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The Silver Way: Techniques, Tips, and Tutorials for Effective Character Design
The Silver Techniques, Tips and Tutorials for Effective Character Design by Stephen Silver offers invaluable instruction from one of best teachers in the industry. Whether you’re a professional artist interested in improving your drawing skills, or an aspiring designer fresh out of high school looking to add to your portfolio, The Silver Way will help you build your confidence and strengthen your work in order to successfully design characters for any project, in any style. Chockfull of helpful―and entertaining!―drawing techniques and easy-to-follow tutorials developed through his decades of experience as an artist on popular animated shows (Kim Possible, Danny Phantom, The Fairly OddParents) and as the owner of Silver Drawing Academy, The Silver Way is the kind of educational art book you’ll revisit again and again for guidance, encouragement, and inspiration.
248 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
40 people are currently reading
548 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 8, 2018
Well-rounded, covers a lot of material, easy to read through, clearly organized, and comes with tons of visual examples of his work to study. He gives some great, concise walkthroughs of his process, fun exercises, and quick tips to work with, too. Stephen's drawing style may not be to everyone's taste (although he does include a wide variety of visual styles in this volume), the lessons he provides are practical, well-informed, applicable to any sort of character design work, and fun. He approaches writing from the perspective of a seasoned industry veteran who's spent many years in the trenches and loves to share his hard-earned knowledge, and it definitely shows. A great addition to your art book collection, especially if you're striving to get into this particular line of work.
May 22, 2022
Very helpful lessons and as someone who never has taken formal training, I feel I have a better technique and knowledge base. A friend recommended this to me, and now I recommend it to you! Def helps if you have tablet with art program as some exercises expect you to have it. I personally took my sketch book out and made notes.
May 18, 2017
My Character Design for 2D Animation recommended getting this book, and it actually came out towards the end of my class this semester. I bought it off Amazon and my teacher was right. This book is on point in developing animated, drawn characters.
I struggle with creating my own characters, with backstory, so this class kept me on my toes. It was highly valuable to me. I kind of wish I had the book at the beginning of the class, to be honest. It's a bit on the pricy side at $28, but worth it. It's got plenty of visuals but also some written explanations. This guy knows his stuff.
I haven't read it page to page, but it was useful to me in working on my final project style guide. I count it as read.
I struggle with creating my own characters, with backstory, so this class kept me on my toes. It was highly valuable to me. I kind of wish I had the book at the beginning of the class, to be honest. It's a bit on the pricy side at $28, but worth it. It's got plenty of visuals but also some written explanations. This guy knows his stuff.
I haven't read it page to page, but it was useful to me in working on my final project style guide. I count it as read.
February 20, 2025
The Silver Way by Stephen Silver is a trusty guide to character design, packed with insights into the creative process, techniques, and industry advice. As a veteran character designer known for his animation work, Silver shares helpful and insightful tips on gesture, shape language, expression, and stylization—making this book a valuable resource for any artist looking to level up their design skills.
I found The Silver Way engaging and easily accessible. Silver’s writing style feels like chatting with a good art teacher—his explanations are clear and easy to understand, breaking down complex concepts into digestible, practical insights. The Silver Way is more of a conversation than a workbook, and you don’t have to read it from front to back to benefit from each lesson.
At first glance, I was a bit skeptical since The Silver Way seems closely tied to Silver’s bold, cartoony style. However, the principles he teaches—such as shape language, exaggeration, and character appeal—can be adapted to any artistic style or method. The book’s section on face design is particularly strong, offering practical techniques for creating a wide range of unique and expressive faces—an invaluable skill for any artist.
The Silver Way turned out to be a real boost for me—an inspiring mix of solid techniques and encouragement to experiment creatively. It provides valuable lessons while fostering artistic exploration. Sure, Silver’s style shines through, but his lessons are flexible and adaptable to any approach. I would highly recommend this book to other artists, especially those looking for that extra edge in their character designs—the spark that makes characters pop with life and energy. Try The Silver Way—I think you’ll like it.
I found The Silver Way engaging and easily accessible. Silver’s writing style feels like chatting with a good art teacher—his explanations are clear and easy to understand, breaking down complex concepts into digestible, practical insights. The Silver Way is more of a conversation than a workbook, and you don’t have to read it from front to back to benefit from each lesson.
At first glance, I was a bit skeptical since The Silver Way seems closely tied to Silver’s bold, cartoony style. However, the principles he teaches—such as shape language, exaggeration, and character appeal—can be adapted to any artistic style or method. The book’s section on face design is particularly strong, offering practical techniques for creating a wide range of unique and expressive faces—an invaluable skill for any artist.
The Silver Way turned out to be a real boost for me—an inspiring mix of solid techniques and encouragement to experiment creatively. It provides valuable lessons while fostering artistic exploration. Sure, Silver’s style shines through, but his lessons are flexible and adaptable to any approach. I would highly recommend this book to other artists, especially those looking for that extra edge in their character designs—the spark that makes characters pop with life and energy. Try The Silver Way—I think you’ll like it.
July 9, 2018
Well-thought out, brilliantly written and engaging to any artist currently working in the industry or is working to break into it. The walkthroughs are thorough and provide insightful food for thought on how to push one's style and skills. The many tips and suggestions he gives can not only encourage one to try something new with their drawings, but to also think differently about drawing itself. I highly recommend this book!
September 11, 2019
very fine book for character design and drawing
September 3, 2018
Best book on Character Design I've come across.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews