The Name of the Game is — Action!

Action! A Marvel specialty! A Marvel Trademark! Sharpen your pencil, pilgrim—here's where we separate the men from the boys!

Just being able to draw the figure is only half the job. When you're drawing comicbook superhero sagas, you've got to be able to move it— to animate it—to put it in action!

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Using what you've learned in stick-figure drawing, take a character running, walking, playing ball, or throwing a punch. Draw a series of stick figures, as on the facing page, depicting as many different stages of that action as possible. Familiarize yourself with moving the body; work from one figure into another, slowly, loosely, casually, using as many scribble lines as you wish. Don't try to do a finished drawing, just loosen up, try to feel the action.

Notice how the first drawing and the last one in that particular sequence seem to have the most impact—the most action. In a Marvel story, the artist would use either of those shots rather than the tamer ones in between.

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Remember, in these sketches all you need is three or four lines to establish the action. See the two sketches on the bottom of the page? Notice how Johnny caught all the action he wanted in just the fewest of lines—and see how skillfully he was able to build on it. You'll be doing this, too, once you've had enough practice.

Try to exaggerate your action—keep the figure loose, supple, always in motion.

Notice how three or four lines establish the action for you. Once you've got the swing of it, the feel of it, then build upon the figure.

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Pay particular attention to the center line drawn through the figure from top to bottom. This line is always drawn first; it gives you the curve, or the swing, that you want your figure to have.

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Always remember, every pose has a certain "rhythm" to it. With this one simple center line you can determine that rhythm and then start building your entire figure around it.

Now let's study some figures in motion and see which we like and which we don't—and why.

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Figures 1 and 1A are both rough sketches of somebody running. But notice how much faster, how much more dramatically, how much more heroically figure 1A is moving. See how his center line has more swing to it, impelling him forward with force and urgency.

Same thing goes for figures 2 and 2A. Both depict a character reacting to a punch in the jaw. While 2 is a perfectly clear, under­standable sketch, it simply isn't done in the Marvel style. It doesn't have the vitality, the movement, the sharply curved center line of 2A. See how much looser 2A is—see how the legs are bent and thrusting backwards as the arms jut forward. See how the head follows the center line, completing a graceful, fluid curve. Now that's Marvel!

Even when characters are just standing, the same rules apply. Notice the figures on the facing page ...

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In each case, the smaller figure is okay. But just okay. Not particularly dramatic, not overly heroic, and certainly not very interesting.

Now then, see how the larger figures, which illustrate the same poses, have more drama to them, more heroism, and far more interest.

The variations may not seem to be major, and yet as simple a device as thrusting the head farther forward, or spreading the legs farther apart, can make all the difference in the world. Basically, the smaller figures are perfectly adequate drawings; but the larger ones are Marvel-style drawings!

On the two following pages you'll find a number of other action sketches which are all pure Marvel. Study them carefully and try to duplicate them. They're simple, loose, free-and-easy, and—although each was done with just a few sketchy lines—they're all excellent examples of how to get that Marvel feeling in even the simplest of drawings.

Well, we know you're anxious to start drawing a complete figure now, so let's get right to it. John has reduced the process to a matter of five steps. 1) Draw the basic center line to determine your pose and action curve. 2) Start fleshing out the sketch (and remember your spheres, cubes, and cylinders).

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3) Begin drawing through, adding the details you're going to need. Remember, keep your pencil strokes loose, light, and graceful. If a line isn't right, don't worry about it; just go over it lightly until it begins to assume the proper form.

4) Voila! After studying all the little sketch lines we've been doodling, we finally select the ones that please us the most and go over them once more, bearing down harder on the pencil. At last the final drawing begins to take shape.

5) In Chapter Two, remember how we added black tones to our various spheres, cubes, and cylinders in order to give them form? Notice how we accomplish the same thing on the human figure. There'll be more about this later—we just wanted to whet your appetite!

Steps 4) and 5)—as if we have to tell you!—are on the next ...

Let's follow those same five steps again, this time ending with a figure of Spider-Man. Try to work along with John, imitating his sketches and his four additional follow-through steps. Virtually every comicbook artist uses this construction technique, or one which is very similar.

Now that you've become an expert on drawing Spidey from the back, try your own different drawings in various other poses. But remember —use the five-step method, building from an original center-line sketch.

On the following pages, we've taken some drawings from Marvel panels and reduced them to basic action sketches. Study them and then see if you can flesh them out until you have finally duplicated the completed drawing. It's good practice, and it'll help make you realize the importance of the original center-line sketch.