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Hello! Welcome to my Instructable on how to draw manga characters.
A little warning, the Burning Question was "how to draw manga characters," but that is very general, and would probably make a better book than an Instructable. In the US, a large book store will usually have two or three shelves of manga and anime drawing books in the art instruction books. I suspect in Japan there would be a lot more.
I will narrow it down a little, and show you how to draw a pet, a young man and a young woman.
I am intending this for someone with a little art experience. The pet is a little easier, while the humans are a little more difficult.
A little warning, the Burning Question was "how to draw manga characters," but that is very general, and would probably make a better book than an Instructable. In the US, a large book store will usually have two or three shelves of manga and anime drawing books in the art instruction books. I suspect in Japan there would be a lot more.
I will narrow it down a little, and show you how to draw a pet, a young man and a young woman.
I am intending this for someone with a little art experience. The pet is a little easier, while the humans are a little more difficult.
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Signing UpStep 1Materials
Many manga drawing books are very specific on what materials you need for drawing, but they all say different things so its best not to take them too seriously. You do not really need fancy materials. Use what you have, and what you like using best.
Paper
Inexpensive drawing paper, copy paper, or office scrap is good. For practicing, you want the paper to be inexpensive. It should also work well with your favorite drawing tools. For example, if you like to draw with colored pencils, the paper should have a little texture. Also, I have found newsprint works well with crayons and markers, but can clog up ballpoint pens and fountain pens.
Pencil
Pencils are your basic drawing tool. Its the best thing to use when learning to draw. Normal writing pencils, drawing pencil, drafting pencils, and mechanical pencils are all good.
Drawing and drafting pencils come in different lead hardness, which affect the darkness of the pencil. A no. 2 pencil and an HB pencil are the same. H pencils are lighter and have harder lead, while B pencils are darker and have softer lead.
lightest to darkest ----->
8H 7H 6H 5H 4H 3H 2H H HB B 2B 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B 8B
Generally artists prefer soft lead pencils while drafters prefer hard lead pencils.
Something in the 6H to 4H range is good for laying out the drawing. The 2H to 2B range is good for general drawing.
Eraser
Pens
Pens are good for tracing the outlines. They make a bold outline, and you can erase the pencil lines after you trace them.
It is hard to fix mistakes in ink. Most type of ink are not erasable, and if you have erasable ink or markers, the ink line will erase with the pencil line.
Different types of pens have different looking lines, but most will work well. If it dries quickly, and does not skip, it will be fine.
Fountain pens are often shown in manga drawing books. They work really well for art, but the books do not really explain what they are or that different types exist.
Fountain pens are an old-fashioned pen that were used before ball-point pens were available. Some styles are dipped into ink, while others use refillable ink cartridges or are disposable. Usually department store will carry one type of fountain pen, typically a type with refillable cartridges. They make a perfectly smooth line, and the width of the line can be changed by pressing harder on the tip.
Crayons
I love crayons. They are bright and they do not smudge!
Locally, a normal crayon is a wax crayon. These can be bought super cheap at back to school sales and can be found in a lot of colors.
Less common are plastic crayons and twist up crayons. These usually blend well, last a long times, and are sometimes erasable.
Markers
Markers are good for outlines, and coloring in. They can be a little hard to use. You should use markers that come in a lot of colors, last a long time, and have a tip that can draw thin or thick lines.
Colored Pencils
Colored pencils are great for drawing fine details. They also come in a lot of colors. Occasionally colored pencils can be found with three or four colors in the lead.
Manga and Anime drawing books
There are a lot of manga drawing books available, but they can be expensive, since many of them are translated from Japanese. I recommend borrowing drawing books from the library if possible. They can usually be found with the drawing or comic books. Buy the books that are especially helpful, or if you find a good price. The "How to draw Manga" series are considered classics, but check the other books, in case those suit your ability level of interests better.
Manga Comics
Manga comics are a useful source of art to study. Locally, large books stores carry a lot of them, but they can be expensive. The translation makes them more expensive. Check the young adult or science fiction section at the library and watch for sales at discount and used bookstores.
Do not overspend on drawing supplies, especially while you are learning. Artists online can sometimes get really pushy about buying expensive art supplies. What I found out taking art classes in college is that people who want to be artists use expensive art supplies while people who are artists use cheap art supplies whenever possible.
In this instructable I use various types of pencils and crayons for everything. I like the materials a lot, and I think it is important to show that this can be a very inexpensive hobby. With the bad economy, cheap hobbies are really important.
Paper
Inexpensive drawing paper, copy paper, or office scrap is good. For practicing, you want the paper to be inexpensive. It should also work well with your favorite drawing tools. For example, if you like to draw with colored pencils, the paper should have a little texture. Also, I have found newsprint works well with crayons and markers, but can clog up ballpoint pens and fountain pens.
Pencil
Pencils are your basic drawing tool. Its the best thing to use when learning to draw. Normal writing pencils, drawing pencil, drafting pencils, and mechanical pencils are all good.
Drawing and drafting pencils come in different lead hardness, which affect the darkness of the pencil. A no. 2 pencil and an HB pencil are the same. H pencils are lighter and have harder lead, while B pencils are darker and have softer lead.
lightest to darkest ----->
8H 7H 6H 5H 4H 3H 2H H HB B 2B 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B 8B
Generally artists prefer soft lead pencils while drafters prefer hard lead pencils.
Something in the 6H to 4H range is good for laying out the drawing. The 2H to 2B range is good for general drawing.
Eraser
Pens
Pens are good for tracing the outlines. They make a bold outline, and you can erase the pencil lines after you trace them.
It is hard to fix mistakes in ink. Most type of ink are not erasable, and if you have erasable ink or markers, the ink line will erase with the pencil line.
Different types of pens have different looking lines, but most will work well. If it dries quickly, and does not skip, it will be fine.
Fountain pens are often shown in manga drawing books. They work really well for art, but the books do not really explain what they are or that different types exist.
Fountain pens are an old-fashioned pen that were used before ball-point pens were available. Some styles are dipped into ink, while others use refillable ink cartridges or are disposable. Usually department store will carry one type of fountain pen, typically a type with refillable cartridges. They make a perfectly smooth line, and the width of the line can be changed by pressing harder on the tip.
Crayons
I love crayons. They are bright and they do not smudge!
Locally, a normal crayon is a wax crayon. These can be bought super cheap at back to school sales and can be found in a lot of colors.
Less common are plastic crayons and twist up crayons. These usually blend well, last a long times, and are sometimes erasable.
Markers
Markers are good for outlines, and coloring in. They can be a little hard to use. You should use markers that come in a lot of colors, last a long time, and have a tip that can draw thin or thick lines.
Colored Pencils
Colored pencils are great for drawing fine details. They also come in a lot of colors. Occasionally colored pencils can be found with three or four colors in the lead.
Manga and Anime drawing books
There are a lot of manga drawing books available, but they can be expensive, since many of them are translated from Japanese. I recommend borrowing drawing books from the library if possible. They can usually be found with the drawing or comic books. Buy the books that are especially helpful, or if you find a good price. The "How to draw Manga" series are considered classics, but check the other books, in case those suit your ability level of interests better.
Manga Comics
Manga comics are a useful source of art to study. Locally, large books stores carry a lot of them, but they can be expensive. The translation makes them more expensive. Check the young adult or science fiction section at the library and watch for sales at discount and used bookstores.
Do not overspend on drawing supplies, especially while you are learning. Artists online can sometimes get really pushy about buying expensive art supplies. What I found out taking art classes in college is that people who want to be artists use expensive art supplies while people who are artists use cheap art supplies whenever possible.
In this instructable I use various types of pencils and crayons for everything. I like the materials a lot, and I think it is important to show that this can be a very inexpensive hobby. With the bad economy, cheap hobbies are really important.
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I have a problem. Every time I draw a person, I make their arms and legs look too stiff and unreal. Can you tell me how I should draw the arms and legs so they look more natural and loose?
When drawing the guidelines, or skeleton (the stick figure in this tutorial), I picture the pose I want then stiffen my hand from the wrist down and make light, unrestrained strokes from my upper arm.
This may take some practice, and like I said, I'm not sure if it works for everyone.
I am trying to make some Manga-styled drawings for a film project, and I am having a bit of trouble. I don't own a scanner, so I have to draw on the computer, and those come out a bit...less than decent.
anyway, do you have any tips for us aspiring artists who are forced to computer-generated artwork?
and thank goodness I don't have to draw 15000 versions of the same character to make a movie, thanks to animation programs (I have to draw more like 5)
(at least, of the ones I've seen)