Books with author Christopher Harlan

Because people are captivated by the “human” traits in animals, especially those that make us laugh, animals have been an endless source of humor for cartoonists. We chuckle at the antics of Marmaduke and Garfield, recognizing in them amusing behavior in our own pets. We also find humor in more human-like characters such as the irascible Donald Duck and the gloomy Eyore because their personalities remind us of people we know. With their ability to make people laugh, animals are essential in the repertoire of every cartoonist.In his latest book, Christopher Hart teaches an easy method for capturing the forms and expressions of animals. The book begins by showing how to create simple drawings with just a few strokes of the pen. Following the basic shapes, Hart goes on to depict animal personalities that are based on their physical traits. He covers many different species, from exotic African beasts to common breeds of dogs and cats. A final section shows how animals can be turned into “human” characters that stand upright and wear clothes.

Plague, famine, and fear grip the United States as war rages across the globe. A single father with a secret of his own, will do anything to give his daughter a better life, but the sacrifice may be greater than anything he could have ever imagined.Five years after the Chinese Axis detonated an unknown weapon of mass destruction off the southern coast of the United States, Special Ops Sergeant John Crider and the members of Shadow Company have finally captured what they all hope will lead to the end of the war. Unfortunately, the population within the United States is no longer sustainable. In an effort to stabilize the economy, the government enacts the Cryonics Act. One hundred years in suspended animation, all debt forgiven, and a chance at a less crowded future are too good to pass up for John and his young daughter. Except not everything always goes as planned as Sergeant John Crider finds himself pitted against a land of prehistoric monsters genetically resurrected from the fossil record, murderous inhabitants, and a future he never wanted.

Aspiring cartoonists of all ages can begin drawing a repertoire of characters from the moment they follow the wide-ranging yet simplified lessons that fill these instructive pages, written and illustrated by an all-time best-selling artist/teacher.This complete course, covering both comic strip and animation techniques, begins with lessons on basic cartoon body shapes and facial features. Included are helpful comparisons between the real versus the cartoon head, a smile chart, and various ways to draw the most popular and expressive cartoon eyes and mouths. Next come lots of typical body poses, how to draw action lines, slow/fast movement, cartoon hands, fun hair and clothing styles, backgrounds, and cute cartoon pets. Excellent directions also focus on helping beginners to find and develop their own cartoon style.

When I was seventeen years old there were only three things that I knew for certain: I was a mixed up mixed kid, with weird hair and an unhealthy love of comics; I wanted to forget I’d ever heard the words depression and anxiety; and I was hopelessly in love with a girl named Annalise who was, in every way that you can be, a goddess. What can I say about Anna? She wasn’t the prom queen or the perfect girl from the movies, she was my weird, funny, messed up goddess. The girl of my dreams. The reason I’m writing these words.I’d loved Anna from a distance, afraid to actually talk to her, but then one day during lunch my best friend threw a french fry at my face and changed everything. The rest, as they say, is history. Our History. Our Story. Annalise helped make me the man I am today, and loving her saved my teenaged soul from drowning in the depths of a terrible Bleh, the worst kind of sadness that there is, a concept Anna taught me about a long time ago, when we were younger than young. So flip the book over, open up the cover and let me tell you Our Story, which is like Annalise, herself: complicated, beautiful, funny, and guaranteed to teach you something by the time you’re through. Maybe it’ll teach you the complexity of the word potato, something I never understood until the very last page.

Today comic book heroes and villains are more popular than ever, appearing not only in print but in video games and movies as well. Now fans can learn how to create their own heroes and villains from such successful comic book artists as Gray Morrow of Superman, Frank McLaughlin of Batman, and Frank Springer of Spiderman and Conan the Barbarian. A superhero-mascot appears throughout the book guiding the reader with his humorous observations. Among the many subjects covered are heroic anatomy; monsters, mutants, and mythical creatures; action scenes, fights and combat; as well as designing special powers for heroes. Each section ends with a page entitled “Common Mistakes,” where the pitfalls and problems that beginning artists are most likely to encounter are demonstrated.With its fun-to-follow format and variety of illustration styles, How to Draw Comic Book Heroes and Villains will encourage the cartoonist lurking in everyone.

Mecha, a generic term well known in the manga and anime community, is short for mechanically-based humanoids—as well as anything else mechanical, high-tech, and really cool. If it can fly, swim, fire a weapon, explode, or destroy stuff, it’s mecha.Comic book and animation fans hunger for mecha. From the Gigantor animated TV series in the early ’60s to today’s Neon Genesis Evangelion, mecha is the king of anime. Most Japanese mecha animation features giant robots in epic battles. These giant robots are as tall as buildings—and teenage heroes enter the robot’s deathpit and navigate it like a fighter jet. Mecha is also popular in such Nintendo, Playstation, and Sega Dreamcast computer games as Mech Warriors, Battletech, and Combat Assault Vehicle.While some budding artists may not have a feel for human anatomy or drawing the expressive faces of cartoon characters, anyone who can draw blocks and circles can draw mecha. Mecha Mania demonstrates how easy it is to draw fantastic mecha vehicles, robots, space stations, and more. The 300 step-by-step illustrations make it simple for anyone to master this wildly popular comic book genre and achieve dramatic results.Mecha Mania features all of the coolest mecha designs and variations, along with outrageous battle scenes. Also included are informative interviews with a company that creates mecha-based games and a Japanese publisher of mecha. Whether one’s a beginning or professional artist, Mecha Mania is the best how-to reference ever published for mastering this hot, hot comic book art.

Any kid who's ever dreamed of owning a Ferrari, getting behind the wheel of a huge truck or a fierce fighter jet—or at least being able to whip out a pencil and amaze friends by drawing them all—will race to get a copy of this coolest of how-to art instructionals. All of the most spectacular makes are included, from Lamborghini to Lotus to Porsche, as well as the entire array of American muscle cars. Timeless classics are highlighted, such as the Jaguar E-Type and the “Gullwing” Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupe, as are Formula One, stock, and rally cross racing cars. Authentic diagrams and blueprints show exactly how a car is built and how an engine works. Instead of being shown in static isolation, models are depicted racing, going around hairpin turns, crashing, and in other exciting scenes, and immensely popular monster trucks are shown in eye-popping action, crushing rows of cars. The author takes his students to even greater heights with lessons in drawing awesome stealth fighters and other U.S. Air Force jets, bombers, and Apache helicopters.

Manga devotees—especially fanboys—will welcome the latest installment in Chris Hart’s blockbuster, bestselling series. Shonen manga stories feature male protagonists in action-packed, often humorous plots. Boys in particular devour the genre’s most popular works, including Naruto, Dragon Ball, Bleach, and Death Note. With Chris’s help, they can feed their passion further and learn how to draw all the essential shonen characters: teen heroes, violent samurai, girl ninjas, hideous monsters, masked warlords, tomboy fighter girls, giant battling robot-buddies, evil martial arts masters, and more. Step-by-step demonstrations break down the drawings so that artists of any level can follow along. Filled with top-notch art instruction, tons of visual tips, and over 350 drawings in the authentic Japanese style, this is the essential resource for all manga maniacs.

Do you love manga? Now you can learn to draw your own! This book has everything the beginning manga artist needs! You’ll learn how to draw the basic manga head and body types…but that’s just the beginning! Over 100 manga characters—from magical shoujo girls and their super-cute chibi friends to mysterious ninjas and double-crossing villains— are broken down into easy-to-follow steps so you can start drawing all of your favorite manga characters right away!

Pencils! Paints! Passion! The Japanese-style comic books known as manga have a huge following in America. Chris Hart, author of several bestselling how-to-draw books, now offers aspiring young artists a complete course in the manga-romance genre. He shows how to create classic manga characters: sweet-and-caring pretty girls with huge, glistening eyes; exciting boy heroes, including handsome teen-idol types, rough-hewn rebels, and young mystery men; girl comedy characters, who not only provide laughs, but also help high school girls deal with their insecurities; and many others. With thorough art instruction and lots of ideas for story plots, this is an intriguing invitation to an art form that anyone who loves to draw will find irresistible.

Manga Mania: The Guide to Drawing Girls is a 32-page booklet packed with step-by-step tutorials on how to draw dynamic manga girls. Many different types of manga girls are represented throughout, from manga warriors, superheroes, school girls, athletic types, animal lovers, and more. Manga fans will love the range of characters available in this compact volume, along with the easy drawing guidance that accompanies each one. This booklet gives artists just the overview they need to get started on drawing great manga girls.