Sonia Leong - Drawing Manga Heroines and Heroes: An Interactive Guide to Drawing Anime Characters, Props, and Scenes Step by Step

DRAWING

HEROINES & HEROES

An interactive guide to drawing anime characters, props, and scenes step by step

ONE REASON WHY YOU LOVE MANGA IS PROBABLY ALL THE AMAZING CHARACTERS. MANGA IS APPEALING FOR ITS HUGE VARIETY OF PROTAGONISTS WITH EPIC STORYLINES THAT ARE DRAWN IN DIFFERENT STYLES AND ACROSS SO MANY SETTINGS. NO MATTER WHAT KIND OF MANGA STORIES YOU LIKE TO READ, YOURE BOUND TO FIND A SERIES THAT APPEALS TO YOU! AND IF YOU HAVENT FOUND A MANGA STORY YOU LOVE, WHY NOT CREATE YOUR OWN?

THIS BOOK FOCUSES ON HOW TO CREATE MAIN CHARACTERS FOR MANGA STORIES, AND IT TEACHES YOU THE FUNDAMENTALS BEHIND DESIGNING AND DRAWING A WIDE RANGE OF MANGA HEROINES AND HEROES. DRAW A CUTE MAGICAL GIRL BALANCING SCHOOL LIFE WITH FIGHTING CRIME (SEE )AND MUCH, MUCH MORE! THE SETTINGS AND SITUATIONS AFFECT A CHARACTERS APPEARANCE AND PROPS; LEARN HOW WITH THE HELP OF THIS BOOK.

FEATURED IN THE BOOK ARE DEVELOPMENTAL SKETCHES WITH VISIBLE CONSTRUCTION LINES, CLEAN SHOWCASES OF COMPLETE CHARACTER DESIGNS, STEP-BY-STEP BREAKDOWNS OF BEAUTIFUL COVER AND SPLASH ILLUSTRATIONS, AND GUIDED ACTIVITIES THAT ALLOW YOU TO EXERCISE YOUR IMAGINATION AND PRACTICE KEY DRAWING SKILLS.

NOW LETS CREATE THE HEROINES AND HEROES OF TOMORROW!

YOU PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF THE TOOLS TO DRAW MANGA. IF YOU BUY PROFESSIONAL ITEMS, INVEST IN TOOLS THAT WILL LAST. LESS EXPENSIVE OPTIONS WORK WELL TOO. THE FOLLOWING IS JUST A QUICK LIST OF SOME OF THE TOOLS YOU MIGHT WANT TO USE. MORE DETAILS ON HOW TO USE EACH ITEM ARE INCLUDED THROUGHOUT THE BOOK.

PENCILS & SKETCHING

Pencils: These are the most common and versatile tools. HB, B, and 2B pencils are easy to use and can add contrast. A mechanical pencil is great for sketching but not for shading, because its point stays thin.

Non-photo blue/non-repro blue pencil lead: These brightly colored leads arent visible when photocopied, so they work well for sketches, which can then be inked over in your final drawings.

BRUSHES, PENS & INKS

Manga is predominantly a black-and-white medium. Even when the art is colored in, it usually features crisp black outlines, so most manga artists prefer to use pure black ink.

Fineliners: These come in different widths and are easy to use, making them the ideal drawing tool for a beginning manga artist.

Brush pens: Placing more pressure on the brush will thicken your lines, while light pressure produces very fine details.

Dip pens: Dip pens are the traditional tool for a professional illustrator. Metal nibs are perfect for manga artwork; by changing pressure, you can go from super-fine, feathery lines to thick, bold strokes.

Brushes: These produce thicker lines than nibs, as well as drybrushed textures for shading.

ADDING COLOR

Colored pencils: When used in layers, these can create shading. Sharpen them for outlines and strong details. A chiseled tip is great for shading.

Markers: The most popular tool for coloring manga remains the marker. Keeping your strokes wet as you go over them again makes them look smooth and blended, or let the strokes dry first before adding more to create a distinct darker layer without blending.

DIGITAL TOOLS

You can also digitally sketch, ink, shade, and color your manga drawings. This book focuses on more traditional techniques, such as drawing and inking by hand; however, you might want to look online for digital art suggestions. (See to learn how to add color digitally.)

DRAWING BASICS

A GOOD MANGA ARTIST UNDERSTANDS WHAT REAL-LIFE OBJECTS LOOK LIKE AND CHOOSES TO DRAW THEM USING ONLY A FEW LINES.

FACES

To draw a characters face, start with an egg shape, and then lay crosshairs over it to represent the head. Place the facial features within these guidelines, shrinking or stretching them as necessary according to the angle of the head. Then shape the hairstyle around the head.

SHAPES & RATIOS

Look at the objects around you, and simplify them into basic shapes, such as spheres, pyramids, and cylinders. Imagine that you are sculpting an object from clay. What shape would you start with? Then look for ratios that divide your subject into sections, which will help you place the subjects features. Is a certain element positioned halfway or a third of the way down from the top?

KEY RATIOS

Here are some helpful guidelines to keep in mind when drawing a head.

The head looks like a sphere with the chin protruding from the bottom, like an egg.

Eyebrows go halfway down the sphere, along the crosshairs.

Place the tip of the nose halfway between the eyebrows and the chin.

The mouth sits halfway between the nose and chin.

Eyes lie in the center of the head.

The tops of the ears are level with the eyebrows; earlobes are level with the nose.

Shape the hair around the whole lead; it must be larger than the egg shape.

BODIES

In order to get the proportions, balance, and movement right in a character, try drawing it as a stick figure before adding any additional details. Adding shapes over a stick figure is a great way to flesh out its large muscle groups and joints. Then add clothes on top.

KEY RATIOS

Keep the following tips in mind when drawing bodies.

Legs make up roughly half of a characters height. Feet extend from the legs.

Arms are about the same length as the torso, with the hands extending from the arms.

Elbows lie halfway between the shoulder and the wrist.