Yoai - Chibi Art Class: A Complete Course in Drawing Chibi Cuties and Beasties

My name is Anny and Yoai is my artist alias. I grew up making little doodles and whatnot, but I started taking drawing more seriously in 2012. The first things I drew were chibis, because I loved the style of them and they were easy to draw. After I began posting my chibi artwork on social media sites such as DeviantArt and Instagram, I began to explore and diversify what I drew. Today, I continue to draw chibis in addition to my anime-style drawings, and I share them online regularly on my social media accounts.

Chibis are mini versions of Japanese-style anime and manga characters. They are defined by their large heads and tiny bodies, both of which contribute to their kawaii, or cuteness, factor. In anime shows and manga comics, chibis are incorporated to deviate from the current mood or feeling of a scene, to make it more lighthearted, poke fun at it, or add comic relief. The drastic change in the art style and mood can show the characters in a more casual light, contributing a fun and interesting addition to the story. For example, characters may be having a serious conversation, when, suddenly, one of them cracks a joke, which prompts the scene to turn the characters into chibis, changing the tone of the conversation with the art style. Over the years, chibis have become more diverse, with many different styles of drawing them (i.e., variations in details, anatomy, art style, etc.). Essentially, chibis are kind of like stylized caricatures of regular anime characters; certain facial and anatomical features are exaggerated while maintaining the overall identifying appearance of the character. Here are some key characteristics of chibis:

A small body and huge headbodies can even be smaller than the head.

Faces with huge eyes and small noses and mouths.

The hands and feet can be exaggerated to give a more cartoon-style look.

ANIME CHARACTER

CHIBI CHARACTER

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK?

In this book, there are lots of tips and tricks for drawing your own chibis, including bodies, faces, hairstyles, and clothing, along with coloring and shading techniques; nineteen step-by-step tutorials of chibi cuties and beasties; and an inspiration gallery of hairstyles, clothing, and much more! Also included are blank body bases for you to start your own chibi drawings and coloring pages for you to practice coloring and shading. With that said, lets get started with our Chibi Art Class!

Materials

GETTING STARTED

You dont need to invest in many materials to get started drawing your chibis. In this section, I have made suggestions, but feel free to experiment. These items can easily be found in the art section of your local craft store or online.

Paper

For illustrations with heavy color layering and shading, I prefer to use Canson Comic and Manga Illustration Bristol, which is a heavyweight paper. For illustrations with single-layer coloring and blending, I like Canson XL Mix Media, which is a mid-weight paper that can be used with a variety of mediums.

Markers

Markers are my go-to for coloring chibis. They are simple to use and versatile, especially brush-tip markers. For the art in this book, I used a mix of brands of alcohol-based markers (see ), spanning a range of prices, from the expensive Copic and Touchnew markers to the budget-friendly Bic Marking (set of 36) and Crayola Signature Blending (set of 16) markers. Though my step-by-step tutorials list specific marker types and colors, feel free to substitute what you like.

Alcohol-Based Markers vs. Water-Based Markers

For the art in this book, I primarily used alcohol-based markers. You can use water-based markers; however, there are some key differences between the two types. Though water-based markers are nontoxic, washable, and cheaper, the result will differ from that of alcohol-based markers, the most noticeable being when applying a solid color and when blending two or more colors. When applying a solid color, water-based markers tend to leave streaks and overlaps, while the resulting color of alcohol-based markers is (mostly) smooth. When blending, water-based markers are difficult to blend and leave obvious choppy borders, while alcohol-based markers are easily blended for a smooth, seamless look.

WATER-BASED SOLID COLOR

ALCOHOL-BASED SOLID COLOR

WATER-BASED BLENDING

ALCOHOL-BASED BLENDING

Fineliner Pens

Fineliner pens are an artists staple and perfect for outlining your art. They come in a variety of colors and nib sizes for different line weights and are easy to use. Be warned, however, that if you want to outline or color your chibi with a fineliner, use one that is waterproof, or your lines become smudged when you add in color with marker or colored pencil. I like to use the Sakura Pigma Micron 0.1mm in black. If coloring your chibi with watercolors instead of markers or colored pencils, outline your chibi with pencil (regular or waterproof colored pencil) instead (never use pencil with marker).

Watercolors

Watercolors are slightly more difficult to work with than markers when coloring your chibis, as it is harder to control the opacity and consistency of the color. However, overall, it offers much more variety in colors as color-mixing allows you to create any color imaginable, unlike markers. I like using the Sargent Watercolor Art-Time Pan (8-color set) and its accompanying brush. Remember to rinse and dry your brush every time you change colors.