"Manga" are illustrated comics in a style based on Japanese art, usually published in Japan. This article can help you get started with basic manga drawing techniques, and show you anime styles you can use.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Manga Basics
Step 1. Draw the shape of the manga head
Use this as a starting point for your manga character.
Step 2. Start with manga hair
Hair is usually one of the characteristics that immediately indicates a character as manga style. When you're quite proficient with these steps, move on to more elaborate styles.
Step 3. Add manga-style eyes
Like hair, eyes are also an instantly recognizable sign of a manga image.
Step 4. Add an expression to the manga face
This will help convey emotion to your manga character.
Step 5. Draw the manga girl
You can find a separate article on this on wikiHow.
Step 6. Draw the manga boy
Change hair, eyes and facial expressions as desired.
Step 7. Try to draw the whole character
Combine faces, hairstyles, eyes and expressions in your image.
Step 8. Add a unique style of manga clothing
Start by drawing the clothes on the basic shape, then erase any unnecessary lines.
Step 9. Or, try drawing a gothic-style manga outfit
These usually include features such as hats and skirts.
Step 10. Give your manga character a pet by drawing a dog
Once you've mastered the basic technique, try it with other types of animals.
Step 11. Add wings to your manga character
Step 12. Draw the manga robot
Try combining different shapes into different robots as you get more proficient with the technique.
Method 2 of 3: Anime Inspired
Step 1. Draw anime-style eyes
Draw by hand, or try drawing on a computer.
When you're ready, try using anime eyes to express emotions
Step 2. Draw the basic anime character
Step 3. Draw an anime styled boy
Step 4. Draw the girl's face using the anime technique
Step 5. Add cute anime-style pets in your pictures
Step 6. Try drawing an anime fairy or angel
Step 7. Try supernatural drawings and draw anime-style vampires
Method 3 of 3: Drawing Standard Manga Shapes
Step 1. Copy, but don't copy
By tracing, you are just drawing according to the original. But, imitation is better, because you will have a concept of what you are drawing. Look for simple characters from manga you like or on the internet. Especially for the head image, make sure the hair is easy to draw. The results of fan art can be as good as the original image. Practice drawing for the pictures you find so you can develop art for the manga style.
- Things to note:
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eye style:
This varies greatly, not only between different manga, but also between characters in the same series. Eyes are a very expressive feature in manga, and a character's eyes can tell you a lot about themselves.
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Proportion:
Manga style is all about setting proportions, your character may be anywhere from 1 meter to 2.5 meters tall. Compare with normal human height, which is generally 1.75 meters to 2 meters.
Step 2. Draw a "stick man"
This is the basic outline of your character. Draw the lines where the hands/feet will be and their position. Draw a circle for the head first, the back line, the shoulder line (a little below the head, so there's room for the neck), the line going through the groin. It might be easier to draw circles as joints. Basically, you just draw stick shapes. This step is to draw a picture of the proportions and determine what your character is doing: standing, sitting, or stylizing?
- Another thing to note!
- Don't worry too much about your proportions getting messed up, so keep practicing! You can go ahead and copy more images, or copy a page from your favorite manga. These pictures can guide you on how to draw "actively".
- One day you will come up with a style of your own, a way of how you want to draw, a way in which the characters you draw will suit you and others. Train hard to get to that day.
Step 3. Give the body shape to the stick figure
Add fills to the various parts of the stick figure and you should be good to go.
- Head: Indicate which way you're facing with a line, then add your chin and cheekbones. Keep in mind that the shape of the chin can be very thin depending on your style. Shorter cheeks and rounded chins convey a petite impression.
- Chest/body: Make it a simple circle or prism – more square for men, and more triangular for women. Make sure that for the female image, the waist is slender, flared with rounded hips; while for men, the shoulders are wider and the hips are narrower.
- Hips: Can be characterized by a circle shape.
- Legs and arms: Preferably marked with an oval or cylindrical shape, with circles for joints.
- Hands and feet: Can be drawn simply for now, but you can also describe their position.
Step 4. Refine your image
Don't worry about details for now, but clean up the lines of your drawing, and generally make your drawing clearer. Here you can use the eraser.
Step 5. Start adding details
Start drawing clothes, making sure they fit your character's body shape. Young-style characters will have nice clothes, comedic characters will have casual or unusual clothing styles. Draw hands and feet, then draw eyes, nose, mouth, hair, and so on.
Step 6. Clean and get ready to color
Erase any existing guides, and make sure you know which part to stick with. You can use an eraser to erase parts you no longer need.
Step 7. Color your drawing, perhaps with a nib pen and coloring if you wish
Keep practicing. Once you feel confident, start trying other popular manga in depictions and stories. And good luck with your manga!
Tips
- Don't give up if someone says your drawing is bad. You will get better with time.
- Have patience; Drawing requires skill and practice.
- Use a pencil so you can erase mistakes while drawing.
- Make sure that the head image you create has the right proportions. For beginners, this is a common and frequent error.
- Sketch the basic shapes first, then the other lines.
- At the end, carefully draw the main lines using a drawing pen.
- Start drawing manga before you read a manual (if you do) so you can get your own style, rather than copying someone else's.
- Practice drawing the folds of the shirt as well as the shadows. Comedy type characters usually don't show a lot of folded clothes.
- If you have your own anime toy doll, keep it in front of you when you draw.
- If you don't know how to draw a shape or object, do some research on the internet.
- Make sure the hand drawing is relative to the head, usually smaller.
