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This is the second in a series of animation & graphic design blogs by Nick Clarke.

Superheroes and comic books have shaped the imaginations of generations.

And now, the characters on these pages have transformed to create the largest cinematic franchise in film history.

So, in celebration of Captain America: Civil War's release this past weekend, I wanted to show how the creators brought these iconic characters to life.

Here are 5 tips for drawing your favorite Marvel superheroes, by Stan Lee and John Buscema from their book, How To Draw Comics The Marvel Way.

1. Construction Lines

Construction lines give you the simple way to visualize what your hero will look like. You don't need to spend too much time on detail with construction lines.

This step also helps in staging the action for the character.

2. Proportions

Drawing proportion lines helps you avoid drawing the character's body parts in the wrong size.

A common mistake for young comic book artists is drawing the head too big, or drawing the legs too small.

3. Perspective

Perspective lines are similar to proportion lines. Add these to make sure your character maintains the same perspective in your drawing.

If the perspective of a character is off, their body will look warped or distorted.

And that's only okay if you're Mr. Fantastic.

4. Action

Strong action is critical in comics. This is because they are not moving images like in animation, but still images on paper.

To convey action, you should position your character in extreme poses. Take a look at the punching motion shown above for inspiration.

5. Inking

Inking is an important step - and not just in finalizing a drawing. Inking allows you to stage and highlight the important parts of the panel.

In the images above, the silhouette conveys the thought that goes into inking each panel.

There you have it! Tips from the masters, Stan Lee and John Buscema.

If you are interested in learning more about comic book art, check out their book here.

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