Supittha Bunyapen - Shojo Wonder Manga Art School: Create Your Own Cool Characters and Costumes with Markers

PAPER

Cardstock paper, at least 110-lb. (200gsm) thickness

PENCILS

Blue pencil (such as Prismacolor Col-Erase)

Mechanical pencils with harder leads
(H, HB and 2B) in 0.3mm, 0.5mm, 0.7mm
and 0.9mm sizes

PENS

005 (0.2mm) waterproof, fine-point technical pens in brown, sepia, gray and blue (such as Pigma Micron or Copic Multiliner)

White gel pen

Gold marker pen (Sakura Pen-touch Gold 0.7mm suggested)

Brush pens (such as Pentel Color Brush)

MARKERS

Copic brand in assorted colors, including
0-Colorless Blender

Other suggested brands: Neopiko by
Deleter and Prismacolor

White marker

ACRYLICS AND ACRYLIC MEDIUMS

Heavy body acrylics (assorted colors, including white)

Fluid acrylics (assorted colors)

Crackle paste, opaque and semiopaque
(such as Kroma Crackle Medium)

Glazing medium

Acrylic gel medium

Acrylic clear gesso base

WATERCOLORS

Assorted transparent colors
(professional-quality tubes)

Opaque watercolor (such as Dr. Ph. Martins
Bleed Proof White)

BRUSHES

Nos. 2 and 4 round

1-inch (25mm) flat

Worn or inexpensive no. 2 round

Optional: Mop, script, various sized flats

MISCELLANEOUS

Masking fluid (also called liquid frisket)

Rubbing alcohol

White vinyl eraser (such as Mono Tombow or
Pentel Hi-Polymer)

Eraser sticks

Rubber cement eraser

Plastic painting knives

Magazines or photos for reference and inspiration

There are countless ways to draw manga characters. From simple and cute to striking and realistic, how you choose to draw your figures is all up to you as the artist. There are two main goals of this book. The first is to learn to draw your own cool manga characters in colorful marker. Well start off with the basicshow to choose the right art tools and how to use them. Then well move into the basics of drawing heads, faces, bodies, clothes and costumes. Finally well bring it all together by adding your characters to eye-popping backgrounds.

The second goal of this book is to learn to handle markers properly. There are many techniques and styles in applying marker as a painting method. Learning to layer and blend markers will help you create more accurate skin tones and costume colors. Well also learn to mix markers with paint to create cool effects for your illustrations.

So whether youre just beginning or an experienced artistgrab a pencil, let your imagination go and start creating your own manga worlds!

Supittha Annie Bunyapen

Deciding what tools and materials are right for you can be challenging and require a lot of time and experimenting. Tools can range in quality and price from super pricey to really cheap. But not all affordable tools are poor in quality if you know how to handle them well. The equipment and techniques listed in this chapter are what Ive found to be useful in my art. My suggestions are only guidelines. Try different tools and practice a lot to get yourself on track for success.

You dont need a big box of art supplies to be successful as an artist. Rather than struggle with tons of unfamiliar tools in the art store, all you need are these basic supplies. Dont get too hung up on names and brands; its fine to use what you like and what is available.

Mechanical pencils are great for creating sharp pencil lines. They come in a variety of lead colors and thicknesses. The most basic is 0.5mm and can be found in most stores. Also try 0.3mm, 0.7mm and 0.9mm.

Stay away from darker leads like 4B, 6B or 8B to avoid dirty pencil traces after erasing. H, HB and 2B pencils provide good enough marks for drawing.

Blue pencils are good for preliminary sketches. I like Prismacolor Col-Erase pencils because they dont leave a mess when you erase them.

There are many shapes and brands of vinyl erasers. A Mono Tombow eraser is my top choice. It erases pencil traces effectively, even though its price is slightly higher than others. Pentel Hi-Polymer eraser is another brand I like.

Eraser sticks are handy to erase delicate areas. They are pen-shaped and function similarly to mechanical pencils. Just click and use.

White gel pens can be used for fast-drying, quick highlights and extra-small details. The ink flow is generally smooth, but be sure to close the cap after use, otherwise the ink will dry and clog the tip. Opaque watercolors such as Dr. Ph. Martins Bleed Proof White also have great covering power for markers. When dry, you can color over it. It is not intended for mixing, though.

There are many brands of marker paper to choose from, but in general, I prefer cardstock. Its high-quality enough for markers, plus its inexpensive and easy to find in most stores. Choose at least 110-lb. (200gsm) cardstock for its thickness. If you can afford it, Deleter makes paper specifically for markers that varies in size and thickness, but with great absorbance.

Pentel Color Brush is my favorite brush pen because the ink is not alcohol based, so it wont dissolve after you paint marker on top. Once it dries, it wont smudge or leave traces of ink on your markers nibs.

Use waterproof and marker-proof pens for inking and outlining your drawings. There are many brands out there that work well such as Copic Multiliner and Pigma Micron pens. These pens come with many choices of nibs and colors. They dry fast so you can quickly switch over to coloring with markers.