Acting for Artists: Bringing Better Performances to your Cartoons, Comics and Character Illustration

PRLog (Press Release) - Apr. 21, 2012 - Acting for Artists: Bringing Better Performances to your Cartoons, Comics and Character Illustrations is an innovative approach to art that uses acting techniques and exercises specifically aimed at artists in order to enhance character driven illustrations and comics. The history and methods of actor training are presented from the unique point of view a visual artist. And, through a variety of exercises that combine theatrical and drawing procedures, the reader will be drawn into new ways of thinking about how to better utilize the more mechanical methodologies to depicting emotion that are taught in other art books and classes.  This is an art technique book that will help illustrators and comic artists of all types and skill levels to create more intriguing characters.

“There are a lot of books on how to draw better and even a few that specialize in drawing emotions: but they all tend to give the same advice, ‘make a face in a mirror and draw what you see’. While there’ s no arguing that drawing from observation is the only way to advance as an artist, we’ve all seen enough bad acting to know that ‘making a face’ is no way to create the kind of emotional attachment that’s going to draw a viewer into a narrative situation. Artists just aren’t taught the most effective ways to make that face in the mirror.”

Mark Mekkes, the author of Acting for Artists; has also presented a live interactive seminar based on the theories and exercises from the ebook to enthusiastic convention and university audiences.  Seminar attendees have been introduced to the ideas of emotional and sensory recall through various exercises as well as putting it together with character analysis to act out short scenes based on the sequential images of a comic strip format.

“I’ve seen a lot of comic art, even by very respectable artists, that seems to depict emotions based on what ‘looks cool’ rather than trying to actually integrate it with the events that are being depicted,” says Mekkes, “I really hope that my book and seminars can help bring a new way of looking at character art that will bring one more layer of depth to the creative process.”

In addition to a BA in Theater from Hope College, an internship at the McCarter Theater in Princeton and 10 years working in various aspects of professional theater, from off Broadway to dinner theater and children’s productions, Mark Mekkes has spent the last 14 years working for Disney Entertainment.  His artistic career has included earning a BFA in Illustration from Ringling School of Art and Design, creating the Web Cartoonists’ Choice Awards, and producing online comics and freelance illustration for over 12 years.  Mark Mekkes also produces the comic Zortic, Saucer Seekers, and writes the comic Abby’s Agency.  All of which can be found at Entire Prize Enterprises http://www.entireprizeenterprises.com.

Acting for Artists is now available in ebook format for either the Kindle at Amazon, the Nook at Barnes and Noble, or in PDF format at Entire Prize Enterprises.  So no matter what your electronic reading format is, now is your opportunity to take a look at art in a whole new way.

Photo:
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