Steve Harpster

This book is a great way to introduce kids to video game art. It focuses on character, background (worlds and level creation) and vehicle drawing. The simplified techniques and explanations are undoubtedly a friendlier version of what professionals in the field might use. For example, thumbnailing and the simplification of forms with basic geometric volumes (Block world chapter).

This book is not a guide for improving your drawing skills. It resembles more one of those drawing tutorials where you start with a circle and in the next two steps you suddenly have a more complex figure. I don't think there is anything wrong with that, as kids start their creative journey by copying without knowing how perspective, proportions, values, gesture, etc. were taken into consideration when making those simple but nice looking characters. Keep in mind that pre-teens and up might find it too simple. However, it does give some basic tips, like adding contour lines to visualize volume, but nothing explained in-depth.

Think of this book as a field trip to an artist's workplace where the artist is there to explain what he is doing (and what tools he uses) with enough simplicity that kids can follow along without feeling intimidated (or bored). I think that is the best part of "How to draw Video Games": it works as a bridge that introduces kids to the world of video game design, keeping it simple and fun at all times. I got me eArc from NetGalley… (mehr)