A helpful resource for beginners interested in comics. I didn't actually try to create my own because in the end, I got stopped by my own self-doubt about my creativity, but it's a great resource to have for when I'm feeling braver!

This book was really helpful to the kids I tried it with. Some of them "got" something they hadn't before. It's all about finding the right book for the right kid and this is a good one to add to the mix.

I love the way this Sketchbook breaks down the different skills and elements of drawing to create comics.

I can definitely see using this book in the classroom, and recommending it to students. Often it's a challenge to get a student who is used to sketching detailed studies of people to simplify so that the look of a character is consistent and can be drawn quickly in the format of a comic book. This book makes the point and takes the student artist through the paces.

This book is a step-by-step guide to creating your own comics and characters. As a Guidance, PSHE, and Citizenship teacher I am always on the lookout for new resources for classroom use. This book is a great toolkit buy. It has ample opportunity to practice and improve skills in the pages provided. Not only that, but drawings can be made with a simple piece of paper, a ruler, and a pencil.
Many pupils are finding life hard and stressful, especially with the current pandemic. I find that some are more likely to be able to voice their concerns using art, and many enjoy creating their own cartoons and anime. This book will help the less confident develop their skills.

Create comics creates memories

Posted on April 10, 2021 by michellelovatosbookreviews, world's first book color commentator, book reviews with a twist

Reviewing books from Netgalley is dangerous. Particularly, reviewing the art books.
Create Comics: A Sketch Book, from Chartwell Books, is the second title I ordered the minute I got done reading through its pages. Dang.
I’m supposed to be getting something for free, not spending money the minute I see something I think will be an automatic win for my family.
But when I find a must-have-it-this-moment book, Create Comics: A Sketch Book reached right into my wallet and grabbed about $12.
It’s worth it. Unlike other books that I buy on the spot, Create Comics is not arriving in my mailbox. It’s going to my granddaughter, who loves to draw comics.
I can’t wait to go see her, so I can borrow it … I mean, draw with her.
Like all Quatro/Chartwell sketchbooks I’ve seen, Create Comics: A Sketch Book is intended to, well, teach potential illustrators how to draw their favorite superhero character.
In my time, Peanuts and Family Circus were popular favorite character studies and comic strips to emulate, but these days, more sophisticated characters entertain our kids. P.J. Max, I think. Or is it P.J. Masks? I think the first one is a bathroom towel retail store.
Create Comics starts at the beginning, as it should, with simple lessons on how to connect shapes and lines to make figures. In the first boxes, Chartwell editors teach the theory, in the next blank box, aspiring artists create their shapes, figures, expressions, and emotions.
Then, little by little, we proceed to faces, noses, eyes, ears, hands.
After going through the steps these editors believe new artists need to grasp for the basics of illustration, Chartwell books provides several pages of comic strip blank pages that artists can use to create their very own stories.
I can’t wait to sit down with my eight-year-old granddaughter and play. I wonder what she’ll create? I wonder what I will create alongside her?
Doesn’t matter. The memory will be set, the creativity explored, our shared expression of fun on paper.

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Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things. Psalm 128: 1-2

I adore reading comics and I love doodling and drawing myself, but I've never felt comfortable trying to draw my own comic. With this awesome sketchbook, I finally found some great teaching material and motivation to start doodling my own comic characters and I will have fun looking back on this a lot of time and trying to draw new stuff!

The many pages of sketch pages is a biiig plus and the instructions are short and very clear, so that you do not get lost in too much "theory" and things that you don't care about. I can recommend this to anybody who wants a nudge to start sketching comics themselves! :=)

This was very helpful and contained plenty of advice not only for superhero and magna characters but also for cartoony characters which was very useful. I advise to buy it in a paper copy as there is lots of pages to draw and write on for practicing your skills.
a very good book and i would definitely recogmend it to people of all ages.

*DISCLAIMER* I received a free copy of this book for review purposes. I only accept books I think I’d like because life is too short to waste on bad books. That said if I don’t like a book, I’ll say so, free or not. With that out of the way, onto the review:

It’s kind of tricky to rate this one because it’s a digital version that I’m reviewing and this is a book best in a physical format because it’s a sketchbook. Not knowing what art supplies will work on the paper is tricky. That said, I love the book itself.

It starts with a 58 page section full of tips for making your own characters, how to plot and draw speech bubbles, etc.

The last 144 pages are the sketchbook. The pages are pre-formatted comic layouts that you fill in.

I have a lot of sketchbooks, but nothing like this. Next time I’m going to buy one, the physical version is now on my wishlist.

As someone who will never desire to write their own graphic novel, I thought this ebook was pretty educational in showing us how to draw certain characters to the artists story. I also liked the fact, it gives the serious “upcoming” artist a space of panels to work on for practicing purposes and tips while explaining how to draw characters.

Yup definitely worth a try for any of you out there who want to try to be the next best Mangaka, webtoonist,etc!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Chartwell Books for giving me this ebook to check out!

My normal rating system doesn't really work for this procedural-style book, but this was fun! I have always enjoyed drawing and doodling, but I haven't done it in some time. The structure of this book flows really well, teaching the reader about different shapes and how they can convey emotion or movement or personality. The practice panels and exercises are fun and engaging. I'm excited to see if I can use this inspiration to get back to more drawing.

Create Comics is a wonderful, well-drawn, and practical guide that breaks down the tropes of genre and the traditional grammatical moves we find in comics. Ideal for the reader who wants to start making.

I've seen countless books with the same idea so I was a little apprehensive. You think that reading as many (varied) books as I do and working in a bookshop that I shouldn't "judge a book by it's cover" but I did, and I couldn't have been more wrong!

Create Comics really sets itself apart from the throng right from the first page. The language is engaging, easy to read and simple to understand (for almost any age i'd say). It doesn't 'baby' you with starting with mundane tasks but there are plenty of opportunities to practice before moving on to the next step (cleverly disguised so you don't feel repetitive).

The clear instruction and friendly toned writing are really what makes this a big hit. You still learn technical skills without getting bogged down in complex terms or techniques.

I can't draw for toffee, but this is the first book I've seen in long time that actually makes me excited to try.

My only complaint is that I'm not overly 'comic' minded, I'd love to see a different theme in the same series.

This is such a fun book! I love the idea of grabbing everyday clothing and turning it into something inspired by your favorite character. It’s such a cool idea and very creative

I received a free e-ARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Create Comics: A Sketchbook is a delightful how -to guide for young audiences to practise their art in the medium of comics. The first section is dedicated to showing the basics of comic art, ranging from drawing bodies, faces, movement, and sound effects, with blank comic spaces to practise in.
The vast majority of the book is pages of blank comic panels for the artist to go wild and create their own stories and characters.
A wonderful book. I’d definitely buy this for young people in my life who love art and comics.

Excellent source and teaching material. I love the step by step the book encourages, with plenty of opportunities for the reader/artist to excel in skills while sketching. Some books I've ready only talk about the comics without giving practical advice like this one does. A clear winner. Definitely buy the paperback version (I reviewed an e-book copy) since the vast majority of pages are for writing your own comic strip.

Create Comics is a sketchbook based guide to planning and creating comics. Collected and collated from Quarto publications from 2017-2020 and published (in this edition) in Dec 2020, it's 204 pages and available in paperback format.

This is a streamlined look at the comics creation process. A very short introduction is followed immediately by short one-page step by step tutorials with line drawings of characters, villains, facial feature drawings, some action tutorials (battles), speech bubbles and text/lettering, some introductory info on inking and textures, and very (veeeery) general story arc advice.

The actual book and "instructions" are contained in the first 60 pages of the book. There's a one panel exhortation on page 60 "now it's time to take everything you've learned and make your own comic" followed by literally 144 pages of empty panels which the reader is supposed to fill in themselves. The panel pages are also repeated. There are 3 different layouts on repeat throughout the last two thirds of the book.

I'm not really sure who the intended audience is. It might make a good choice for a youngster who would like to draw their own comics or for a group/class as a hand-out exercise, but I'm not really seeing enough instruction included to make that more than an exercise in frustration. It's available in paperback format, so presumably would be readers will flip through it before buying and see that 2/3rds of the book is blank/DIY, but for potential readers who order online, my advice is to proceed with caution. If I had bought this one sight unseen, I'd be disappointed.

Two and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.