What's more important to a story: a gripping plot or compelling characters? Literary-minded novelists argue in favor of character-based novels while commercial novelists argue in favor of plot-based stories, but the truth of the matter is this: The best fiction is rich in both.

Enter Plot Versus Character. This hands-on guide to creating a well-rounded novel embraces both of these crucial story components. You'll learn to:

Create layered characters by considering personality traits, natural a...

The ultimate guide to visual storytelling! How to make the audience feel the story while they are reading the story. Using his experiences from working in the comic book industry, movie studios and teaching, Marcos introduces the reader to a step-by-step system that will create the most successful storyboards and graphics for the best visual communication. After a brief discussion on narrative art, Marcos introduces us to drawing and composing a single image, to composing steady shots to draw...

A researched study on two of art's most fundamental themes, Colour and Light bridges the gap between abstract theory and practical knowledge. Beginning with a survey of under appreciated masters who perfected the use of colour and light, the book examines how light reveals form, the properties of colour and pigments, and the wide variety of atmospheric effects. Gurney cuts through the confusing and contradictory dogma about colour, testing it in the light of science and observation.

A glossar...