The Silver Way: Techniques, Tips, and Tutorials for Effective Character Design
Reviews (165)
The other reviews weren't exaggerating; this book really is THAT good
I have barely dipped my toes into this thick book and I already love it. And it is indeed thick, one of the thickest/biggest art instruction books I have the pleasure of owning. I was surprised by that to be honest, it is a much thicker book than I expected! There is so much fantastic and useful advice in this book, and it's presented in a nice orderly way with tons of great suggestions, tips, and exercises. It's not just a bunch of art with a little text. This book is truly instructional and it is impossible not to learn something from it. I only have ONE complaint and it's not about the content of the book or Mr. Silver's art, but instead it's about the shape of the book: it's quite wide and not tall. I saw the general shape before buying it, but when you combine the shape of the book with the thickness and overall weight, the wider-than-taller shape is both impractical to hold and also makes it difficult to fit in with the rest of the books on a shelf. I really really wish they had not designed the book this way, and I hope future editions will be a more standard shape. That said, if you are on the fence about this book, BUY IT! It is wonderful.
Solid Advice for Animation Artists
This book has solid tips and techniques for those seeking to work in the animation industry as a character designer. Most of the book covers styles of design that are popular with the top studios but animation is a big field that still has room to grow so don't think that this is the only way to explore design. This book is a helpful tool for both beginning or professional artists. Since animation design is based on observations from life you will want to pick up foundational books on Life Drawing and perspective as well. I recommend all (particularly Drawing for All its Worth & Successful Drawing) of the Andrew Loomis books and the Vilppu Drawing manual for those seriously considering a career in art.
This is a NECESSARY book for illustrators
As a professional illustrator, this is a MUST HAVE for artists. Definitely more specifically for character designers, but it does have a lot of lessons for general illustrators. I graduated college with very basic knowledge on character design. I saw that the great Stephen Silver was creating a book for it, and I instantly bought it. A couple of hours of reading and I already learned more about character design than what I learned in college. One of the most important things that I learned from this book is necessary communication through silhouette and shapes. These things will give your characters variety and will help them stand out from the rest. I'm still going through and trying to absorb all the knowledge that it has. Thank you Mr. Silver, I hope to meet you one day! You rock!
Wow--really top notch
so good--I'd compare it to Preston Blair's Animation book since it is another simple but densely informative classic by a master of the art form. So much is covered so clearly--you can read it in a day but will want to re-read it a hundred times since the info is that solid & profound. I have a lot of character design books and this is organised the best--concepts are broken down in a meaningful way and explained well. So much is covered, from process to rendering to turnarounds to character types, basic drawing principles and sources of inspiration. Silver's outside in design approach is mind expanding. This book shows that the author is a real pro who has taught before.
Inspiration for character designers
I have purchased a number of drawing books throughout the years, but while most books focus on technique alone, this book also provides considerable space to enhancing the transition from daily thinking about drawing to creating a daily drawing practice. I find this book incredibly inspiring and feel like I have my own personal drawing instructor at my side every time I open it. This book really stands out to me as something incredibly unique and valuable for learning/enhancing skills used in character design. It is the first drawing book I have purchased that made me stop reading and start drawing.
A little review
Awesome book, great tips for drawing and useful guides on coming up with a good character. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in making new characters who needs help designing them. I even took it with me to my professor and I had referred it to my classmates
This is one of the best cartoon illustration books I have read!
As an illustrator for the past 15 years, I am often looking for ways to improve. The Silverway breaks down various ways to approach, line, shape and color that help construct characters with personality. Pushing the concepts to show action and creating unique and fun cartoons. This book is the most comprehensive book on the subject. If you are going to buy only one book on drawing cartoons... this is it.
Essential for animators and illustrators.
The book is one of my favorite art books. It has clear process for drawing forms, and great advice for developing characters. I love that his text is limited to the nuts and bolts of the skills, and doesn't have the feel of an academic tome with a tedious explanation of concepts. There are more drawings than words in this book. The diagrams and grids are easy to understand and implement. I can't say enough good things about his methods.
Just awesome. Stephen Silver is a legendary caricaturist and character ...
Just awesome. Stephen Silver is a legendary caricaturist and character designer, and this book is great. I much prefer this book to the online lectures and tutorials because it's tangible and I can use it more as a reference guide and linger in the sections I like.
Solid techniques for beginners and experts
The book provides more than ample examples and techniques for character design. It is appropriate for beginners as well as advanced designers. A well-structured, thick read of a book. Silver is generous with his knowledge sharing. The main point of his theory is using simple, strong shapes to create a structure for your characters. He exposes how these shapes work in his designs. HIs rough drawings show how he "draws through" the shapes to create depth and a believable cartoon anatomy for a design. I have taken a class from him in person and his books are as informative as his lectures.
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