Using this book as a guide, I can finally draw manga a lot better than I used to. It could have done with a little more detail in the step by step, but other than that, very good.

We have a few of Mark Crilley's manga drawing books at our branch and our teens and children love them. They are easy to use and follow. I can't draw to save my life, this book has a lot of different techniques to help artists of all levels and ages.

Perhaps a title change? This seems to be more a semi-autobiographical collection of the artist's work than a serious technical manual for would be artists

I do not publish negative reviews.

I loved this as I am a big fan of manga art this was perfect for the aspiring artists going hoping to go into manga!

I came across 'Mastering Manga with Mark Crilley' an year ago and I was captivated by the easy and natural style depicted therein.
So, I was sure that this book would be as good if not better. And it did not disappoint at all. I'm sure it will remain one of my favourite Manga art books ever.
In this book, Mark Crilley, unleashes his full potential, and puts his heart onto every page. With beautiful sketches and illustrations (using traditional media and Photoshop), the book is divided into sections focusing on conceptual art, characters etc.
Where 'Mastering Manga with Mark Crilley' was a manual to drawing, Manga Art is an exploration of the wide world of Manga.

If I have to say what I loved most in this book, it is the 'The Sculptor". As he already mentions, it is a depiction of an artist at work, who does not know how much is left to do, but will go on anyway.

Highly Recommended.

Manga Art is more than just tips and techniques, it takes a peak into Mark Crilley's memories and workflow. The book is filled with invaluable information about the decision making process an artist undergoes before and after starting a new project.
I specially like the "Your turn" sections that encourage the reader to put into practice what you just learned. As a beginner artist, I believe that what makes this book special is that it lets you see an important side of the creation process that is often omitted in other books.

I have a bit of an obsession with art how to books and this one is really great. I love that Mark Crilley took the time to explain his process and the thoughts behind each design he included in the book. Learning where the inspiration for a piece came from is always interesting and his tips and tricks in this book are really useful for anyone wanting to create a similar style of artwork.

I recommend reading this book (if you are reading a digital copy rather than a paper one) on a full colour device, since the greyscale images will not allow you to see the full effect of his colour choices. I started out reading on a kindle paperwhite and then switched to the fire so I could grasp what he was talking about in each example.

Crilley is a very talented artist and has a way of being so down to earth in his writing that you feel like you are talking to someone on your own level, regardless of where you are at in your own artistic pursuits. This book has a nice flow and teaches you a lot about manga and how to work your lines into a great finished piece of art.

This would be a great book for anyone wanting to learn more about manga, regardless of experience level.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Mark Crilley has been a fairly large influence in the American Manga scene and his newest work, 'Manga Art' is a fun culmination of his work and techniques.

While this is not an instruction manual for beginners, Crilley does provide details on how most of the pieces were created, often referencing one of his art tutorial videos on YouTube for instruction. He discusses the importance of light, pose research, and personal interpretation in a way that made me itch to grab my sketchbook. Each chapter has exercises/suggestions for the reader to explore their own creativity.

I particularly enjoyed the way the author discusses when he uses digital painting and techniques as opposed to traditional, as well as some of the finer details like where he applied gouache and why a specific colored pencil was used. The art that accompanies each section is beautiful and richly varied. The Japan and Science-Fiction chapters were my favorites, both being aesthetics that I greatly enjoy.

All in all, if you're into manga as either a reader or an artist, this will likely be a fun and inspirational read.

This is utterly unlike any manga book I've seen. I love the way that the photos are presented, and thoroughly enjoy reading about the artist and the origins of their artistry. I am always green with envy for those artists who so easily create manga, and for this reason, this book is essential reading for all those bugging manga-artists who want to improve on their own skills.

The book sets the context behind the sketches, and the artists inspiration, which brings their art to life, an encourages the reader to develop their own manga sketches, with helpful commentary from the author.

This book is a joy to read and a total inspiration.

My Review:
Being an artist, I'm always looking at the new art how-to books. This one by Mark Crilley is absolutely beautiful! It's chock full of his beautiful drawings and easy conversational writing. He discusses his development as an artist and his development of art pieces. In fact, each drawing in here gets a start to finish discussion of its own from conception and attitude to last stroke. He even gives you, the reader some assignments to try out some things so that you can more deeply understand some of the ideas he's talking about. That's not to say you need to be an artist to enjoy this book. No way! Anyone who is interested in manga drawing will enjoy this book of fabulous drawings, even if you just want to thumb through and look without reading a word. But if you do, you will miss at least half the experience. Mark's words aren't technical to the point that a non-artist couldn't enjoy reading what he has to say. He's very interesting and amusing at times about his development as an artist and his approach to some of his pieces. About how he gets inspired to do some of these pieces.

I think my favorite piece in the whole book is The Painter. It's rather Norman Rockwell-ish in layout with the girl behind her canvas on the easel. But the possibilities of what could be on that easel are endless. And such a familiar setting for anyone who's ever spent a day painting a difficult subject.

So whether you're an artist or art lover, don't miss this wonderful book on June 6, 2017, when it hits the stores!

I was provided an eARC by NetGalley and Ten Speed Press in exchange for an honest review. I am not being compensated in any way. All opinions are fully my own.
~ Judi E. Easley for Blue Cat Review

I would like to commend the layout of this book and gallery. It's easy to read and page through. The art are also well-drawn, as an artist myself, I am definitely in love. This is the kind of art that would really make one say, "I want to learn this! I want to draw this!" and with the guidelines and inspiration presented in this book, you could really feel that you would achieve doing them!

Crilley does a wonderful job in his process of creating his drawings. The Japanese culture is richly infused with the aspect of manga drawings. Being as I'm not an artist the book was simple and easy to understand the simple procedures that Crilley used to create his manga. Drawing from inspiration from Star Wars, Akira, and other media Crilley has produced his own spin for his other books. From reading his simple descriptions on creating his manga it makes me want to start up drawing as a hobby. I've always wanted to create my own characters and reading this book has given me more motivation to learn how to draw.

I found this book informative and very creative. I loved how the author described where some of the inspiration came from and provided personal insight and perspective to the art itself. It isn't just a book full of pictures. It has context. The author describes why he wanted to do certain pieces and have them look the way they did and what technique he used. The author describes what mediums (pastels, pencils, etc) were used for certain pieces and why he chose that particular medium. This book is great for the person that likes to have just enough information about the subject to satisfy their curiosity and also to have a nice collection of original artwork with descriptions about how they were done. It would be suitable for someone trying to learn more about this particular art form. My daughter was very into Manga and Anime style art. She was 14 so, I believe she would have loved. It would be good for just about any age group 7 years and older that are interested in this form of art and drawing, in my opinion. As a layman to Manga and Anime, I loved it. I was engrossed in how the pieces were created, amazed at the honesty and openness of the author and it made him feel like he was just like any other person or the person sitting next to you saying "hey, I can help with that". I will definitely be recommending this book to my daughters' friends in the Anime Club at her school.

I LOVED this book! Even on the Kindle, although I'd definitely recommend purchasing in hard copy instead. Great for all artists, of all levels; and written and illustrated in an engaging manner that nonetheless showcases the author's considerable talent in both art and teaching. Highly recommend for artists of all levels and most genres; and even for those who doubt necessarily want to do art, but just appreciate the skill and imagination that goes into it. A joy!

Mark Crilley's instruction is as good in print as it is on his wonderful YouTube videos. This is a great resource for anyone who wants to improve their art.