Learn to Draw Action Heroes_ An Easy Step by Step Guide to Drawing Comic Book Characters ( PDFDrive )

5 DRAW THE SHADOW SHAPES

Add the shadows to the rocks and figure. The light source is coming from
the top right of our superstrong tough guy. Give a slight drop shadow
from the rock onto the character. This is a great way to connect the
objects in the scene while giving them a more solid feel. You can also
add larger shadows to the lower parts of the legs to show the change in
the direction as the legs bend back to hold the weight.



6 ADD MORE TEXTURE

Add some crosshatching to further illustrate the rock textures. This helps
to not only add more texture to the rocks, but also to define the plane
changes in more detail. You can vary the lines here in lots of different
ways. I try to add a few different line weights to give it the feeling of
randomness that I notice when studying rock formations. Obviously real
rocks don’t have all these little lines, but in comics you can get away with
it!



7 ADD THE FINAL DETAILS

Add final lines to the brute. Make his body appear more metallic using
swirling little lines to get the job done. This effect will also provide a
contrast to the rock textures that you just added. Add in crosshatching
from the larger shapes of shadows on the body. This helps to soften the
transition from dark to light. Notice how the segments in the armor stand
out more with little bits of white on the edges. This is a quick effect that
you can use on segmented objects like weapons and gadgets. And there
you have it: a very big guy ready to throw a very big rock!

Characters Reacting to a
Background: Running

This lesson features a character running toward the camera. This
can be a tricky pose to get right, so be ready to try it a few times
before you hit the nail on the head. Let’s not waste any time getting
to it, shall we?

1 DRAW THE GUIDELINES

Rough out the pose using the mannequin style of sketching, paying
attention to the relationship of the head, torso and pelvis. Getting these
forms to overlap and turn from one another can be tricky, but if done right

forms to overlap and turn from one another can be tricky, but if done right
it will help convey motion. Make sure they not only overlap but face the
same way. The body will contort with this type of action so you need to
show that.

2 SKETCH THE ANATOMY

Roughly sketch in your anatomy. Keep the overlaps in mind with the
limbs as well. For the character’s left arm, overlap the forearm in front of

limbs as well. For the character’s left arm, overlap the forearm in front of
the bicep and the bicep in front of the shoulder. Doing so helps to convey
the depth and foreshortening of this pose. Notice how the stomach
muscles overlap one another as they recede toward the pelvis. This all
helps to create the illusion that the forms are receding.

3 REFINE THE LINES

Draw the anatomy with more clarity and use line weights to help further
detail the forms. Use angular lines to chisel out our hero’s muscles and
smooth lines to soften areas up and connect the limbs to one another.
Getting the right combination of angular and smooth lines takes practice
but is worth the effort.



4 DRAW THE SHADOWS

Add the shadow shapes and the hero’s suit markings. We won’t put a
bunch of gear on this type of character. It might get in the way of him
reaching those superfast running speeds. Some identifiable markings
and a mask to conceal his secret identity will be enough. Notice how the
larger shadows help give the suit a two-tone effect and lift the character
off the page.



5 ADD THE FINAL DETAILS

Add final detail lines with crosshatching. Use larger tapered lines on the
rear leg to push it back into space. You can also use a different line
weight from each material on the suit to further illustrate the separation.
Then use a popular method in comics to show speed, adding motion
lines behind the hero. This is really just a single point perspective where
all those little lines converge. Then erase some of the lines on the ends
for an added speed effect. This superfast hero is running to save the day!

Drawing Characters in Action:
Punching

This lesson covers how to draw a character punching through a
brick wall. Drawing characters is one thing, but having them interact
with their surroundings really helps to bring the image to life.

1 DRAW THE GUIDELINES

Draw your basic pose with the primitive shapes. Since the character’s
hand is coming toward the viewer, make sure to draw it larger to help
illustrate the foreshortening. Also make sure the body is leaning into the
punch to give the pose more power. Then draw a wall with a broken
shape where the impact has occurred. To align the breaks in the wall you
can use a one point perspective but since breaks don’t need to be
perfect, I did it by eye in this example.

2 BUILD THE STRUCTURE

Draw the larger forms to help convey the size of your character. We want
this guy to be a bit of a bruiser, so let’s give him the big arms that are
necessary for punching through walls. Notice how the overlap of these
shapes can really start to sell the depth of the pose even at this early
stage.

3 SKETCH THE ANATOMY

Refine the character by drawing in the anatomy with more clarity. Let’s
give him a grimace to show he is really angry at this wall that stands in
his way. Remember to use your line weight to help push the forms off the
page. A constant line weight around the character will make them appear
flat and boring. Using thicker lines on the shadow side and thinner lines
on the side where the light is hitting the forms will make the image appear
more interesting and three dimensional.

4 REFINE THE LINES

Draw some of the busted rocks flying toward the viewer. This is a quick

way to add more depth to the scene while also giving it a more dynamic
feel. Add texture to the sides of the brick with line work to show the
direction they are facing. Keep your light source in mind when adding
these textures.

5 DRAW THE SHADOWS

Add shadows to the character along with some of his suit design. You
can even draw small wrinkles in the suit by adding shadows to one side
of them as they pass over the muscles. This is done the same way that
you would draw veins on your characters.

6 ADD FINAL DETAILS

Add crosshatching and more line weight to give the image more depth.
You can add more effect to the flying debris by drawing some motion
lines behind the pieces. An area of impact using a one-point perspective
with the lines tapering toward that point adds to the effect as well.

Characters Reacting to a
Background: Powers

This lesson features some super powers for our character. Power
effects can add lots of dynamics to the scene and convey mood and
intensity within the storytelling.

1 DRAW THE BASIC SHAPES

This character is ready to wield some magic, so let’s help her out. First
draw the orbs of energy around her hands. They don’t have to be perfect
circles, but if you can make them perfect then more power to you! Now
draw a wavy line, sort of like a ribbon flowing from one orb to the next.
This will give the area of focus for the energy.

2 ADD MORE LINES CONNECTING THE ORBS

Draw smaller, ribbon-like shapes moving around the larger one and
connecting to the orbs. I try to think about the energy flowing around and
connecting to itself at various points. As it breaks away from the source, it
tends to get smaller by comparison. But there are really no rules when it

tends to get smaller by comparison. But there are really no rules when it
comes to drawing powers.

3 START ADDING DETAIL TO THE ORBS

Draw more detail inside of the orbs or energy. Try to imagine the power
moving around the sphere, and keep the lines smooth. Vary the shapes
to avoid an overly repetitive effect.

4 REFINE THE LINE WORK

Add some line weight to the power effect, which can be extremely helpful
with these types of effects. It helps to create a sense of intensity to the
larger areas and also will keep the design from looking flat.

5 ADD FINAL DETAILS

Refine the line work one more time and add in the final details. Add in
some smaller stars, drawing them in various sizes to help convey
distance and intensity. And, voilà! Instant magic!

Characters Reacting to a
Background: Other Powers

The power in this lesson is more focused and intense. Some rolling
smoke may be an aftereffect of such destructive power.

Various Power Designs

Try drawing a variety of these textures. Use all sorts of line work, dots
and crosshatching to create a multitude of special effects. These will
come in handy later, so save them for future drawings. And keep in mind

come in handy later, so save them for future drawings. And keep in mind
there is no right or wrong way to draw textures like these, so let your
imagination go wild in this exercise!

1 DRAW THE BASIC OUTLINES

First you need a character who’s directing this amazing energy. Draw
whoever you like with the arms out toward the viewer to show the energy
in perspective. Draw the basic shapes of where the power will go. Keep
in mind that for the beams of energy coming from his hands, the same
perspective rules apply. When drawing the rolling smoke around the
character, try to keep the line smooth by creating it with one long
consistent pull. A few bumps will help to make the smoke look like it
moves freely.

2 BUILD UP THE LINES

Add some darker shaded lines where the intensity of the power will be in
the middle of the beams. This helps to make the energy appear hotter in
the center and can make for some nice coloring effects later on. To add
more depth to the rolling smoke, simply draw a few more lines swirling
around inside the larger shapes. Make sure they flow in and out toward
the edges to give the appearance of the smoke swirling around itself. You
can also draw these lines thinner in certain areas to help illustrate this
effect.

3 ADD TEXTURE

Begin to texture the beams of power. Shade them in around the hands to
show where the power is coming from. This is really just a series of
scribbles that break away from the larger area of shadows. Stipple
shading like this can be very handy for power effects.

4 ADD FINAL DETAILS

Darken the line work that makes up the powers a bit more. Then come
back with white and draw through the shadows. This is a handy effect for
all sorts of neat tricks. You can do this very easily with either digital or
traditional drawings. With traditional work you will use a white-out pen or
a brush with white ink. Notice I used line work to further highlight the
power around his hands. Add more line weight to the rolling smoke effect.
Notice that just by adding in some darker lines, the smoke looks less flat
than it does in the previous step.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Robert Marzullo has been creating comics and illustrations for more
than 20 years. He is the artist and writer of the Blackstone comic
and enjoys sharing his techniques on his YouTube channel. Robert
has worked in comics, 3D animation and storyboarding. He also
shares tutorials and lessons on his website at
ramstudioscomics.com for the aspiring comic book artist.

IDEAS. INSTRUCTION.
INSPIRATION.

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Learn to Draw Action Heroes. Copyright © 2017 by Robert Marzullo. All
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eISBN: 9781440351020

This e-book edition: June 2017 (v.1.0).