracters and story
lines, which is where the indy
strength lies; the more
established behemoths of the
comic book worl~ with their
stockholders and corporate
parent companies, are more
hesitant, preferring to sit back
and wait to see what trends
catch on before adopting them.

Vf

(Jfff!N Pfi!AWIN& A
CJ.IA~

IN A Nl!W
ANG-t.e; L-INe UP 'YOl/Ti'!
Nl!W Pfi!AWIN& WI1"H A

&coP ~rCJ.f YoWl!'

PONe Ar ANorHf!'/i! ANGU!:
rHA-r WA't yocru.
MAIN-rAIN rHf!' C.OTZU'~r
P1ZOP01i!1"10/JS.

Wei~l--.+

beowi\1.~ le~

S11ort brellk.s From

the violence of a

story are important.

They prevent the
action From being
nonstop, tedious,
and grating on the
eye. Tl1eY also
remind readers of
a character's

humanitY-that
there's a Pll1'pose
to her right.

Bodg Armor

Deto1l5

Wei~l--.+-
bee~.vi\\~ le~

Don't forget to show the cllaracter reload.

It adds tension, because it means he's out of
bullets! The reader will root for him to hurry
up before something bad happens.

Slv5~ IS A 4(:::Jop t-ool< FO. A &SISIANa& FitJ,~.

He
Ol/1)!! IIIINtlrS lo t.JOI!:I!!Y /150()1 If/AN Sf/AVINtJ,.

A~~~ N5I~fff:
4' NBAP ~rHS rAu..

Ar,. lfff"APS rAu.., rt~e 't1fAM t...li!APEfJ!

I$ rAL.L.8! 011/AJ rt~e 1!6r r:;p rt~e
~t:!:I1!J!:S /li!O(JN!? fiiM, ANI?
/f6'$/Jl~Au.. /II:OOAJP.

The waist and

shoulder areas
are

good spots

for ammo.

Hi~lt\ly
.fi~V..+-ev

evolve.A
pilot- sv.it-.

;~

Mtlt.-6 ~ 1!1SISri{NC!I
FI~f!T7i!J! Ner~fff:
~

ro .,

v~

NEAJ? ~rHS rAu..

~I{IU%.

T7!1!N aH/41!Aarel!5 Mve SMAu.ee

'?U1?0I!fTONS r$1N APUU'"S.

Sf(O(.It....P Mve AN
AP?eAt....I~

S<:!J?IIFFY t....OOi<.

~INGPWGs
ANI> SOCKeTs HOOK
uP THe SUIT TO THe
JST'S~
5'15-reM IN THe
COCKPIT.

Teenage fighters
are

never as

heavily armed as
their adult

counterparts.

~ISi/IIJt!e fltSJHf'E!il!

rteriSJiff:

w 11AP ~ri{S T'Au.

-.

'-~

'

THe H.411Z IS
.4SYMM~CIIt

WITH ONeS/J?e
L.oNGe1;! TH.4N THe
OTH~ 411-/IQ.( IS
/10fZC!~NG

TH.4N .4 Pf!leFecrq
evtm H.4/J!po.

- Moshs o
rl!

No Mo5h
Keep in mind that an
unmasked face should be as
good as any mask you can
think up-if you're going to
give a character a mask, you
should have a good reason
why it would help the story.

Full Mo5h
The total face mask focuses the reader's
attention on the outline and shape of the
face, and the narrowness of the Fusion face
makes the character look weaker.

That's better. He's a masked character,

but now the Fusion style shows
through. Note the downward-pointed
"hook" design at the outer edge of the
mask. It runs along the typically sharp
cheekbones of Fusion characters. Adding
little touches like this keeps an old
design fresh.

----

Goggl~5

ond H~odpl~[~

Eyepieces, earpieces, and layered helmets are

great for the mecha Sd-Fi genre, which is now
incorporated into many Fusion comics.

Tke ke"'"*
looks .Aow" (
+-i If-s
sli8k+-ly +-o
o"e si.Ae.

The coii<'\Ybo"e +-ilts

.Ai<'\801\<'\lly .Poy "'
sk<'\Ypeyf 14-\oye
<'\dive ook.

"'""*

~' \

((/,+,
.

'.J,r,
~

<:::::>

lnrreose the Stature

To do this draw the figure from a Low angle, as if the reader
is below the character and the character is Looking down at
the reader. This creates a commanding Look. It puLLs the
reader in as the character appears to be in a superior
position, just Like a boss who sits across the desk from you
but in a higher chair. The character Looks assertive and
ready. It's a pose you'LL be using a Lot in comics.

'-......_..r

twisting the body is

another great way to
create a sense of
motion whi\e a
character is standing
still. It makes the
pose look more fluid
and energetic. This
would ordinarilY be a
3/4 rear vieW of the
character. sut here,
the torso twists so
that the figure now
looks back {toward
the reader). As a
result, the chest and
hips rotate in
opposite directions,
which is more active
than just standing
straight forwardly.

Tl\e euggeetioJ\ of a
breet.e tl\at''5 strol\9
eJ\0~ to \\ft part'5
of t'hf cnaracter''5
outf\t par&\e\ to t'hf
9J'Ourtd prodUce<;; a
coo\, ~\c effect.

Shrftmg Werght

SINCSTHS

W51GHT85NZING'-SGJS

Shifting the bulk of a character's

weight off to one side, makes a
stationary pose more expressive.
Female characters, especially,
always look sexier if drawn with
their hips shifted to one side, I
can't emphasize this technique
enough. Make good use of it, and
your draWings Will fmmedfately
have extra pizzazz. But here's the
catch. When you shift the hips over,
you need to adjust the entire pose
to accommodate this. So, notice that
the weight-bearing leg is straight (it
always is) and directly under the
body. This, in turn, pushes the hip on
that side up and out. The non-weightbearing leg is used for balance, it is
placed away from the body, and bends
slightly at the knee.

L.OclceD, rr

SHOV!STHS
HIP uP IWl> Ottr.

'C
~---)

Don't draw
skinny thighs!
Only women think.
that guys like
anorexic women.

mphos1zmu the r-ower

_. of lOOt rhoro[t~r!i
~

Tke c~es+
oo.veoo. is loo.v~e.

Tke
IA\i.Asec+-ia\1.
is +-~i\1..

ll!thng
Perspedwe"0\~\

Blah

STIFF

Deep CL\vve

Fluid

~i"c~ F~Ot\ is ~ "eN, u~iew- st-yle, Mw! 1oc* o-P ~ F._ ~-~
~~iew- ~" $~ of H\~ Y~1W\'o1~ sfo~Y~S \-M.. lwwc lfNIW!Il
H\e ye~YS. -ro k~p i\- .PYesk, yo~ "~u t-o IIIU\M e/C'I'y
~osive. Yo~ c~"'t J~ sei+l~ -PoY telli~ ~st-y. y-. ~ h ~M

~"A ~"'~"' '""'~d to~~ '~"~' t-o ker ~

J.esi~" sko~1A"'\- 'oe ~" ~-Pt-eko~kt. 'foe. "~u t-or'~" '""e

p1"'ce~"\-,

siz.e, ~~ s~e to "best c~l~t- '""e

ck"'""'deYS '" "'"Y ~ive" sce"e ~~ ~ cNew-..d1
story 1t"e. Yo~'ve ~otto "'he~ H\~ typa oP
'"'"e1s o" ~ p~~, OY iV11 'o~ ~ 41l~11 ~ "'
~H\ \-e"'ckew- o" ~ ~o~y M01\i~.
t)i~e...e"\- '"'"el s~es ~...~ IASU -PoY
Ai~~"~"\- p~YpOS~S. C"""""'~
sko~1A "be

posiHo"u so ~\1
H\~ '"'"e1 AoeS\\ \- ~eel too
C"f'~~A OY too ~""''i"Y
It sko~1A "be J~
"''"'\-. \.ik .......II""'.
"' "b0\N1 oP
pon-Ll~~.

When you're establishing a

scene, a down angle is the
best choice because it creates a
fly-on-the-wall viewpoint for
readers, allowing them to get
a broad look at the scene and
who's in it. (This is an optimal
combination of characters for
a Fusion team: the hero, the
girl, and the giant-all
personalities that
complement one another.)
To prevent the panel from
looking empty and to unify
the elements, create a floor
pattern. {Note that the
pattern is positioned in a
diagonal orientation,
which is more dynamic
than vertical and
horizontal lines.)

: .
............

...............

.. .. .. ..

::::-:

'

......

Womon Is
Dom1nont

D~to1l

Shots

Detail panels are used to show just that-the details.

They focus readers on one thing, and break up the
monotony of a scene. When you've got a character with
matinee-style good looks, you'll want to show them in
extreme close-ups more often. Whatever you're showing
in a detail shot, it should be important to the storyperhaps a loaded weapon, perhaps a facial reactionotherwise, readers will scratch their head wondering what
all the fuss is about. In addition, the shape of the detail
panel should comfortably fit the image it contains.
If you're detailing a set of eyes, the panel should be
horizontal. If you're concentrating on the outline of the
face, the panel should be vertical.

Hh1nnu

Pon~ls

Skinny panels are

sleek and stylish,
which is in keeping
with the Fusion look.
When you see a comic
book page with
skinny panels thrown
in, it always looks
trendier than a page
of blocky rectangles.

NEUT2AL
TH525'6 NO TeNSION WH6N THe HOJ21ZON
15 !.eVa. THe FIGU!re IS ceNT5IreD IN
THe SPACe AND THe SP55D (,fNe5 Tf2AIJa
8ACf( TOWAIZJ) C6NT5f2 OF TH5 PANa.

TILTED
THe ill,reD HOJ21ZON ACC5NTUATes
THe ACTIONI e5F'eCIAW( WH6N TH5
CHArMCrefZ JaJ5H55 TOWAIZJ) VOU. THe
FIGU!re ill,iS IN THe SPACe l\l.ONG
WrTH THe HOJ21ZON I,INSI AND TH5
SPSel) 1,1Ne5 AL.50 ecHO THAT ill,TING.

The Fusion l~ne isf thinner

standardthan
the ~pi cal~~: :omics. The
Amencan-~e can also
fusion sty light sketchy
incorpora.te ou ~ould never
rican style
lines, whlch y
typical Ame
seemics
fn but which are more
co
common
1n manga.

. ..
. ..

. .. .........
.
.
.
. . . . ..

..
.. . . . .
....... ...... ...

....................
::- .............

............

.::

:::

:::
::::.:::

:/d

...

""'

flashy comics become even

more dramatic, more brutal,
more heroic when a highcontrast approach is takenwhen areas of dark shadoW are
juxtaposed against Ught areas.
It's part of the comic book
pencUer's job to indicate
where these areas of shadoW
fall. And while the pendler
has to consider the light
source, shading is primarily
an aesthetic consideration. It
needs to look cool just as
much as it needs to be
logical. Getting this down
takes time and practice, like
any other aspect of drawing.

FUSION STYLE
BV '-5AVING OUT THe H5ftVt( PATCHes OF ~T,
THe 5Ye APPJreciATes THe ~L.Ne56 OF THe
'-IN6Wo0c. we e DfMWN 46 UUCH TO THe
P5JlSoN~~t,nv OF THe CH~ 46 wee TO

THe POfAft OF THe 5C5N6. WHeN THe ~lNG 16

6VeNTuM.W 1N1Cet> liND COl.oRez>, rr WIU Be
81l~GHT'efz CTHIIN THe ~ICIIN ~) BeCAuse
TH51Ze WIU Be FeW5JZ POO(.s OF &4c1c.

Vonous l1ght 9ouru~5

ond R~5ult1ng 9hodow5
All comic book art uses light
and shadow to create engaging
moods. And this works
espedally well on Fusion
characters. You can bathe
these characters in pools of
blackness and edges of light.
Their elegant Look, splashed
with shadow, gives them a
dark glamour that is at once
compelling and haunting. To
use Light and shadow, ask
yourself where the light
source is for a scene. You
need to know the light
source, because the
shadows have to make
sense. If you don't know
where the Light comes
from, you'll be winging it,
applying shadows here and
there wherever you think
they'll Look good. But the
result will not be logical
or look particularly
appeaUng.So, think
"light" so that you'LL be
able to draw "dark."

Cool looks result from multiple light sources. Two, even three, light
sources in different spots around a character, create appealing moody
effects. The light sources don't all have to be of equal strength. Often, a
weaker, secondary light source provides just the accent needed.

UNSEEN
LIGHT SOUrlCE
VOU 'DON'T HAVe TO
AC1UAU.V see -rtre
LIGHT 50U2CS TO

566 tf6 SFFeCf6.

eXAMPL85 OF TffiS

COULD Be LIGHT
FROM AWINDOW OJZ
FJZDM AtJ 0\feJZHeAD
FIX'TUIZ5 IN

ANO'f'HeJZ JZOOM.

Major lig}tt

source from
left and minor
light source
from rig}tt.

Major lig}tt

source from
rigJ1t and minor
light source
From left.

LigJ1t source

from below.

1-Main light source.

Edge lighting is a popular

device and one of the most
effective types of light for
highlighting the curves of
female characters. In edge (or
rim) lighting, the major light
source hits the figure on one
side while, simultaneously, a
minor light source hits the
figure from the opposite side.
This results in the formation
of a thin sliver of shadow
that falls on the figure
between the two light
sources (but closer to the
minor Light source). This
narrow shadow travels in a
serpentine manner along
the contours of the body,
accentuating every curve.

.........
: ....

..... :-:

::-::-::-:

ISecondary light source. I

PATTEI2N
I/6N5'TIAN &.INDS CAN
CA61" A JreP6A1"1NG
PAiT'eiZN OF L.IN6S
ON A FIGU!re-V6J2V
A"fMOSPHefZIC. (NO"re
-rtre eooe L.IGHriNG
ON "fire AIZM AND
SHOUL.t>efZ.)

"'(,

WDJOOW LIGHT
I..IGHIIN$ IS 0\le~treAD FI..UO~reSCeNi I..IGHIING. IF IHAI We~ ltre CASe,
~e IN AN OFFice 5UII..DINe WOUI..D 56 WAI..KING AROUND Wl'fH SPOOK'( SHADOWS ON ltre112
FACeS. FWOIZesceN'T' I..IGHIIN$ IS NOi AC11JAU.V \lei2V Si120NG, WHICH IS WHV IT'S 50 D~Arz'(. A
:5'fi20N<SSf2 I..IGH'f COMes IH12000H OFFIC6 WINDOWS. IN IHIS eXAMPI..e, ltre~ ARe IWO BASIC
LIGH'f 50UI2Ce5: (1) IHe I..Arz<Se WINDOWS 12\JNNING AI..ONG lire 8ACK OF IHe ISNII~ sceNe, AND (2) A
SSCONt>AfZ'(, UNSeeN l..l&n" IHAT'S OFF-PANeL. 10 IHe L.eFi AND COUI..D 56 errtrerz MO~ WINDOWS
0~ l..l&fr IHAI HAS i12AIIel..eD ~OM lire V15181..e WINDOWS, BOUNceD OFF A WAI..L SOMeWHe~ 10
ltre L.eFi OF nre PANel.., AND Hl'f lire PISOPL.e IN IHe SCeNe. THIS WOOI..D Be BOUNCe t,J6H1; WHICH
CAN PI20V1De A 5eCONDAfZ'( 50UI2C6 OF 1..16Hi WHeN IHe~':S ONI..V ONe l..l<*f"r 50UI2Ce IN A !200M.

fJO'f AU.

IN"re~IO~

p
..

~
~u~~~

!!1!?

A" i"cYeASi~1y ~~1AY Sh!l&.~tMW:JIIiiMOIII

f-k,.o~k "'t\f 41\"i~Hotl. l1t .w..iWt..tr.if7MWI
st-yle kM to ~e ~~ ~rw.~r..

. c:H1, A~~'A" st-yle. 1" A ~IA.w'lllft~liM WM

~"e ~&C'OMe pop~At' ~ ~MU-~

r-~llske..s kAYe APP"OfriA~ 44\c - -

~e eyes .P.,.II
bol.\f- h.,.I.Pw.,_y
Cl(ow~-t +-he he.,.cA.

AIA\evic.,.~-t-sryle COIA\ics,
e sp.,.ce be+-wee~-t +-he
kvo +-e.,.v cAI.\cf-s e91.\01.ls

~-tose,~-tose
bl.\f---{:.~~~~:5~~1-~!t;::jlt""/Lf,tJ--

e wi.:A+-h Fl.\sio~-t,
o.P +-he +-he
i" C01.vf-oo~-t

{s .,_ bif- SIA\0\IIev. I.P f-h.,_+Sol.\~-tcAs f-oo speci.Pic 01.1-tcA

kOI.vcA f-o veiA\eiA\beY,jl.\sfre""'e""'bev +-his:
Alw.,.ys keep +-he
ttose SIA\.,.11.

~e 14\0I.\f-h is level
wif-h +-he poi~-tf
wheve +-he j01.w
beji~-ts f-o 0\\\jle i"
f-ow.,.v.,A +-he chi'\.

In Cartoon Fusion style, the lines

are thick. and bold. It's a very
clean look. It's very different
from the line treatment in the
earlier Parts of the book.

\V

The cAis+-.,."ce be+-wee" +-he

eyeb.,.Jis e91.\01.ls +-he
cAis+-.,."ce be+-wee" +-he
e'\cAs o.P +-he 14\0I.\f-h.

\(eef t-\.\e

01.\\~\e

o~ t-\.\e ~""w s'.\"'-'~"f

'oe\ow t-\.\e e"'-'~"

Cve~~"\-e \~~"v~e, ~"'" \irs (~~"s

orroseJ- \-0
\irs, w\t-ic'-"

Just as w\th yrta\e

c}1ara.Ctet'Sl s\\OW the

af'l9\e of the ;aw ort
feirtale ~ters.
""f\Ae 'oo\+o\M. o~

\-\t-e \t-e~~"J- (\-\t-e

~~~"w sec\-io\\) is
S\M.~~"\\ 'o'f

co\M.r~~"vlSO\\.

11'\IA\-~e\\\-iC \Moll"\\~~~"

~~"ve ~~"\w~~"'/s S\M.~\).

Prof1le

~e ~ovehe"'ol.
sweeps -"e"Hy

i"+-o +-he bviol.-"e

o~ +-he "ose.

~e "eck

ct.wves Ol.\f- +-o

Just as with male characters, to create the

profile, draw a d~onai EJ!lideline from the tip
of the nose to tne tip Of the chin and then
chisel out features within that area.

"""ee+- +-he
1.\"ol.evsiol.e o~
+-he chi".

/
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MI551Dn rommond~r
Cartoon Fusion characters are often part of a
group, headed by a mysterious leader who conveys
their battle plans. The leader is drawn with straight
lines so that he looks flat, which is a typical style
for manga characters who don't have huge eyes and
pointy chins. He sometimes appears as a projected
hologram. He can also appear on a handheld monitor.
Then he can zap out as fast as he appears. If any
group members want to ask questions or opt out of a
dangerous assignment, it's too late. The orders have
been given and it's over-and-out. Blink!

rrozu Sr1ent1st
Scientists in lab coats are a
staple of manga. So, it's no
surprise that they're part of
the Cartoon Fusion style. It's
a law in comics that if you
study sdence for too long,
you're going to end up
wanting to rule the world.
Why somebody doesn't try to
get these guys to pursue, say,
the violin instead remains a
mystery. But once your
scientist passes that point at
which aU he craves is world
domination, it's too late.

/-

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tbe runtb

..

You'll \ike the concept of the

line of action. lt ties everything
together, is simple to use, and
boy, does it make a difference
in your drawings. You'll wonder
how you ever drew an action
pose without it.
The \ine of action is a
guideline that you sketch
first-before drawing any
part of the figure-to shoW
the main thrust of the
motion in the pose. When
you draw a character with
lots of deta\\, you can
sometimes get away with
not using the \ine of action
because the rendering is so
dramatic. But when you
have a stylized, simplified
look (as is the case with
the cartoon fusion style),
there simply isn't enough
detail to counter a stiff
pose. In fact, the \ine of
action becomes even
more important to
counterbalance the f\at,
graphic look of the style

More than any other action in comics,

the punch needs a one-direction
thrust. You need to make all the energy
in the pose look as if it's going in one
direction. That's where the line of
action comes in. Don't labor over it: just
quickly sketch a line that indicates the
overall flow of the pose.
Keep it simple.

Reef1ng Boch
IJrocefuf Run
Attractive women point
their toes when they run.

In this pose, the tine of action

dictates, first and foremost, the way
the torso moves. The arms are not part
of the torso, so they're not part of the
tine of action. When the body reets
back like this, the arms trait the body.

/ \ "\

free-folhng
The free faU leads with the
chest.

Reodg to Punrh
The fist that's ready to punch hangs

tow, for a dramatic took. Spreading

the feet wide adds stability for

throwing a haymaker.

~tlh
tnmoretbe
tole
Women do
kicking
in comics than men, because i~s
not considered as masculine. The kick should go straight
out, with the leg locked for maximum extension. Notice
that her bodY leans into the pose, never away, which
looks weak. ShoW the moment just after the kick makes
contact-never the point of contact (this does not hold
true for authentic manga).

In authentic manga, fight scenes

don't have the giant, cataclysmic,
scene-ending punches of
American-style comics. In
manga, there's more emphasis
on characters radng toward one
another in clashes. fusion tilts
to the American style.
We've seen hoW to throw a
punch, but things change when
you add a second character.
the character being punched
\s responsible for making the
punch look effective. That's
right, it \s the "punchee,"
for lack of a better term,
who gives the punch its
power. Think about \t. When
a boxer throws a punch that
doesn't faze his opponent,
you think either the guy
who got punched \s the
tougher of the two, or the
punch wasn't reallY that
hard. But, if the person
who gets punched flies
across the ring and lands
face down on the mat,
then you're impressed
with the puncher's
power. As I said, it's all
in the way the victim
reacts Still, you need
to make the punch look
powerful and gracefuL,
because when
combined with an
extreme reaction
from the victim, it
creates a dazzling
fight scene.

As\-"'-v\'l~e
',;:)v.vs\- s\.\owS
w\.\eve

-r\.\e v'lct'liM's
\.\e"'-P.. vee\s
-.,.,..c~.

cov.\-"'-c\-

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-.,\ow, \-\.\e v'lc\-\""''s \e~s
s\.\ov.\J.. \ e "'-'-'e \-\.\e ~vov.v.P...

The Wmd Up
In the first stage the
character leans back,
winding up to throw a
haymaker. Notice how he
twists his body like a
corkscrew to store up
added energy before
releasing the punch.

Afohmg rontoct
This is the stage seen only in
authentic manga. It has never
caught on with American
comics, because drawing the
actual point of impact makes
the two fighters look frozen in
time. Manga artists get around
this by using an abundance of
speed and impact lines.
American artists prefer to use
body language to show power,
so this pose is out.

The follow Through

The arm extends fully across the body
as the body leans forward at its most
extreme. This is the stage used by
American artists to show impact with
the opponent.

POtJNtJI/J?;P
rtiNey

r~e- Pl.ING!flf1i!"'S ~PY

~ Po~Ail!l?. r~e

Powete op A Pl/NG!f IS
11B/I'SGQ!ep ~y T~e"

P/SrAIJC.e"~elm T~t:
POINI op 111P,4c.:r

~rep ~y l~e'

~.)ANI? 1~e- V/Cf7!1"'S

~e'AP. r~e-~/e1i! ~~e
P!SrANceM"/Wf$N l~e'
IWo, l~e' 577i!oN~
T~cPl/NG!f. IN T~IS
4ISe; Irs A PC01!Y!

loo C\ose
The fighter receiving the b\oW
is a\most entire\y obscured by
the puncher.

There's another, crucial aspect

of drawing fight scenes: the
distance between the two
fighters. Too close, and the
action looks cramped. Too far,
and the action lacks impact.

loo to1

These two fighters are too far apart.

Despite the fact that one is ree\ing
bac\<, the punch \oses a\\ impact.

~----/
~
~

Wtt'\\e the figures over\ap to some

degree, there is enough space between
them for the action to read c\ear\y. The
effect is that you can a\most fee\ the
impact of the b\ow.

forrerf Dtsfonre
The girt is close enough to inflict
damage, but she is not obscured by
the robot's arms.

rorred Dtsfonce
The gun is close enough to the opponent to make an impact.
Too far, and it would lose its threat. Yes, the same prindpte
that applies to fight scenes also applies to weapons: Do not
touch the opponent with the tip of the gun.

American comics have developed

an important fight-scene detail
that enhances combat scenes:
the post-impact splatter. This
element has carried over to the
fusion style, and wh\le it
sounds kind of gross, it's
actuallY a very cool look that
adds a professional touch to
your work. All the top comic
book artists use it. The idea
is basicallY this: When the
head of an opponent snaps
back from a punch, sweat,
blood, or spit w\ll fly off
him. It maY seem like an
unimportant detail, but it's
not, 1 assure you. lt reallY
drives home the feeling of
action. ln animation this is
known as secondary action.
It's an act\on subsequent
to the main action (in this
case, the head snapping
back) that emphasizes
that first action; it's like
a whiplash effect.

Blood 5plot\2l bum Moutb

Duo t1om Moutb \usuoll!J l}l22D\

leop1ng
There are two versions of
the leaping punch, the
classic (right) and its
variation (above). For the
classic, one character leaps
up, legs off the ground, to
deliver the ultimate blow.
In the variation, the punch
is thrown from below and
travels upward.

SJmultoneous
Both characters get ready to
punch at the same time. This
provides a great moment of
tension-who's going to land
the first blow? Keep reading,
and you'll see!

lbe Ptont ol
tnutltbltum

Nothing detracts from an

image so much as a character
mistakenly drawn s\ight\y off
ba\ance. The basic concept for
maintaining ba\ance is that
the body weight must be
distributed even\y on either
side of the point of
equi\lbrium. The basic
concept for showing
momentum is that the
faster a character moves,
the further forward the
body \eans.

The point of equilibrium is the

pit of the neck and is indicated
by the dotted line running
through the picture. The
figure's mass must be evenly
divided between the left and
right sides of that point in
order to maintain balance.

________ ..,

I
I

..

. .. .

..

I
I

L---

Dtt Bo\onie

Since more of the character's mass falls to

the left (our left) of the point of
equilibrium, the figure is off balance.

:::

II
I

,----- ------1
\

.....
...
:
..
....
.:

===:

This pose, with its triangular

guideline, provides a better
example because the momentum of
the pose travels down to a single
point. If the figure were off
balance in this pose, the character
would clearly fall over.

Sketching shapes around the

figure as a guide helps
highlight whether or not a
figure is correctly balanced.
Here, the weight is evenly
divided between left and
right sides. However, this is a
somewhat static pose, so the
importance of balance maY
not be so evident.

\
\

No Momentum
Without forward momentum,

a character stands up straight.

Some Momentum
The body leans forward when the
character runs.

Extreme Momentum
The faster the run, the farther forward the
character leans.

Robot wttb Jet Polb

Necha, a genre of manga that
features amazing battles with g1ant
robots, p~des another kind of
action in comics. These robots are
controlled by pilots who sit in
small cockpits inside of each
robot. These robots are huge,
armored fortresses that possess
an arraY of powerful weapons.
T\le robots in true manga can
be unbelievably complex. for
that reason, many manga artists
in Japan specialize exclusively
in mecha design. T\le eartoon
fusion style of manga uses
lines that aren't ruler-straight
but have a slight, pleasing
curve to them, which makes
them look cartoony. Since
these figures are loaded up
with gadgets, it's better to
start with the basic
foundation, so as not to get
lost in the details. seg1n
with st\ck ngures, just to
get the placement right,
and then quickly work up
to a f\eshed-out
mannequin and, finally,
the finished robot, with
all the bells and whistles.

Robot wttb \'JtnQ5

B1rd of Preu Robot

Many robots are based on predatory animals.
The most popular are eagles, dinosaurs, tigers,

lions, snakes, and wolves.

~Pert/It...
Tiff!" /ff!"AP IS II lfff"t#e'r WIT/f II
f?4Ce1:>t.,4n:. IT li!:e'Se?1~t..es II
lfUI1M 191t:E1H.Jr WITifOl.IT ANY op
Tiff!"Pf!"T/11/..:5_ S{.ICif liS Tiff!"~
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S011e'nl1e:s 111Zl.IPI11eNTIIIi!Y

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~T'S IT'S rm!T/f IN IIN6e1;!,

Av..t-ev..v..dl.e c-n-.ese d\ve

Anuo-lbtno

There comes a point when ever'J

comic book artist feels the
overwhelming impulse to draw a
giant creature to terrify a ci~
I'm feeling it right now. So,
without further delay, let's
cause some carnage. Cartoon
manga fusion makes fantastic
use of monsters-and this,
again, adds action to your
stories and drawings. But let's
be honest, monsters are a
little on the cheesy side,
aren't they? Still, comic
bookS and animation need
them. The Cartoon s~le is
perfect for this, because it
gives them a little tongueand-cheek look, which
allows the monster to fit its
scat'Y role whlle at the
same time winking at the
audience. Pissed-off giant
sea monsters are a popular
type. TheY are the
unintended consequences
of hazardous waste being
illegallY dumped into the
oceans. They are large-1
don't mean large like an
elephant, 1 mean large
like a building. And,
they're usuallY gigantic,
big enough to floss
with a submarine.

OIAt-ev s\.-.e\\ \..i.~e t;-\.-.dl.'r o~ dl.

t-IAv+:-\e, v..o'r dl. c\dl.""'

<;IAc\-lOV..S

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dl.v..J.. i.v..sec+:-s +:-\.-.ese
dl.ve t-\.-.'lc~ev, \'l\.e +:-\.-.e
ryt'e yoiA see ov.. sv..dl.'l\s.)

~ Bnde of Aquo-Thmg
~)

Dovs"'l .Pi"s

Aquo-Thmu, the Undeod

.. .....

.. ..

Land monsters are typically

so big that theY need a
girdle to squeeze through
the skyscrapers on a major
avenue. There are two basic
types: gorilla and dinosaur,
although you can easilY in
vent more.

I.ONG-N~CKeD

I,IZAfZD- I<INDA

DORKV. I THINK

I'UNAM~HIM
weND~t,t,,
J

........"..."

"

"

L-

power

action, 126- 143

line ol , 128. 129
action heroes. 76-85
ages. 120- 121
amazing silhouettes, 122-125
anatomy, elegant, 2()-51
angle(s\
bodY lrom all, 42- 47
down, 18. 19. 88
up, 18
angll expression, I 10
angular pose, 39
animation, I02-I 25
ann~d e~pression. II I
aqua-thing, 140, 141
attitude, bodY. 79- 82

lree-lalling, 129
Iron\ ~iew, ol body, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47
lull mas~. 78
Fu~ion, 7
giant characters, power ol , 82
giant robots. 138-139
glance, o~er-lhe-shoulder, I 1
goggles, 78
goo, post-impact, 134
gorilla land monster. 142. 143
gracelul run, \29
hair, 10, 11 , 15, \6, 104, \05, 107
hands. H6- ll9
haPPl e~pres~ion, \\1
hardcore heroes, 60-75
head. 10- \3, 14--\9, \04, 105--\07 , 10&--109
headpiece, 78

bat~

olhead, \1
muscles Iron,, 26- 27, 32- 33

halance. 136
bird ol prCl robot, 139
blood splatter, 134
body. Irom all an!lles, ~2--" 7
bodl alhtude, 79-112
bodysuit, 56
bounce light. 100
bnde ol aqua-thin&. 141
bul~inll up. 40
cartoon style, 7, I0?.-I25
chee~bones. 10. 13. 14
chin, 10, 13, 1~. 16. 17, 105. t09
clothes, 52- 59
college coed, mutating, 55
commander, mission, 11 ~
contact. light. no. 131
tra1'1 r,cientist, t 15
curves. 85
design, panel, 86- 10 I
details. 90
determined cJpressaon, 110
"dialollue pose." 17
dinosaur land 1non~te1, 142. 143
disappointed exprmion, I I 0
dastam:t:, u~hl , 132- I33
dominant character. positioning ol, 89
down an~le
lor late, 18, 19
lo< wide shot, 88
downward punch. ll1
drama. ~s. superpowers, 58- 59
ears, 1~ . IU9
ml&C, ~aile on, 62- 65
cdKC liRhling, 98
re~erse. 99
cle11anl anatomy. 2()-51
eQuilibrium. point ol, 136
e~eninll street lillht. 100
e~ef'idaY chic. 5~
e~ll scientist. 10~
e~plosions. as light sources, 99

e~pressions, no-Ill

6'j6

n1as~, 78

C'jllS,

\3, 1~, 16, 18, \04, 105

tace, I0--13, 11- 19, 104, 105- 107, IOlH09

herole~)

action, 76-115
cartoon, 112
hardcore. so--75
standard vs. lusion. 40--41
heroine. cartoon, 113
horizon line, 91
horns, 57
impact, splatter alter, 134
indies, 65
iaW, 12, \3, 17, \8, 106, \08, 109
iet pac~, robot with, I38
~ic~ in tace. 130
~iller on edge, 62- 65

land monsters, \42-143

laughing, no
leader, team, 70- 71
leaping punch. 135
lettering, sound el1ect. 10 \
lighting, edge, 98, 99
lighting enects. othcl, 99- 100
light sources, 96, 97
line
ol action, \28, 129
norizon, 91
\inc Quality, 92- 93
\ipS, 10, 11. 14, 19, 108

111a~ing contact, 130. 131

male re~i~tance lighter, 68--69

male teenage lighter pilot. 72-73
ma~~s. 78
mecha, 83
men laces ol, \0- 13, 104, 105--107
mu~le~ ol, 22-27
mi~chie~ous e~pression, ll1
mission commander, 114
momentum, 136, 137
monsters, cartoon. 140--143
mood. 96
moon, as light source, 97
mouth. 10. 13, 18, 105
splatterlrom, I34
muscles
ol men, 22-27
ol women, 2&--33
mutating college coed, 55

~ic~ in. no
nee~. 109
lantasllightcr, 55, 58
nose. 10. 11. \2, 16, \8, \9, 105, 109
lanla~l wardrobe, reality to, 52-59
lcmalc l~cc, 14- 11, 104, 108- 109
old characters, 120. \21
lemale lorm, iinessing oi, ~8-51
o~er-the-shoulder glance, 17
leanale mu~cle~. 2&--33
lcmalc resa~tance lillllter. 66-67
panel design, 86- \01
lemalc tcena\le lillhler pilot, H-75
pattern, light, 99
liltysomelhing, \20, 121
pilot, lighter, teenage, 72-73.74-75
lir,hter
pla'jlul e~pression. 11 I
lantasl, 55, 58
pleased eJpression, ll1
resistance, 66-67, 68--69
point ol equilibrium. 136
urban, 59
pose(s)
hghter pilot. teenage. 72- 73.74- 75
action. \28. 129
light scenes, no
"dialogue," 17
ligure, twisting ol, 80
positioning dominant character, 89
linessing leanale lorm. 48-51
post-impact splatter, 134
lollow through, punch, 131
lorehead, 109
I01tlsomething,
121 22. 24, 26, 28. 30. 32
loundation,120,
simplilied,

lrom perspecti~e. 84
ol giant character~. 82

prolile lace in, \OG--107 , 109

muscles in. 24-25. 3()-3\
punch(esl. 128, 129
ad~anced , 135
three stages ol, \31
qualit'J, line, 92- 93
rapper, 59
ready to punch, 129
reality wardrobe. to lanta~y. 52-59
rear ~iew, ol bodY, 43, 44, 45, 46, 41
reeling bat~. 129
resistance lighter, 66-67, 68-69
re~er~e edge lighting, 99
rim lighting, 98
robots, giant. 138-139
run. gracelul, 129
scenes, light, 130
scienti~l

crazy, H5
e~il, 104
sea monster~. 140--142
secret service agent, 43
shading. 94--95
shadow, 96
shilling weight, 81
shines. 14, \04, \05
shot\s)
detail, 90
wide, SS-119
shoulder, glance o~er, 17
side ~iew, ol body, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47
silhouette~. 122- 125
simplilied loundation, 22. 24. 26, 28, 30, 32
simultaneous punch, 135
s~innY panels, 90
slic~ characters, &--19
son ol aqua-thing, 140
sound el1ecl lettering, 101
spit, post-impact, 134
splash page, 135
splatter, post-impact, 134--135
standard, into lusion, 39
standa1d hero. ~s. lusion, 40--41
stature, increasing ol, 79
street light, e~ening, 100
supercurves, 85
superpowers, drama ~s., 58-59
supporting characters, 114--ll5
surprised e~pression, 1\ I
team leader, JQ--7 1
teenage lighter pilot, 72- 73.74--75
3/4 ~iewol body, 43, 44. 45, 46, 47
ollace, 12, 16
tilting horizon line, 91
tilt~. head, 13
tired eJpression, no
twen~omething, 120, 121
twisting, olligure, 80
undead, aqua-thing as, 14\
unseen light source, 96
up angle, lor lace, 18
upward punch, 131
urban lighter, 59
wardrobe. 52- 59
weight, shilling ol, 81
wide shot, 88-119
window light, 100
wind up, 131
wings, 57, 138
win~. 48
women. see female entries
worried e~pression, no
young characters, 120, 121

All of Christopher Hart's

books-including his
manga and manhwa
titles-have become
staples for a new
generation of aspiring
artists, and they have been
selected by the American
Library Association for
special notice.

Christopher Hart is an award-winning and best-selling

author whose books have set the standard for art
instruction, both nationally and internationally, with
two million copies in print in seventeen languages. He
is "the" go-to guy for manga how-tos, and his title
"Manga Mania" was the top-selling art book in the United States for months
after its 2001 publication and continues to be one of the country's best-sellers*.
Renowned for his up-to-the-minute content and easy-to-follow guidance, Hart
is a prolific writer and artist. He is the author of several art-instruction book
series and children's books, and his work has also been featured in numerous
magazines. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and two daughters.
*Source: Bookscan

costumes,
and panel design . .,-.