Drawing Crime Noir for Comics and Graphic Novels

Crime Noir is the most sophisticated, exciting, and dangerous comic book genre around. It is the highly stylized, modern version of such classic 1950s films as The Maltese Falcon and The Asphalt Jungle . Modern crime noir is exploding in popularity with movies such as Batman Begins and graphic novels such as Frank Miller’s Sin City . This genre focuses on the mean streets of the city and its amoral characters. Picture windswept streets, deep shadowy figures, reckless woman, men without conscience, reluctant heroes, and boulevards of fear. It’s the desperation of ordinary men, and the loneliness of the action hero. Drawing Crime Noir teaches the aspiring artist how to use all of the latest techniques and principles to create the moody world of crime noir. Extensive instruction is offered in the use of shadows to create intense comic book moods and suspense. And there’s more: the costumes of noir - the trench coats and sunglasses of the nihilistic characters: the mobbed-up politicians on the take; and the hit men who keep order; the sexy women who would just as soon kill you as kiss you; techniques for creating dark, brooding, costumed action heroes; and how to turn an ordinary comic book scene into a crime noir scene and how to draw the weapons that the criminals use to make crime pay. Strong, cutting-edge imagery shows artists how to make crime pay. Superstar Christopher Hart explores a new genre. It is perfect for anyone interested in drawing for comic books or graphic novels.