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Pros: Two beautiful drawings were presented from start to finish. Several helpful ideas and suggestions were explained along the way. Video quality was good with clear audio.
Cons: The number of ideas presented seemed more suitable for a live demonstration. That is to say, much more could have been added in the form of tips and techniques, given the relatively long running time of the video. DVDs/videos can always be paused, rewound or re-watched if anything is missed. That's one of their key benefits. No DVD menu or scene selection option.
Summary: I'm glad I watched it and would recommend it to others. However, the $15 rental fee is a bit steep. The standard $10 seems more appropriate.
Pros: Skillful demonstrations with many helpful ideas along the way. Video quality was very good with a nice menu system. Bob Kato is a good teacher that can communicate his thoughts clearly and encouragingly. A nice bit of bonus material as well.
Cons: A little too much repetition, both verbally and pictorially. I felt like more ideas and tips could have easily been included in the given running time of the DVD. All of the heads that were shown/drawn were basically caricatures of old, wrinkly, men that looked like they had just woken up. Good for a few demos but one or two realistic heads and maybe a small variety of facial expressions would have been helpful. Several times throughout the video you could tell that Bob's audio commentary didn't know what his video demos were going to do next. The audio was poorly recorded with popping "p"s all along.
Summary: In spite of the cons, I'd recommend it to others for the good things it had to offer. I'm glad to have been able to rent instead of purchase as a single viewing seems to have been sufficient for absorbing the lessons presented.
I was very impressed with this DVD and really feel like I got my money's worth. The quality of the production was very good with clear audio and skillful video editing for a very enjoyable learning experience. The art itself was impressive in terms of skill and originality. However, I felt benefitted most by Marko's extremely generous commentary on a vast array of subjects relating not only to his character designs on the DVD, but also to the industry, art in general, mental attitudes, etc. Highly recommended.
Definitely worthwhile for anyone interested in making comics. Alvin is very skilled at his craft, carries a very professional attitude and offers clear, insightful advice. It's also noteworthy to mention that this DVD is really a good compliment to, rather than a substitute for, David Finch's DVD on the same subject. Finch's DVD presented his unique insights of course, but within the framework of a single splash page of comic art. Lee, on the other hand, gives his tips and techniques within the framework of a two page, multi-panel scene that follows another writer's script. Both DVDs are great and highly recommended.
This review covers both DVDs in the set.
Pros: Carlos is obviously a very skilled artist and it's certainly a privilege to watch him work and to hear him talk about his process. He demonstrates a solid technique with mention of the specific tools he uses.
Cons: There was a lot of repetition as far as the commentary went. Many of the ideas and terms such as "rhythm" were stressed over and over but never explained. There was a lot of room for adding further discussion and explanation.
Bottom Line: I recommend this DVD to anyone who admires Carlos' work.
I must say this was a really great DVD. Stephen is undoubtedly extremely talented so just watching him work is a privilege. But Stephen is also very very generous with sharing his ideas behind the process and, what's more, he's on the whole very clear in his expositions. Definitely a valuable DVD for any aspiring comics creator.
