How to Draw a Graphic Novel

by Balthazar Pagani, Marco Maraggi (Illustrator), Otto Gabos (Illustrator)

Overview

Packed with professional tips and interviews with leading graphic novelists, this is the ultimate guide on how to create a graphic novel.

How to Draw a Graphic Novel is structured as a series of short art courses that combine technical advice with creative inspiration. Written by graphic novel producer Balthazar Pagani, the book includes lessons in how to construct a narrative, develop characters, and design settings, as well as the basics of printing, binding, and digital-file setup.

Each lesson is supported by striking illustrations by graphic novel artist Marco Maraggi, with professional art tips delivered in the style of a graphic novel by renowned Italian cartoonist and comics lecturer Otto Gabos.

The book also includes biographies of cult creators and a recommended reading list of famous graphic novels and comic books both past and present.

How to Draw a Graphic Novel presents an informative and entertaining look at the creative process and insight into the world of graphic novel publishing. From teens to adults, this is the ideal workbook for all graphic novelists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780500660201
Publisher:	Thames & Hudson
Publication date:	11/14/2023
Pages:	96
Product dimensions:	8.90(w) x 11.60(h) x 0.40(d)
Lexile:	GN1010L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Balthazar Pagani is the founder of WeAreBeside based in Milan. He produced the Graphic Lives series of graphic novels and is the author of How to Draw a Graphic Novel.

Marco Maraggi is a cartoonist based in Udine, Italy, and the illustrator of His Name Is Banksy.

Otto Gabos is an established cartoonist, illustrator, and author who teaches the comics and illustration course Course at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, Italy.

Editorial Reviews

"Aspiring artists will find solid advice in this sophisticated, well-considered guide. Colorful panels walk readers through the creative process, from pre-drawing planning to layout and formatting to analog and digital tools to inking and coloring, proofreading, and getting published... Useful as a teaching tool, this introduction to graphic creation will attract both browsers and the artistically inclined."— Booklist

From the Publisher

2023-09-09
A beginner’s guide to graphic novels and what goes into making one, translated from the original Italian.

“How to draw” is a little too specific for what this book offers, which is an overview of graphic novels and how they are made, with some attention to illustration tools and techniques. The first section consists of two-page guides that define and demonstrate various aspects of graphic novels, from print and digital publishing methods to creating one’s own font. The middle portion is written and drawn by graphic novelist and teacher of comic arts Gabos, conveyed via his avatar. Gabos delivers a point of view that’s more akin to a personable lecture than the previous section. Both portions acknowledge that readers should maintain good working habits and make mistakes through experimentation, keeping the creative process in their hands. Some topics demand more depth than the brief coverage they receive, such as coloring, copyright, and pitching to publishers. A dozen brief profiles of comics creators and five interviews with professionals from diverse backgrounds about their techniques, advice, and preferences offer readers a global view of career options. The author’s enthusiasm shines through when introducing readers to notable figures, as in his impassioned recommendation of Art Spiegelman’s Maus and his connecting of the personal angles of Marjane Satrapi’s and Jillian Tamaki’s work to readers’ own.

Broad but shallow, offering tips for creating a graphic novel and a basic, general comics primer. (index, reading list) (Graphic nonfiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews