Framed Ink: Drawing and Composition for Visual Storytellers

This book was required for one of my classes and it's fantastic. It gives a lot of in-depth information on compositions, value studies, and visual storytelling. If you want to brush up on anything from Comic art to Illustrations to Concept art, I give this book and all of the other Mr. Mateu-Mestre books in this series the highest recommendation.I'm not a professional comic artist by any means, but I am currently studying it, and boy let me tell you did this book help me a lot when it came to coming up with effective compositions for paneling. It gives you a great, in-depth understanding of composition and how to build it from the ground up.I can see it also being extremely effective for anybody who wants to tell dramatic and meaningful stories with their artwork. My professor, who is a professional comic book artist also highly recommends this book to anybody of any skill level who wants to improve their skill.

It took about a month for this book to arrive, but it was well worth the wait. When I flipped through the pages, I was somewhat impressed with the artwork, but not very. A second flip-through (double-take) proved that the book was mostly made up of inking and not a whole lot of text. I began to worry if I'd been duped and wasted my money. What could I possibly learn from a bunch of black and white images with a paragraph or two thrown in? It reminded me of some the art books my university lists as required reading that cost an arm and really don't deliver. I could've gotten more artistic education out of a graphic novel.However, I finally found the time to sit and actually read it. It is an amazing book. Upon attentive study I realized the inkings weren't somewhat impressive they were incredible. It seems that the author, Mateu--Mestre, has a very minimalist approach to both art and instruction; yet, both his art and his lessons are immensely informative. The lessons are short and oh-so sweet. I learned new things just reading the first few pages because Mateu-Mestre isn't just trying to convey an academic sense of storytelling, but the very spirit of it. And I can tell you that is one of the major issues I have been tackling with my artwork i.e. breathing life into it, creating mood and emotion.Mateu-Mastre's book is a very good complement to two other books I bought, both by James Gurney - who does take a more academic approach to instruction and whose art is detailed and vibrant. I wish I would've come across these guys when I first began art college.Marcos Mateu-Mestre has created an excellent learning tool here, especially if you are a novice or mid-level artist. I so highly recommend this book that I would go as far as to say that it is a must have in any artist's library who is interested in narrative art e.g. comics, graphic novels, storyboarding, illustration, concept art, etc...I also recommend James Gurney's Color and Light.

I looked through some of the reviews on this book and I was a bit disappointed. First off I have my BFA in 3D animation and work to improve my skills constantly. For me, this book was a case of "Finding an unknown unknown".The book is descriptive enough for me to fill in some gaps and set me on a journey to learn more. It's not a one-stop shop for be the perfect artist like I assume some people want it to be.Some reviewers have declared this book to be the "basics". That is both true and untrue. Out of my years of education some concepts I knew and some I did not. Some things I remember only being taught in the advanced illustrator courses I got to sit in on. This book holds a wealth of information for all skill levels I would say.The illustrations are in my opinion amazing, in that they accurately convey a story, mood, and theory as described by the artist in a simplistic style with a limited palette. He defines methods of storytelling from more of a illustration point of view that can be applied to film as well.

It's worth every penny and much more. Simply the best book on composition and lighting for visual story telling I've ever encountered. Not just for illustrators or concept artists but, anyone who's trying to convey a message through visual means would benefit from this work. It should be a standard work in any film school! Each page clearly discusses key concepts about effectively immersing your audience in the story and then demonstrates those concepts through beautifully crafted and inspiring illustrations. It will guide you into a more profound understanding of how to communicate with your art. Furthermore, it is clear that the author has a deeply pure understanding of his craft. He understands the important role the audience plays in "perceiving" the reality we attempt to create. Understanding that alone is worth the price of this book!I found myself visualizing many new approaches and possibilities in my own work as I read. For me, as an artist, that's the highest compliment I can give to any work of art. I want to express my gratitude to the author for sharing his gift. Buy this book!

You'd do just as well pausing and drawing every shot in your favorite movies. There are some great chapters about what makes these shots so effective. But you can figure it out on your own. It's mostly self explanatory.This is for hollywood storyboard artists. There is a little about comics, but not enough to cover it in the appropriate detail.Another thing is don't expect to close the book knowing how to draw like this dude. Nothing about drawing technique is covered. Nothing about balancing creativity and reference for creating content.On the other hand the amazing quality of what he is teaching makes this worth while.