Christopher Hart - Magical Characters

Compilation copyright 2013 by Christopher Hart, Cartoon Craft LLC, Star Fire LLC, and Art Studio LLC

All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Watson-Guptill Publications, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

www.crownpublishing.com
www.watsonguptill.com

WATSON-GUPTILL is a registered trademark and the WG and Horse designs are trademarks of Random House, Inc.

This work is based on the following titles by Christopher Hart published by Watson-Guptill Publications, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.: Manga Mania Magical Girls and Friends , copyright 2006 by Christopher Hart; Manga Mania Occult and Horror , copyright 2007 by Star Fire LLC; Manga for the Beginner Shoujo , copyright 2010 by Cartoon Craft LLC; and Manga for the Beginner Kawaii , copyright 2012 by Cartoon Craft LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hart, Christopher, 1957
Magical characters : Christopher Harts draw manga now! / Christopher Hart. First Edition.
p. cm
1. Comic books, strips, etc.JapanTechnique. 2. DrawingTechnique.
3. Fantasy in art. I. Title.
NC1764.5.J3H3692845 2013
741.51dc23
2013002123

eBook ISBN: 978-0-385-34535-4
Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-0-385-34548-4

Cover and book design by Ken Crossland

v3.1

Magical characters are super-popular among manga fans from New York to Tokyo. They are the stars of graphic novels, anime TV shows, and feature films. Magical girls are, typically, schoolgirls who are suddenly called upon to save another world thats in danger. To do this, they are given special powers that transform them into glamorous magical versions of themselves. Because magical characters usually come with a lot of ornate accoutrements, such as clothing, hair, mascots, and accessories, building a foundation for them is important; without understanding all these elements, the magical aspects of your characters will be less convincing. Without it, the magical aspects wont look convincing. Lets put a little magic in your arsenal of manga drawing techniques, and learn how to draw magical characters like the pros.

This book may look small, but its jam-packed with information, artwork, and instruction to help you learn how to draw the magical characters of manga like a master!

Well start off by going over some basic manga drawing concepts. Pay close attention; the material we cover here is very important and provides the foundation on which you build your characters. You might want to practice drawing some of the things in this section before moving on to the next one.

Then, itll be time to pick up your pencil and get drawing actual magical manga characters! Youll follow the step-by-step illustrations on a separate piece of paper, drawing the characters in this section using everything youve learned so far.

Finally, Ill put you to the test! The last section includes images that are missing some key features. Itll be your job to finish these drawings, giving the characters the elements they need.

This book is all about learning, practicing, and, most important, having fun. Dont be afraid to make mistakes, because you never know when something that you think is a mistake works as a springboard to a great idea. Also, the examples are meant to be guides; feel free to elaborate and embellish the illustrated examples as you wish. Before you know it, youll be a manga artist in your own right!

Lets begin!

Youll get a chance to look at bodies in the second section of the book, but lets just look at the basic head construction quickly to get started.

The face of younger females, such as magical girls and other magical characters, retains the soft, round look of a preteen but with the feminine features of an older teenager, notably the heavy eyeliner and eyelashes. She should have a friendly, youthful face, which you can give her by drawing large eyes. Leave a good amount of space between the eyelids and the eyeball. That makes her look sincere and honest. Keep her face on the round side.

The front view focuses attention on the eyes like a laser beam. This is the most prominent feature of the manga face.

Look how easy this is! As with the front view, you start with an egg shape. But you have to delicately carve out small areas and curves in the front of the face while leaving the general outline in place. Its especially important to leave a soft underside to the chin. This keeps the character youthful and feminine. It makes her a good character, as opposed to an evil one, who has hard and angular features.

Like girls, many boy magical characters are also about 14 to 16 years of age. But they can sometimes appear even a bit older if their features are longer and more elegant (a type of character known as a bishounen, or bishie for short, which in Japanese stands for pretty boy, and is a standard character type pervasive in many styles of manga).

Here are a few classic magical girl expressions, with some other characters thrown inlike elves and vampire hunters. Magical and fantasy characters are often portrayed as heroic, which means that their expressions have to reflect a certain inner strength. At the same time, the good guys and gals of this style are charming, sweet, and helpful. Here are some examples of expressions that show rugged determination, as well as hopeful, peaceful qualities.