Books in Dover How to Draw series

Learn to create cool characters in the style of manga, the Japanese cartooning craze. This easy-to-follow guide takes you from the basic shapes that serve as building blocks to dynamic finished figures.An introductory section covers artists' materials and explains the techniques behind illustrating faces, body types, and movement. Additional chapters provide two-color, step-by-step directions for drawing an assortment of wide-eyed teenage heroes, monstrous villains, and supernatural animals — 25 in all. A concluding chapter offers suggestions for using your newly acquired drawing skills to illustrate the story of a dramatic battle between the forces of good and evil.

With this appealing guide, kids ages 4 and up can combine basic shapes to form cartoon-style characters. Based on a proven, classroom-tested method, it features 30 four-step lessons. The simple shapes appear in a headline across the top of the page. Below, a second color highlights the addition of each new shape, making it easy for kids to follow along — plus, there's a practice space below each numbered step.

Kids ages 4 and up can learn to draw an octopus, starfish, pelican, and 27 other cartoon-style sea creatures. Based on a proven, classroom-tested method, this easy-to-follow guide features four simple steps for every character. Each step shows how to combine the basic shapes that run across the top of the pages. A second color highlights the addition of each new shape, making it easy for kids to follow along, and there's plenty of room to practice below each numbered step.

Aspiring cartoonists can learn to draw a gallery of fiends, from Dracula and other ghouls to more exotic monsters. More than 40 lessons by a celebrated cartoonist show how to progress from basic shapes to detailed, professional-looking images. Tony Tallarico, author of the popular "Where Are They?" series, presents each lesson in three or four easy-to-follow steps that show how to fill in the details that result in drawings of spectacularly spooky monsters. In addition, a five-page script for a horror comic, complete with rough layouts and tips on lettering, offers a chance to practice newly acquired skills by finishing the script's cartoon images and filling in the dialog!

This easy-to-follow book teaches the reader how to draw a wonderful variety of mandalas using very simple steps. Well-known doodler Ann Marie Irvine, owner of AnnsDoodles.com, includes a good selection of simple and more complex mandala designs. From flowers to seashells, even beginners will soon be able to create great drawings using these illustrations as a guide. Numerous examples of Anns drawings can be seen on her website, which she set up in 2007, and her work is available to buy from her Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Annsd00dles) and from Etsy (www.etsy.com/uk/shop/Annsdoodles).

It's easy to draw circus fun under the Big Top!So enjoyable and easy to use, this wonderful guide shows aspiring artists of all ages how to draw 30 charming circus illustrations. Using circles, ovals, and other common shapes, the simple step-by-step diagrams will have you sketching scores of circus scenes in no time! Create images of lions and tigers, a ringmaster, clowns, trapeze artists, dancing dogs, jugglers, a ball-balancing seal—even a festive circus parade. Beginners will be thrilled to render realistic drawings as they learn the basics of shape development and the fundamentals of form and dimension.

This humorous guide uses a cartoonish style and clever captions to show kids how to draw—and defend Earth from intergalactic invaders. Simple, step-by-step instructions help aspiring artists use basic shapes and their own imaginations to create a host of alien creatures, flying saucers, and evil robots, as well as heroes who will help save the planet.

This delightful introduction to drawing dogs completely demystifies the drawing process. It shows how images can be built up easily, from initial geometric shapes right through to the finished animals. Susie Hodges includes a good selection of popular breeds and she uses a helpful two colour method that clearly shows every line and curve of the step-by-step pictures. Even absolute beginners will find themselves creating great drawings when they use this book and there is much to inspire more experienced artists too. An invaluable guide for anyone interested in this subject.