razvanc-r's sketchbook dump

[John]

Hey Raz.

As you guys might know, I'm pretty new to all  this drawing business and what I realized with this project is that even though cartoons are simplified, they are by no means easier to sketch :-D, testimony to this is my previous hideous trials.

You're putting the time in. And that's the most important thing you can do about it. You're doing alright.

So with that in mind I would really really like your help! If any of you guys know of manga references or how tos or anything helpful that would be awesome

I don't have any good manga reference book that I can recommend. I've been given some, but it never helped me at all.. But, if you're open to alternatives, maybe I can point you to Andrew Loomis' Fun with a Pencil book (www.alexhays.com/loomis/). It shows you that drawing characters are essentially just spheres, cylinders and boxes. This is the underlying principle to almost all drawing styles.. 

The problem I have with "How to Draw like *insert awesome artist*" books, you will have the tendency to be a second rate version of said artist. This will be very narcissistic for me to say, but wouldn't it be nicer for everyone to point out that that style is distinctively yours rather than you're doing a pretty good version of your idols?

Not to say it's horrible to copy a certain style. It's not and it'll be hypocritical for me to say so. I spun out from copying "Wizard How to Draw" books. Sometimes people have to try on different voices before they find their own. 

That said, hope that Loomis book points you to the right direction. If I stumble upon a better one, I'll let you know. Good luck with making your stuff!