Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

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, design settings, as well as the basics of printing, binding and digital file set-up.

Each lesson is supported by striking illustrations by graphic novel artist Marco Maraggi, and professional artworking tips are delivered in the style of a graphic novel by renowned Italian cartoonist and comics lecturer Otto Gabos. The book also includes biographies of and interviews with cult creators who share insights into their working process as well as work from their sketchbooks.

Featuring reproductions and a recommended reading list of famous graphic novels and comic books past and present, this is the ideal workbook for all aspiring graphic novelists.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Introduction What is a Graphic Novel? (7)
• A Quick History of Comics
• Genre, Stories, and Themes (10)
• Great Graphic Novel Nations (12)
• Before You Start Drawing
• Artist or Writer: Which One are you? (16)
• Subject, Documentation, and Screenplay (18)
• The Basics of Copyright (22)
• The Basics of Printing and Binding Techniques (24)
• How to Save Files in a digital Format (26)
• The Basics of Working
• Layout Styles - Page Formats (30)
• Layout Styles - Panels (32)
• Layout Styles - Balloons (34)
• Create Your Own Font (36)
• Get Started
• Tools - Analog (40)
• Tools - Digital (42)
• Tools - Mixing the Two (44)
• Character Design (46)
• Tips for Drawing Characters (48)
• Scenery and Preparatory Drawings (50)
• Tips for Drawing Scenery (52)
• The Storyboard (54)
• Inking & Coloring (56)
• You've Finished Drawing, Now What?
• Page Layout (60)
• Lettering (62)
• Proofreading (64)
• Deadlines (65)
• Getting Published (66)
• International Comic Book Fairs (68)
• Cult Creators
• Jackie Ormes (72)
• Will Eisner (73)
• Alberto Breccia (74)
• Hugo Pratt (75)
• Osamu Tezuka (76)
• Moebius (77)
• Riyoko Ikeda (78)
• Art Spiegelman (79)
• Alan Moore (80)
• Neil Gaiman (81)
• Marjane Satrapi (82)
• Jillian Tamaki (83)
• Creator Interviews
• Nina Bunjevac (86)
• Elisa MacEllari (88)
• Ben Passmore (90)
• Peter Kuper (92)
• Kan Takahama (94)
• Index and Reading List (96)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Booklist Review

One of the many benefits of graphic novels is how they inspire readers to create their own illustrated stories. 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. There are straightforward technical explanations (printing and binding techniques) and artistic advice (how to draw characters). There are bits about comic-book history, profiles of "Cult Creators" and interviews with five current graphic illustrators who represent a range of emerging styles. Topics are presented in facing two-page spreads that serve as models, with text and illustrations effectively aligned to reinforce ideas, information, and techniques. None of the spreads allow for in-depth coverage, but they do cover basic concerns and tasks and give aspiring illustrators plenty to think about. Useful as a teaching tool, this introduction to graphic creation will attract both browsers and the artistically inclined.

Kirkus Book Review

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) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Balthazar Pagani is the founder of BesideBooks based in Milan. He produced the Graphic Lives series of graphic novels for Laurence King, including Basquiat and Kusama , and more recently produced His Name is Banksy . Otto Gabos is an established cartoonist, illustrator and author who teaches on the Comics and Illustration Course at the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, Italy. Marco Maraggi is a cartoonist based in Udine, Italy, and is the illustrator of His Name is Banksy .