Christopher HartCartoon Faces: How to Draw Heads, Features & Expressions (Cartoon Academy)

Cartoon Faces, as the names suggests, is all about the drawing of humorous faces. It is rich in detail with clear instructions that will bring hours of drawing pleasure and a marked improvement in drawing skills for those new to cartooning.Useable by about grade 4 and up, it is really for the serious student cartoonist seeking detailed information about taking their drawing to the next level and designing their own cartoon characters. Beginners would likely to be just as happy with Modern Cartooning. Reading level and the jokes suggest an audience of junior high level and up. That said the young beginner will find over 25 step-by-step cartoons in Cartoon Faces that are bound to improve their drawing skills. More advance cartoonist will find detailed instructions and numerous suggestions which are super useful in that it is often the small details that lifts a drawing out of the ordinary.Chris starts with the cartoon head basics. This is followed by detailed instructions on: drawing each part of face, a close look at head shapes, exaggeration, face dynamics, hairstyles, the use of shading and highlights, and additional drawing exercises. The book is heavy on well illustrated instructional pictures and these are then put to use in carefully thought out, clear step-by-step cartoons of a wide variety of characters. Chris's approach is to develop the individual character to showcase the idea or expression. For example how do you show goofy as opposed to sleepy. I found the chapter on hairstyles particularly useful.This is the not the sort of book that gets regulated to the book shelf instead you will find yourself constantly referring back to it while drawing your own characters.There are two areas that Chris does not cover; villains and how to adapt a large number of facial expressions to the same character.One interesting feature is a character finder consisting small pictures of each face and page numbers for more than 80 different faces. This index of pictures would be a useful feature in any art book.As I have stated in other reviews of Chris Hart books, one of Chris's real strengths is the tie in of his books with Chris's YouTube channel. Both the channel and books reinforce each other as Chris demonstrates his drawing techniques in his YouTube videos. Unlike many drawing videos Chris goes through the entire process demonstrating the step-by-step process including all the erasing and changes needed to complete the drawing. This is combined with a running, often humorous, monologue as Chris explains both the what and the why of his drawing decisions. This modeling of technique can only benefit the student cartoonist as they can watch each video as often as they wish. Best yet there is a constantly supply of new videos. The channel is kid friendly.So Cartoon Faces is highly recommend. I know my copy is getting a workout as I teach kids cartooning and work on my own cartoon projects.

Chris Hart’s book Cartoon Faces is a fun collection of tutorials on face construction. Like his other books, the steps are easy to follow. I like how Chris is able to come up with such a wide variety of head shapes. His hair designs are fun and wacky. I also like how Chris uses color in this book. The end results are in color. He also uses color to point out something important and as a design element. The index in the book contains a thumbnail gallery of all the faces in the book. I thought that was a brilliant idea. Like other books by Chris his drawings are super fun to look at and he uses humor to get his point across. I really enjoyed reading Cartoon Faces.

I really like this book. It takes you through step by step on drawing cartoons. I love doing a page each day. I am logging each day and can really see improvement Plus it is a fun book. It is a great book for kids and adult. Just need paper and pencil. It is a great book even for people with no drawing skills, starts with really basic things.

Bought this as a gift for my 11 year old niece. She loves to draw and was very excited with the characters and instructions in this book. She said she was learning a lot from this book and having fun doing it.

I am an artist who knows how to draw a real body but cartoons are very different and I needed help. This book is very helpful as I am writing my own cartoon book and wanted the figures to look more like cartoons that real life.

Great book for anyone beginning cartooning or illustration. Illustrations are in depth with great, easy-to-read instructions and advice. Bought this as a companion to the same author's book "The Humongous Book of Cartooning." Suggestion: take both books to Office Max and have them cut the spine and spiral bind (NOT comb bind) the spine of the book. That way it will lay flat while you use it. If you have an interest in illustration, I suggest the class I took that prompted this purchase: "Expressing Characterbook Characters" with Lynne Chapman at Craftsy.com.

I love this book very much first because it has all kind of faces witch is really great and second it covers allthe important subjects in an easy and simple way . You can create great and wonderful characters with different types of eyes,hair, noses and etc . From kids to teens to adults characters , this book offers it all . I highly recommend this book to everyone .Great job as always , Chris :]

i am a huge Christopher Hart fan and have nearly all the cartoon and manga books. So when i saw he was coming out with one that was dedicated to just the face i was super excited, pre-ordered it, waiiiited... then was let down on delivery. if you have any of his other cartoon books then do not bother getting this one. this is just a compilation of all the face pieces he has in his other books. not even all the good information either.I was really hoping for more in depth guides on turning the faces and hair. more of the mouths and noses, angles...just more. this book did not deliver so just hoping one day he comes out with second edition to go more in depth.