How to Draw Zombies

Well now. I start this review with a huge smile on my face. Because I really don't know how to review it. You'll see why - let's just dive in... It's entitled How To Draw Zombies. The beginning section is really quite good in this respect - shows you how to draw your usual 'alive person' face and then how to hack bits off, distend, generally turn that face into an undead being. Trouble is here... I reckon you need to be pretty damn decent at drawing in the first place. I think it's assumed that you, the reader, know a bit about drawing already. You need to know what 'value' is and how to shade and highlight, how light and shadow works etc. So if you can't draw people, well, you might want to practice that first. If you come to this book as a complete beginner - you might be disappointed... I consider myself a definite learner and what was described as a rough sketch in the book - I would have considered a finished masterpiece and been chuffed to bits. Scattered throughout the book are interesting snippets about zombie legend, recommended novels, how to surround yourself with inspiration. I really liked this aspect and did think it added to the overall feel of the book. Nice to learn a bit more and there were a few books I have now added to my read list. There are 16 projects to work through, all thoroughly detailed and exquisite. I really like how each piece started as a physical sketch and each stage was shown. At the end there is an option to move onto the computer to enhance the finished piece with a program like Photoshop - again, I think you'd have to know a little bit about this type of program as it's not an in-depth going into. Just add this, do that, add some scabs here and some bits of vein there. No telling you how you actually do that. I do have to say that I sometimes preferred the finished piece pre-digital tampering and with others I did like the altered version. Each project comes with a comprehensive list of tools used to complete that picture; the pens, pencils and paints used as well as optional extras like airbrush (though how to achieve similar effects with paint on a brush is explained) and Photoshop. I literally guffawed out loud when one of the suggested tools was a light table. Not a light box... a whole light table. I am lucky if my light bulb in the room I'm in is bright enough. I did find that amusing. The artist, Mike Butkus, has a seriously drool worthy studio with multiple PC screens, one of which he can draw directly onto with his pen... obviously us readers don't all have that set-up, he's just showing us how he works. I cannot stress how much I love the amount of detail and information that's given about creating backgrounds in this book. I can seriously say I have learnt some things that will be so helpful in other projects. I knew window cleaner had to have a better use than just for cleaning boring windows. That gem alone... well, I almost kissed the page! I come away from this book itching to be better at drawing and painting, I want to be able to do the techniques outlined in this book justice. I want to dabble with airbrushing and I may even finally crank open the free Photoshop Elements software that came with my PC. Methinks a drawing tablet may find it's way to my wishlist too - I don't think that coming away from a book with a hunger to learn something new is a bad thing. So. You see. How do I rate this book? As a "How To draw..." you actually have to be able to draw to begin with, in my humble opinion. However, if you look at this book and imagine it in the same vein as the Dragon Art one I reviewed a while back - they described their book as "inspiration, impact and technique" and that's what this is too. So for that reason I highly recommend this book. Highly. If you love zombies, even if you aren't really wanting to draw them, the snippets of legend and lore, the recommended reads... the absolutely beautiful (in a blood splattered, gory kinda way) art make it a must have. If you want this purely to draw zombies and you are a complete beginner - you might come away disappointed but I really fail to see how if you are that into zombies.

Well now. I start this review with a huge smile on my face. Because I really don't know how to review it. You'll see why - let's just dive in... It's entitled How To Draw Zombies. The beginning section is really quite good in this respect - shows you how to draw your usual 'alive person' face and then how to hack bits off, distend, generally turn that face into an undead being. Trouble is here... I reckon you need to be pretty damn decent at drawing in the first place. I think it's assumed that you, the reader, know a bit about drawing already. You need to know what 'value' is and how to shade and highlight, how light and shadow works etc. So if you can't draw people, well, you might want to practice that first. If you come to this book as a complete beginner - you might be disappointed... I consider myself a definite learner and what was described as a rough sketch in the book - I would have considered a finished masterpiece and been chuffed to bits. Scattered throughout the book are interesting snippets about zombie legend, recommended novels, how to surround yourself with inspiration. I really liked this aspect and did think it added to the overall feel of the book. Nice to learn a bit more and there were a few books I have now added to my read list. There are 16 projects to work through, all thoroughly detailed and exquisite. I really like how each piece started as a physical sketch and each stage was shown. At the end there is an option to move onto the computer to enhance the finished piece with a program like Photoshop - again, I think you'd have to know a little bit about this type of program as it's not an in-depth going into. Just add this, do that, add some scabs here and some bits of vein there. No telling you how you actually do that. I do have to say that I sometimes preferred the finished piece pre-digital tampering and with others I did like the altered version. Each project comes with a comprehensive list of tools used to complete that picture; the pens, pencils and paints used as well as optional extras like airbrush (though how to achieve similar effects with paint on a brush is explained) and Photoshop. I literally guffawed out loud when one of the suggested tools was a light table. Not a light box... a whole light table. I am lucky if my light bulb in the room I'm in is bright enough. I did find that amusing. The artist, Mike Butkus, has a seriously drool worthy studio with multiple PC screens, one of which he can draw directly onto with his pen... obviously us readers don't all have that set-up, he's just showing us how he works. I cannot stress how much I love the amount of detail and information that's given about creating backgrounds in this book. I can seriously say I have learnt some things that will be so helpful in other projects. I knew window cleaner had to have a better use than just for cleaning boring windows. That gem alone... well, I almost kissed the page! I come away from this book itching to be better at drawing and painting, I want to be able to do the techniques outlined in this book justice. I want to dabble with airbrushing and I may even finally crank open the free Photoshop Elements software that came with my PC. Methinks a drawing tablet may find it's way to my wishlist too - I don't think that coming away from a book with a hunger to learn something new is a bad thing. So. You see. How do I rate this book? As a "How To draw..." you actually have to be able to draw to begin with, in my humble opinion. However, if you look at this book and imagine it in the same vein as the Dragon Art one I reviewed a while back - they described their book as "inspiration, impact and technique" and that's what this is too. So for that reason I highly recommend this book. Highly. If you love zombies, even if you aren't really wanting to draw them, the snippets of legend and lore, the recommended reads... the absolutely beautiful (in a blood splattered, gory kinda way) art make it a must have. If you want this purely to draw zombies and you are a complete beginner - you might come away disappointed but I really fail to see how if you are that into zombies.