Book Help Matt Lichtenwalner 6/19 '23

Working on my first instructional ebook. How to Draw Fantastic Humans.

The idea is to follow it up later with How to Draw Fantastic Elves, then Dwarves, etc..

If you've ever wanted to learn how to draw people, I would deeply and sincerely appreciate any questions you might have so that I can address them in the book.

Please and thank you!

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6/19 '23 23 Comments
Hands: how do I even
Thomas Boutell
Also noses
Anne Mollo
I gotcha!
Matt Lichtenwalner
Matt Lichtenwalner
Matt Lichtenwalner
Who knew? Noses = Trig
Anne Mollo
Right?!
Matt Lichtenwalner
I'm on the job!
Matt Lichtenwalner
Exactly
Lindsay Harris Friel
Starting in on this. Is there anything specific you’re wondering about?
Matt Lichtenwalner
Matt Lichtenwalner
Matt Lichtenwalner
Matt Lichtenwalner
There will be text to go with these, obviously, but for now, I’m working on the illustrations.

Are these helping to make sense of hands at all?
Matt Lichtenwalner
Holy crap yes!!! This is all considerably more thorough than I expected from this book. Way past beginner's/simple. But in a good way. But also could reaaaaallly split this up I think into multiple books.
Shannie
Love it
Thomas Boutell
Eyes: how to make them look normal, and more or less the same size, and like...like eyes. Young eyes, old eyes. Squinty, wide-eyed, surprized, narrowed, loving, contented, laughing, angry...
Rachael
Good call - I planned to do something about eyes in general, but I really appreciate the clarity on finer points, and I will be sure to add them!
Matt Lichtenwalner
Ooooh this is exciting!
Maintaining proper proportions of parts while the figure is in motion. I'm thinking back to a drawing I did in school of a soccer player kicking a ball towards the viewer....had the worst time getting the kicking leg to look right.
Shannie
Ohhh. That’s a tricky one. Perspective and foreshortening are both challenging on their own, but together, they grow exponentially harder. I do plan to at least start into them in the book though, so I’ll let you know when I have something.
Matt Lichtenwalner
Oh that's a good point. Maybe doing a beginner's book would be good and then you can get into the finer points in a second edition since people like to learn one chunk at a time...?
Shannie
Or, in our modern era, I could create a ‘living book’ that grows over time. 😏
Matt Lichtenwalner
I like it. Though ya may lose some revenue there as you won't have repeat customers on the same topic.

I've seen people do a similar thing for courses though that helps you get something out fast.

Beginner's version: First incarnation sells for a lower price, and ya get feedback to find out what else people want. Then as you add more from their suggestions or questions, it sells for more, but the OG's get the additional content. Win Win for everyone.

Then the Intermediate book, same thing, etc.
Shannie