Framed Ink: Drawing and Composition for Visual Storytellers

[[VIDEOID:e7e1036bc1442037eefd030d03fb3216]] There are probably no other books around that covers composition with emphasis on storytelling as well as Framed Ink. This is a whole book devoted to the subject, as compared to other books (on storyboards) that usually have only one or two chapters.

Although the illustrated examples are mainly movie composition, the techniques can be applied to animation, movies and even graphic novels. Every technique comes with a concise breakdown. You get to understand how and why shots are framed in a certain way, or how to create compositions to create a certain mood. There are also tips on lighting and continuity.

Over 200 beautifully illustrated examples are included. And they are really good examples. Just by looking at the examples alone, without even reading the commentary, you already get a good idea of what's happening.

Marcos Mateu-Mestre has distilled his 20 years of experience and knowledge into an accessible package you shouldn't miss out on.

This is the essential how-to book for storytellers, or for anyone who needs to put images on screen or on paper.

Highly recommended.

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You can check out more of his work on his website.

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(There are more pictures of the book on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

Just so we're all clear, I am a 20+ year vet working as a designer in the film industry. The author, Marcos Mateu and I are colleagues, and we work together at DreamWorks Animation. Does that mean I'm biased? Absolutely! Because I can tell you that Marcos is one of the best designers working in the film industry today, and this book gives anyone who's lucky (smart) enough to buy it, a glimpse at how he does it.

As for the book, it's one of the best, if not THE best books of it's kind out there. I've been waiting my entire career for a book like this...one that goes into detail about how to tell stories with pictures...one that doesn't just talk about how to draw, but how to think about drawing...one that explains how to create really powerful images, packed with emotion and dynamics...one that actually delivers the goods. And this book delivers!!! Yes, there have been other books on the subject, most of them with lots of abstract theories, and maybe even some good technical information. But they don't have what this one has...Marcos' drawings. Hundreds of them. And they're all to die for!

OK now for the down side: there's a bit of a wait to get the book. From what I understand, due to a printing glitch, there's been some delays getting the books to market. It was available at ComicCon, and Amazon had one shipment, which they sold out of instantly. But fear not, there are more on the way!!!

In other words, do yourself a favor and don't do what the unfortunate reviewer above did and just pass over this book because it's not available TODAY. Buy it now...because it's going to sell out...fast! Then you'll have to pay big bucks for it on eBay.

I thought I reviewed this already... I got this book cause amazon sent me an email. and I'm glad they did.

this book changed everything for me. this book goes into alot and I got alot of gems from it. its a great book for any storyteller. But I really enjoyed the art. honestly thought me about silhouette, contrast and composition. which the book touches on but every image in this book is a great example of all three.

must have for every and any artist. highly recommend for anyone any form of storytelling or animation and so on. and you might think I've been drawing for years. I've studied other book on composition... thats great! But get this book. it will take you to a whole other level. this is like advanced stuff here. and he goes into illustration, comics, animation. this book is a goldmine.

I don't remember how I stumbled upon this book, but it completely changed the way I think about composition and visual storytelling.

Whereas other books cover the basic rules of composition, Framed Ink does a deep dive into drawing and composition as practical tools for effective visual storytelling. The author demonstrates (through an endless array of beautifully rendered images) how to build precise, purposeful compositions from the ground up.

Framed Ink would be one of my "desert island" books. I've never found another resource that communicates composition so thoroughly, completely, and effectively.

I've read it countless times, and I gain new understanding every time I revisit any of its valuable pages.

The book "framed ink" is not a "How-To-Draw" book, rather than a "How-To-See" book. Those of you who search for maticulous step-by-step instructional book for comics and illustrations are recommended to search elsewhere (Burne Hogarth's books would be great for that, in my opinion). This book is all about the fine art of composition. Whether you're an aspiring animator, an experienced comic book artist or whatever - this book, brought by one of the most highly acclaimed artists in film industry (check the preface from Jeffery Katzenberg)is a masterclass in constructing a frame for any illustrative need (storyboard, animation sequence, graphic novel etc.).

You can draw the most beautiful, eye-dazzling imagery and still have no "life" or sense of belivability in your paintings and sequences. Once you get a hold of Mr. Mestre's concepts regarding proper division of a frame, direction and meaning within your composition, you are bound to improve your painting-narrating skills almost immediately.

I will most definitely acquire Marcos Mateau-Mestre's future books, once they're out. If you want to improve your paintings, make them more powerful and meaningful, this book would be a great start.

Five stars, all the way. As far as a comicbook art books: this is the cream of the crop.

He spends NO time on how you draw and all the time on how you SHOW what you draw. How setting characters up to seem more powerful and central. How to imply character relationship with spacial relationships. How to imply distance and movement. How to hint at many but draw few. How to dynamically frame action. This book really gets into the nitty gritty behind setting up the panel/page to give you the best coverage and easiest read.

His explanation of the 180 degree rule is phenomenal. He lays out some scenes then diagrams the camera moves. If you don't know the 180 degree rule he lays it out perfectly. If you do know the rule he illustrates why it works so well.

The section in the back is specifically for Graphic Novels but EVERYTHING is relevant. In fact the Graphic Novel section might be the least informative part of this book for comics.

I can't recommend this book enough. The amount of behind the panel information he gets you to think through will change the way you think about drawing your comic.

It took about a month for this book to arrive, but it was well worth the wait. When I flipped through the pages, I was somewhat impressed with the artwork, but not very. A second flip-through (double-take) proved that the book was mostly made up of inking and not a whole lot of text. I began to worry if I'd been duped and wasted my money. What could I possibly learn from a bunch of black and white images with a paragraph or two thrown in? It reminded me of some the art books my university lists as required reading that cost an arm and really don't deliver. I could've gotten more artistic education out of a graphic novel.

However, I finally found the time to sit and actually read it. It is an amazing book. Upon attentive study I realized the inkings weren't somewhat impressive they were incredible. It seems that the author, Mateu--Mestre, has a very minimalist approach to both art and instruction; yet, both his art and his lessons are immensely informative. The lessons are short and oh-so sweet. I learned new things just reading the first few pages because Mateu-Mestre isn't just trying to convey an academic sense of storytelling, but the very spirit of it. And I can tell you that is one of the major issues I have been tackling with my artwork i.e. breathing life into it, creating mood and emotion.

Mateu-Mastre's book is a very good complement to two other books I bought, both by James Gurney - who does take a more academic approach to instruction and whose art is detailed and vibrant. I wish I would've come across these guys when I first began art college.

Marcos Mateu-Mestre has created an excellent learning tool here, especially if you are a novice or mid-level artist. I so highly recommend this book that I would go as far as to say that it is a must have in any artist's library who is interested in narrative art e.g. comics, graphic novels, storyboarding, illustration, concept art, etc...

I also recommend James Gurney's Color and Light.

So far this book has been everything I have been wanting, in an instructional guide, for creating Graphic Novels. I also have the books Writing and Illustrating the Graphic Novel and Foundations in Comic Book Art.
About half way through Writting and Illustrating and just started Foundations.
This book I find to be better because Mr. Mateu-Mestre not only is giving you the foundational principles for creating a great Graphic Novel. But also introduces so many great new ideas and ways of changing our thinking and perceptions in regard to the visual arts.
When I am learning something I don't just want to learn the how to, but also the why's. The reasonings, the concepts, the underlining purposes. This way I can then adapt, alter and change these to suit my own needs.
Like I said, I'm not even finished the book and I think it's Great! I also have his perspective books and ordered his Graphic Novel so that I can actually study his style and methods in action.
I am looking to become a Great Graphic Novelist and to do that I might as well learn from the best. From Masters.
Going through all my purchases on this subject, this would have been the book I wish I had bought first and then the rest. I am not knocking the rest. I mean glean all the knowledge you can as much as you can. Every Artist has something they can offer you. I'd just say, buy this book first or now, if you are still trying to find an amazing book on the subject. Good luck in your endeavors. All the best.

So far this book has been everything I have been wanting, in an instructional guide, for creating Graphic Novels. I also have the books Writing and Illustrating the Graphic Novel and Foundations in Comic Book Art.
About half way through Writting and Illustrating and just started Foundations.
This book I find to be better because Mr. Mateu-Mestre not only is giving you the foundational principles for creating a great Graphic Novel. But also introduces so many great new ideas and ways of changing our thinking and perceptions in regard to the visual arts.
When I am learning something I don't just want to learn the how to, but also the why's. The reasonings, the concepts, the underlining purposes. This way I can then adapt, alter and change these to suit my own needs.
Like I said, I'm not even finished the book and I think it's Great! I also have his perspective books and ordered his Graphic Novel so that I can actually study his style and methods in action.
I am looking to become a Great Graphic Novelist and to do that I might as well learn from the best. From Masters.
Going through all my purchases on this subject, this would have been the book I wish I had bought first and then the rest. I am not knocking the rest. I mean glean all the knowledge you can as much as you can. Every Artist has something they can offer you. I'd just say, buy this book first or now, if you are still trying to find an amazing book on the subject. Good luck in your endeavors. All the best.

Whenever you watch a movie and have that feeling of déjà vu, when the lame movie you're watching reminds you of that other lame movie you saw that other time, it's because they are using the clichés found in this book. Clichés are craft without thought and what they produce is mindless entertainment, see Clash of the Titans remake. It's important to know this stuff from an academic and historical perspective and having it in one book is a bit of a convenience, but still it's kind of like a very stripped down basic visual dictionary of common notions that can be found all over the internet... for example the concept of keeping the camera on one side of the action, that isn't even a rule or a principle it's a specific instance of a principle and examples of it being "broken" can be found in many examples by great artists. This book essentially fails because it never asks or answers the two basic questions: "Why do people look at a picture?", and "Why do people look from one picture to the next in sequence?".