Review: Modern Cartooning, by Christopher Hart (Updated with Cover)


Not long ago, I blogged about Christopher Hart and his blog, “Chris Hart Books.” Christopher Hart is a very talented artist and author. He’s got a book out now, titled Modern Cartooning. As it says on the cover, it features “essential techniques for drawing today’s popular cartoons (Hart, cover).” Being an artist and an aspiring cartoonist, I find this book very fun and interesting. I’ve checked out one of his previous cartooning books at the library before, Cartooning for the Beginner. That book was very helpful to me, especially since I was working on a new comic strip. This book, Modern Cartooning, expands on cartooning, and teaches more things that I never knew before, and is a great guide for my cartooning. It’s very insightful, and it’s easy to understand. It’s great for someone who wants to sharpen their cartooning skills, as well as someone who is just starting out learning to draw cartoons.

One of the things that’s great for a beginner is, as I said, it’s easy to understand. It’s not overwhelming. Christopher Hart takes you step by step, through the book. He focuses on different parts of the character per section. There are nine sections, 10 counting the index. He starts with the head and the face, working towards angles, and the body, and more. He talks about different shapes for the head and it’s features, and different shapes for the body. It’s very interesting to see the shapes you can use for the head, the types of eyes, the body types. There are a variety of parts of the character that can define them in different, exciting, and humorous ways.

Christopher Hart’s style for cartooning, which he displays in this book, is simple and stylish. That, along with the humor he conveys in the book makes the book an entertaining lesson in cartooning. You won’t be bored when reading it and practicing the lessons in it. I personally really enjoy the illustrations and Christopher Hart’s lively attitude. For me, if I can read a book for an hour or more at a time, it’s a very entertaining read, and that’s what this book is.

Modern Cartooning, by Christopher Hart, is a great book for someone who wants to get into cartooning, whether just for the fun of it or as a profession. Reading this book has made me think about my cartooning. It’s got me thinking about simplifying my cartoon style some more, and making my cartoons, especially my comic strip, more animated. I very much recommend this book to anyone who wants to pursue cartooning. It’s a great read, and Christopher Hart is a great teacher! Modern Cartooning is out right now, and I recommending going and buying it (Hart).

Works Cited

Hart, Christopher. Modern Cartooning. New York. Watson-Guptill Publications. 2013. Print.

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