Cartooning for the Beginner (Christopher Hart's Cartooning)

I'm greatly disappointed in this book. Hart devotes roughly 3/4 of the page space to illustrations showing you *what* to draw, but very little in text or illustration explaining *how* to determine the what. That approach might be good for some people, but I want something with more beginner-level instruction.For example, Hart spends almost no time explaining or showing how to draw hair (one of my personal struggles). In 142 pages, the first mention of hair beyond simply "then add hair" isn't until page 56, and that's in a chapter on common mistakes (Mistake #8: Drawing flat hair). Even there, he has two illustrated examples of bad hair and two of good hair, but few pointers on how to actually get from the "before" to the "after".Except for the very initial exercise on laying out a face, there are no step-by-step exercises to follow, and even that one just tells you where to put elements that he has yet to show or explain how to do.There are many useful tips here, which is why I didn't give it just one star. Most of those tips are pretty useless to the beginner, though, because they're all built on techniques that assume you already know how to draw such-and-such in a cartoon style in the first place.If all I wanted out of this book was to learn to copy Hart's own illustrations, it would be great. But for learning the nuts and bolts of cartooning? Sorely lacking. It's less a "beginner's how-to" book than a "look at all the things you should do" book.

Great bookHas visualsAnd examplesShows cartoons tooI like this bookI would recommend buying

You can NEVER go wrong buying a Christopher Hart book. Each one contains encouragement, direction, and examples at multiple levels, where a person can more or less self-select. This book says "Beginners" but it works for anyone either brushing up or just looking for inspiration even if they've already been cartooning for a while.

I'm a cartoonist myself and have purchased many of Chris Harts books for my kids. They're fun, easy to understand, always follow the very same instructional format from book to book--so you can count on a consistent message. I like that.This was perfect for my little girl. I've watched her progress grow by leaps and bounds with this book!-Thanks Chris.

The book is a good beginner book for people who love cartoons. It has step by step guides and reference to go with. It also includes some animation walk cycles step by step. I am very satisfied by the quality of it. It is simple and understandable.

Whether you're a beginner wanting to learn the basics of your craft, or already advanced looking for inspiration; This book is a big help to get off the ground.

I purchased this book for my fourteen year old granddaughter(8th grade)for Christmas. She spends a great deal of her spare time doodling, drawing faces, etc., so I wanted her to have some good drawing books to model from. She absolutely loves this book! She and I both think it's for more advanced students though. It has both realistic and cartoonish renderings to improve drawing skills. Oh, and I also think it's a keeper!

great book plenty of examples to use as reference to create your own

This is a great book for beginners. It contains nice clear images and tips on how to start drawing cartoon characters and how to avoid some mistakes which is really helpful. I disagree with some reviews that say it is incomplete and it is more tips than step by step guide. I find the best approach to creating anything is to really work on it and find your own way and not just follow instructions and wait for someone to hold you by the hand the whole way. The best way to learn to draw is by draw all the time and absorb tips and help from your teachers, but it is important to get a teacher that inspires you to work, and Christopher Hart is excellent at that. Perfect for kids and very good for aspiring cartoonists.

Useful guide that will be of some help to beginners.Its a little disjointed in my view and certainly couldn't be called a comprehensive course in cartooning.Does contain some very useful information though.

It explains very well how to start drawing for beginners

Very easy and fast track for a learner, I always keep it with me

quick delivery, as described , happy.