 The Firefly Review (modified) |
| Review Date: January 28, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Jasmine, New York |
This is an excellent book, I love it! The only setback is the nudity (you will see nipples), which is important for the section on how to draw the body, but otherwise not necessary. Anyway, the adorable and very diverse characters will captivate you and turn you into an instant manga fan if you aren't already. There are six chapters:
1. Bishoujo character drawing theory: This chapter will teach you to draw the face; eyes, hair and expressions concerning the eyes (shut eyes, crying eyes etc.)One of the best chapters, the part on the eyes is superb! The part on the jaw line, however, isn't very helpful and requires a lot of practice.
2. Bishoujo Bodies: This chapter is only useful if you already know how to draw bodies. It has useful hints and tips, such as how to make the perfect slim waist, drawing breasts, the back, girls with broad or narrow shoulders, etc. However, it does not start with basics, like how to break the body down into cylinders, which is a problem.
3. Situations and Techniques of Expression: I don't particularly like the style of drawing in this part as it is less cute and more realistic. It covers putting on/taking off clothes, taking bathes or showers, characters wrapped in sheets and sleeping poses (the best, cutest part), underwear, negligee and kimono's (yukata). Note that shower and bath scenes can be used for girls in a swimming pool or in the rain. This section is neat as it shows you how kimonos are worn!
4. Every Day Life Bishoujo: This chapter covers all sorts of popular Japanese characters; maids, nurses, schoolgirls, and accessories like hats, glasses and ribbons. It has one page on curly hair, but only shows different styles of curled hair, not how to draw curly hair.
5. Out of This World Bishoujo: The best part of the book! This part will show you how to draw nekos (cat girls), mermaids, fairies, winged girls (a detailed, 4-page section) bionic and cyborg girls. The cutest characters are in this part! Also, you learn how to draw chibi girls, and how to turn characters into chibi characters. Note: starting from the third chapter, every page has a small chibi girl in the corner.
6. Learn From the Masters: The other best part! This part has six complete works, all of which are very cute yet very different. The author shows you the original sketch, and what you can learn from these pictures. My favorites are Elf Moment and Ice Fairy.
This a must-have for any manga collection. BUY IT NOW!!!
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A Book Worthy of 1 Hundred Stars!
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| Review Date: August 17, 2003 |
| Reviewer: , |
| This book is the best How To Draw Manga book I have, and considering how many I have, that's really something to say! I really liked this book because it explained to me how to draw all the basics, small details, clothing, and abnormal girls (like mermaids, animal girls, chibis, angels, mech, etc). It even shows different bishoujo themes in the book (like nurses, school girls, etc). Another thing that amazed me most was that it had all the basics of drawing bishoujo. You can call me weird, but the other book I was going to buy, Techniques for Drawing Female Manga Characters, lacked even the simple basics this book had, so it was either buy that book and a second one, or this book. I chose this book; besides that one had too much information on anatomy. I also recommend How to Draw Manga: Bishoujo Around the World. |
Awsome Book, Certainly a must have.
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| Review Date: March 12, 2004 |
| Reviewer: Faye, US |
| This book is very very helpful indeed. I have improved a whole lot with it! It teaches you how to draw faces,eyes, hair, bodies, movement, chaging clothes, Japanese dressing, dressing for bed, girls with glasses, hats, school uniforms, maids, bunny girls, nurses, robotic girls, animal girls, girls with wings and tails, mermaids, fairies, hoods and cloaks, power suits, chibi and many others(all explaining how to make a girl look BISHOUJO(Pretty)). It is an exelent book and you get a lot of pointers to do things. I think that everytime I look and read over this book I get better and better at drawing pretty girls, but of course looking over the book only is not going to make one an artist over night, so make sure you get some practice too. PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT,books help, but what really counts is if you practice or not. This is definetly a must have book; it is awsome, helpful, and defitnetly helps you make girls look pretty.Yes, there IS nudity, but nothing too serious. It is just artistic nudity. If the book didn't have any how could you really learn. This book is a great choice! keep it in mind! |
Brilliant, inspiring book.
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| Review Date: February 4, 2005 |
| Reviewer: Elisa Dall, Evanston, IL U.S.A. |
This book is very thick and content-rich, especially for the price. However, I do not think this is a beginner's book by any means. If you are looking for a book to break down the form into simple shapes, this isn't it. However, as someone who is familiar with illustration, the book is very inspiring, especially the sections on hair and eyes, which provide you with a way to customize your own characters.
Although other reviewers seemed to take issue with the fact that there was nudity in the book, it isn't tasteless. As someone who has studied art at the university level, it's not exactly a shock to find nudity in a book which teaches people how to illustrate the female form. In fact, I found the figures and poses extremely helpful for fashion illustrations of lingerie and form-fitting clothing. If cartoon nipples offend you, this might not be a good book for you.
I think the book is a great deal for the price, and has a lot of inspirational imagery and ideas for people who enjoy drawing manga, or even fashion illustrators looking to add something different to their work. |
All it takes...
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| Review Date: April 26, 2001 |
| Reviewer: , NY United States |
| This is EXACTLY what I have been searching for in a "How To" Manga book since I first started watching anime. What people must realize is that the book won't make you a better artist. It's the practice and the TECHNIQUES from the book that you can use to become a better manga artist. With this book, and a little practice, you'll be right up there with Hayao Miyazaki (director of Princess Mononoke). All in all, a worthwhile purchase for anyone yearning to become an artist in the Japanese Manga style. |
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