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DRAWING BASICS
Good drawing is the foundation of quality digital illustration. Without your drawing, you’ll
have nothing to build upon. If you start with a bad drawing, no amount of digital colouring
can transform it into a good drawing. Only through revision and redrawing can a bad drawing
be fixed. Therefore, it’s important to do everything you can to improve your artwork before
moving it into the digital realm.
There are countless books on the market (some quite good, some not so good) devoted to
drawing, and quite a few focused on the specific topic of drawing manga-style art. This chapter
does not seek to form a substitute for those books (as a single chapter could never hope
to capture all the nuances of this broad topic), but rather serve as a supplemental
refresher course.
With the assumption that you’re already versed in a basic understanding of drawing
– as well as manga-style art – this chapter touches upon specific tips that are geared
towards helping you find new ways to grow and develop as an artist, and
ultimately improve your artwork.
22 DRAWING BASICS GENERAL DRAWING TIPS 23
GENERAL DRAWING TIPS  Quick gesture
drawings of a young Qualit y control
boy are rough and
A strong foundation in drawing is important for every artist. Artists often tackle difficult incomplete, but capture
The mirror test
basic movement and
problems by reducing complex objects to basic forms before selectively rebuilding form. These poses and To pinpoint problem areas, try viewing
postures can later be
them. Likewise, fundamental drawing skills give artists the ability to break down and incorporated into a more your drawing in reverse by holding it up
complete work. to a mirror, or shining a light through
understand a subject before moving on to stylized manga characters. it. This fresh look at the drawing helps
previously undetected mistakes to
pop out.
Practice Your sketchbook will also allow you
You’re not going to become a great to monitor your progress as an artist. Second look
artist overnight. It’ll take time, effort, Record dates in your sketchbook as you When you feel that your drawing is
and practice. If you’re serious about would in a journal to keep track of how complete, stand back and look at it
improving your skill as an artist, try to much you've improved over a period with a critical eye. Get your friends and
spend at least an hour a day drawing. of time. family (preferably ones who will be
You should push yourself to produce at truthful with you) to look it over and tell
least one solid sketch during this period Draw e very thing! you what they think are the picture’s
of time. Observe your surroundings. Draw from strengths and weaknesses. Take the time
life. Visit shopping centres, parks, zoos, to correct any problem areas. Over time,
make a Sketchbook etc., and sketch the people, buildings, this re-examination of your artwork
A sketchbook is a place to be landscapes, and everything you see. will greatly improve your drawing skills.
experimental, develop drawing You’ll learn more from your mistakes
skills, sketch possible concepts and Try refining the rough points in your and avoid making the same mistakes on
compositions for pictures, and write artwork. For example, if you have your next picture.
observations, thoughts, and ideas. You difficulty with drawing hands, don’t  A trip to a restaurant for breakfast can be an
can also keep magazine clippings in it. hide them behind the character’s back! opportunity to study different objects or environments. Art cl asses
If you put a lot of regular work into your Focus on the hands; make them a part I strongly recommend taking any
sketchbook, it can prove to be a great of the picture. Set aside time to practise available art classes you can. They can
resource later on. When you're in need drawing just the hands. teach the many important fundamentals
of ideas, you’ll be able to return to your of art, such as the visual elements (line,
sketchbook for new inspiration. Get in Likewise, if your figure-drawing skills are shape, mass, texture, light, colour, and
the habit of carrying your sketchbook lacking, don’t let your character hide in space), and the principles of design
with you everywhere, so you’ll always loose, baggy clothing. If you struggle (balance, emphasis, scale, proportion,
have it to jot down ideas. with drawing clothing, practise drawing repetition) and more. Many teachers
all types and textures of fabrics. Study disapprove of manga-style artwork,
how fabrics fold and wrinkle, and how but don’t let that discourage you from
shadows fall upon their form. Observe learning other aspects of art, especially
how clothing bends and contorts since a prerequisite to creating good
around the body. manga art is a strong understanding of
the fundamentals.

 Keep a book or file containing all your sketches and


drawings in one handy place. This will provide you with
an immediate reference for later, more complete work.

 In manga-style artwork, line is often stressed over  Flipping this drawing reveals a previously
other artistic fundamentals. Studying people and objects undetected lopsidedness, as well as other
through the use of contour line drawings is a useful skill. minor problems.
24 DRAWING BASICS MANGA DRAWING TIPS 25
MANGA DRAWING TIPS Eyes
The eyes are arguably the most
important feature of the face. They tend
Your character’s face is going to be a primary focal point in your manga-style artwork, to grab the attention of your viewer
so attention to proportion and detail is paramount! You will use these basic guidelines first, and help convey the mood and
for producing manga-style faces and features again and again, so it is worth getting the emotion of your characters.

fundamentals right from the beginning. Size


Although large, sparkling eyes are a
staple feature in manga and anime,
Drawing the face he ad it is just as common for characters to
When you are drawing your manga- This step-by-step example only shows have smaller eyes. How you choose to
style character’s face, every element the head drawn from the front, but draw eyes depends on your stylistic
– from the shape of the eyes and the with a good understanding of the preferences as well as the personality of
size and spacing between features, to positioning between facial features, and the character.
the sharpness of the chin or the height a lot of practice, you’ll be able to draw
of the cheekbones – is important the head from any angle. Try looking in 1 2 Large eyes are considered more
and must be considered with care. the mirror if you’re stumped: the human appealing and attractive than smaller
If anything is out of alignment or face differs greatly from a manga-style eyes, which is probably why they are
improperly spaced, the viewer may face, but the basic positioning between so prevalent in manga-style artwork.
sense that something is wrong with the facial features remains the same. The exaggerated size of the eyes
picture (even if they can’t tell what). In allows them to convey more emotion.
this section, we’ll be discussing general To build up the face, start by They can appear open and inviting,
proportions that are true for both 1 sketching a circle with intersecting  Playing around with the spacing of the eyes can make
sweet and feminine, or innocent and
realistic and manga-style characters, as vertical and horizontal lines to indicate the for an interesting-looking character, but be careful with childlike. Given these qualities, they are
the degree of exaggeration you take. Spacing them
well as manga-specific pointers. direction the character is looking. often utilized when drawing women
3
too far apart (top) or too close together (bottom) can
make the character look a little strange. Either way, the and children.
character looks wrong.
Keep in mind that there is a whole To draw the jaw, start from the end
range of styles in manga-style art, from 2 points of the horizontal line, and Smaller and more angular eyes are
gritty and realistic to hyper-cute. There's draw a line that slightly curves outwards  There are unlimited ways to depict a character’s often utilized when drawing masculine,
eyes depending on what qualities you would like
no single correct way to drawing the to indicate the cheeks, and then slopes mature, serious, or tough characters.
4
to emphasize.
face, eyes, hair, nose, and so on. But if inwards to form the chin. Make sure the Therefore, males are often depicted as
you follow the basic proportions, you'll vertical line intersects with the centre of having smaller eyes.
be able to make your characters more the chin.
three-dimensional and believable, Large and small eyes don’t always
regardless of your style. Once the contour of the face is indicate gender. Gentle males may sport
3 established, sketch in each of the large eyes to emphasize their femininity.
facial features. The eyes line up with the Likewise for tough female characters
horizontal line, while the nose lines up with – smaller eyes can help give them a
the vertical line. more masculine or mature look.
 As a rule of thumb, the space between a character’s
eyes is approximately the length of one eye.
Finally, add in the finishing touches, Position
4 and clean up any construction lines. The eyes are positioned in the middle of
the head, sometimes slightly higher or
lower. They are spaced approximately an
eye-length apart from each other.
26 DRAWING BASICS MANGA DRAWING TIPS 27
 The lips can be interpreted in all kinds of
Style First, draw the upper and lower E yebrows
1
ways – from the most minimal of simplified
lines to more fully realized representations.
This step-by-step diagram goes through eyelids to form the general shape Eyebrows come in a variety of shapes,
the construction of an eye. To reiterate, of the eye. The dotted line indicates the sizes, and colours (thick, thin, bushy,
this is just one method for drawing edge of the eyes. black, coloured, tapered, etc.). Males
the eyes. Keep in mind these general tend to have thicker eyebrows, but don’t
guidelines, then look at both realistic Draw an oval to represent the be afraid to mix and match. Eyebrows
eyes and how other artists draw manga- 2 iris. Note the dotted line, which go a long way toward making each
style eyes, and experiment to develop indicates the unseen part of the iris character you create look unique.
your own style. covered by the eyelid. The iris generally
touches both the top and bottom eyelids, Position
 The horizontal guidelines indicate the relation of the
unless the character is looking up or The eyebrow connects with the ears to the character’s eyebrows and nose. The dotted line
down or is surprised. bridge of the nose. Drawing the whole along the bottom of the face shows how the jaw connects
to the base of the ears. Also note how both eyes fall
structure (even if you plan to omit the within roughly the centre of their related sides of the
Draw a line to indicate the fold of nose bridge) will help you spatially
3
face, even with the distortion from the three-quarter
head angle.
the upper eyelid. arrange the facial features.

Draw a circle to indicate the


 There are numerous ways of adapting a realistically 4 primary source of reflected light. E ars
depicted eye into a manga-style eye. As a basis for
your manga-style eyes, I recommend working from life.
This is typically drawn on the side of
Observe the key features before transforming it into a the eye closest to the light source in Position
more simplified and exaggerated manga form.
your picture. The ears generally fall between the brow
line and the base of the nose. The jaw
Draw a circular black pupil in line extends from the chin to the ear.
5 the centre. Mouth
Nose The mouth is another component of the
Additional details such as face crucial for conveying emotion.
6 dark shading along the top, Position
additional sparkles, and eyelashes can The tip of the nose is positioned half- Style
1 2 now be added. way between the eyes and the chin. Mouths are highly simplified. A closed
mouth can be designated by a single
Style line, with an additional shorter line
There are numerous ways to depict the beneath it to represent the lower lip.
nose. It tends to be de-emphasized
in manga-style artwork, often drawn Additional lines, shading, or colour can
as a small triangular tip, or sometimes be used to make the lips more detailed
even omitted altogether. Depicting and pronounced. These lips, reserved
3 4 the bridge of the nose can make
the character look older and more
for female characters, work as visual
shorthand that gives the character a
sophisticated. On the other hand, mature and sophisticated look.
larger, realistic, and exaggerated noses
can give the character a more unique teeth
 The eyebrows are one of the most characterful parts appearance, or indicate race/ethnicity. Teeth tend to be either omitted, or
of the facial features and you can have some fun with the
way you match them to your character.
heavily simplified. To give the character
To give the nose form, try adding a toothy smile, teeth can be drawn
 Drawing your character’s head from different angles
some shadows below or to one side as the simplified block (rather than as
5 6 will enable you to get a good overview of how the
structure of the features will work.
 Manga-style noses have a recognizable, often
‘coquettish’ character, requiring minimal interpretation. of the nose. individual teeth).
28 DRAWING BASICS MANGA DRAWING TIPS 29
Cheeks Style Imitation versus Imagination you like the way another artist draws his
Vertical dashes can be added to the There are many different techniques for Once you have a good understanding characters with long fashion model legs,
character’s cheeks to suggest roundness rendering the hair. Some artists depict of the basic proportions, you’ll want but a small, bulky frame. Maybe you like
or blushing. The more dashes, the the hair as solid sections, while others to start working towards making your how another artist draws hands and
more blushing. Blushing is also prefer to indicate individual strands. drawings stand out, and a good part of feet, and flowing strands of hair. Take
sometimes depicted as red ovals on Likewise, hairstyles range anywhere that lies in developing your own unique these preferences and apply them to
the character’s cheeks. from commonplace to gravity defying. style. One way of making your style your own drawings.
Whatever the style, always keep in identifiable is to find many sources of
Hair mind that the hair grows from the inspiration and combine them into a Don’t stop at just your favorite anime
head, so make sure all strands flow style that is your own. manga artists. Inspiration can come
Position from that direction. Hair is another from anywhere. Studying classic painters
It helps to first sketch the outline of the defining feature that sets your character This makes manga-style artwork a tricky and contemporary artists can lead to
character’s head. The head may end up apart from others, so be creative with subject to learn. Artists can further their discovering new styles and techniques.
misshapen or too small if you attempt to your designs. ability to create realistic works of art by Inspiration can also come from real-life
draw the hair first without considering working from real-life models, but what objects. Look at nature, animals, man-
the shape of the head. Also note the sources do you draw from when you're made structures, and so on. Even fruits
hairline, which starts approximately working in a style that has no real-life and vegetables can become a source
three-quarters of the way up the head. equivalent? of inspiration!
When drawing in the hair, leave some
 In the world of the purely linear, things like blushing space between the outline of the head A lot of novice artists start out by Through much practice, revision, and
cannot be expressed with colour or tone. Instead, a
kind of shorthand has been developed to express these
to give the hair a fuller look. copying other artists’ works or stylistic modification, you will discover that
features through the use of lines. Vertical dashes on the nuances. This is a good way to practise your style has developed into its own  (Left) Image from Ohse Kohime Illustrations. (Image
shy girl’s cheeks make her look as though she’s blushing. by Oshe Kohime, copyright Bijutsu Shuppan-Sha, Ltd.)
and become acquainted with how unique design. Oshe Kohime has a knack for whimsical costumes. Her
manga-style artwork is structured, but characters often sport full, red lips, large eyes, and large
hands and feet.
remember that it is only a learning tool,
not a drawing crutch. Copying leads  (Right) Image from Intron Depot 2. (Copyright/image
 Image from Satoshi Urushihara’s Cell Works. These by Masamune Shirow.) Masamune Shirow often draws
to stagnation, since in the end you're characters are typical examples of his drawing style mature and sophisticated-looking characters. Some

 There’s more than one way to draw hair. The first  The dotted lines indicate the hairline as well as the
producing a copy of a generic anime – although, here, they do appear dressed. (Urushihara is hallmarks of his heavily detailed style are the athletic and
otherwise known as ‘the master of breasts’.) elongated figures on his characters.
example (bottom left) shows simplified hair that depicts back of the character’s head, over which the hair can face and body in the style of a popular
each portion of the hair as almost a basic outline. The be placed.
second example (bottom middle) is much more involved,
artist you like. Therefore, once you’re  Image from Final Fantasy X-2. (Image by Tetsuya
Normura, copyright 2003 Square Enix Co. Ltd.) Tetsuya
using contour lines to define the body of the hair, thus comfortable with the basics, move Nomura creates characters who tend to have more
giving it a more detailed look. The final hairstyle (bottom
beyond that step by critically thinking realistic figures and faces than other manga-style artists.
right) illustrates the latitude you have when creating
manga-style hair – even hair that defies gravity. about why the artist you are mimicking
draws the way they do and why you like
the style so much.

Observe how they draw their characters:


the size and shape of the eyes, nose,
mouth, head, and so on, where the
sparkles are placed in the eyes, how
long the legs and arms are, the type
of body, etc. Study their linework and
colour palette. Then decide what exactly
you like about these artists’ styles.
Perhaps you like the way one artist gives
his characters extremely large eyes and
contrastingly small mouths. Perhaps
30 DRAWING BASICS REFERENCE 31
REFERENCE Wooden mannequins
The wooden doll is a stylized and
Be sure to also peruse reference
materials for drawing clothing, objects,
simplified version of the human hair, drapery, animals, cars, and so on.
A good understanding of anatomy is the most important key to creating new and figure, and can be posed in various Work toward compiling a library of
exciting poses. There are all kinds of resources that you can use as reference for poses stances. Despite being jointed, its books: on history, architecture, interior
and this section looks at some of them. range of motion is severely limited, so design, fashion, furniture catalogues,
it might not be capable of performing clothing, and household items. Even
unusual positions. Nonetheless, they're children's books can be useful – the
inexpensive and available at most art text may be basic, but they are often
supply stores. filled with large photos covering a wide
When you are ready to draw your require the use of both arms). Ask a variety of subjects.
characters, think about the kinds of friend to snap some photos of you Action figures and character models
poses you want to use. Try to be in your desired pose, or vice versa. Available through comic book and
original and creative. Avoid static specialist shops, as well as anime  Using a 3D program such as Poser can be a useful
poses such as a straight-on shot Magazines conventions, high-quality character resource for anatomy.
of a character standing in position. Fashion and fitness magazines are models can be used not only for pose  These sketches, done after carefully studying the
Depending on the situation, basic good for studying anatomy as well reference, but also as a helpful guide distinguishing characteristics of real crustaceans found
in a children's book and from photos taken at a local
poses may sometimes be appropriate, as clothing and hairstyle reference. for anime character anatomy and aquarium, led to the creation of a frightful creature
but don’t let this be the only type of They are filled with people wearing facial structure. Find figures with faces featured in the graphic novel Peach Fuzz.
pose you draw. Give your characters a wide variety of clothes in many and bodies that suit your existing or  High-quality character models are widely available
personality! Draw them from dynamic different poses. desired style. from comic book and specialist shops.
 Leave the high-end cameras to professional
angles, or show them in action. photographers. Any moderately good digital camera can
Challenge yourself. However, be careful not to rely too be useful for gathering reference material.

heavily on this resource. Because


RESOURCES the primary purpose of fashion from running and jumping, to sitting
Resources that you can use for photography is to showcase the model's and standing), photographed from
getting reference for your drawings clothing, poses tend to look unnatural. every angle, in various states of dress
are as follows: and undress.
Remember, too, that photographs
Model are copyrighted. If your artwork is Software
Drawing from a live model is one of the substantially similar to the photograph, Many artists use a 3D program called
best ways to learn about the human you must acquire permission from Poser as a resource for figure anatomy.
figure. If you can’t afford the services of the photographer. It’s reasonably priced and easy to learn.
a professional model, ask your family or You can pose the figures (male, female,
friends to pose for you. Poses from magazines limit your creative skeleton, wooden mannequin, and
freedom. Body language, expression, child, to name a few) in any position you
Mirror and pose are all important elements desire, and even adjust the lighting.
A mirror allows you to be your own that you as the artist need control over
model. Be creative and imaginative, to fully convey your message. It is better
and try a variety of poses in the mirror. to conceptualize your own pose ideas
When you find one that works for your and use one of the other resources
picture, try drawing it. listed instead.

Camera Books
A digital camera comes in handy for Pose books, available in the art section
 Books like Dynamic Anatomy, What People Wore,
sketching difficult poses (especially of good bookshops, feature models and even fashion magazines are all fantastic sources
positions that are awkward to hold or posed in various positions (everything for reference material.

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