Hart - Magical girls and friends: how to draw the super-popular, action-fantasy characters of manga

Executive Editor: Candace Raney
Designer: Bob Fillie, Graphiti Design, Inc.

First published in 2006 by Watson-Guptill Publications Crown Publishing Group a division of Random House Inc., New York
www.crownpublishing.com
www.watsonguptill.com

Copyright 2006 Christopher Hart

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hart, Christopher.
Manga mania magical girls and friends : how to draw the super-popular action-fantasy characters of manga / Christopher Hart.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8230-2968-6 (pbk.)
ISBN-10: 0-8230-2968-9 (pbk.)
1. Girls in art. 2. Magic in art. 3. Comic books, strips, etc.JapanTechnique. 4. CartooningTechnique. I. Title.
NC1764.8.G57H37 2006
741.5352242dc22

2006007522

All rights reserved.

eBook ISBN: 978-0-7704-3487-8
Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-0-8230-2968-6

v3.1

Denise Akemi:

Anzu:

Diana Fernandez Devora:

Vanessa Duran:

Chris Hart:

Makiko Kanada:

Chihiro Milley:

Roberta Pares:

PH:

Aurora Garcia Tejado:

Nao Yazawa:

Color by MADA Design, Inc., except for Costumes chapter, chapter by Chihiro Milley

Dedicated to my daughters,
the two most magical girls I know

To my publishers at Watson-Guptill, MADA Design, and, of course, to my readers (yes, that means you guys!)

T HE MAGICAL GIRL CATEGORY is a huge part of the famous shoujo (pronounced show-joe) genre of manga. Shoujo is the giant genre that focuses on the charming look of Japanese comics, and leans more toward female characters and relationships. However, the readership is both male and female in North America, as well as in Japan.

The Magical Girl subgenre is a particularly popular twist on the shoujo themeand perhaps the most popular of all. It owns a fiercely loyal fan base. Dont be surprised to see some of the most popular manga titles in this category. Among them are: Sailor Moon, Magic Knight Rayearth, Saint Tail, Fushigi Yuugi, Cutey Honey, Tokyo Mew Mew, Card Captor Sakura, Magical Angel Sweet Mint , and Pretty Sammy .

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 superidealized magical versions of themselves, which are glamorous and amazing. Sometimes, a magical girl can be sent from another world to come to Earth and fit in as an Earth girl, which is difficult given the superior powers that she must keep under control if she is to conceal her secret identity.

These stories show how ordinary girls are really extraordinary, and how we all possess amazing abilities if only we look deep within ourselves. These stories are packed with an abundance of compelling characters in addition to the magical girl. There are the magical girls classmates, who sometimes also transform to create a team of magical fighters. Theres the handsome, slightly older boy on whom the magical girl has a secret crush. There are the magical boys, who may also come from another dimension and who fight on the same side as the magical girls. And then theres everybodys favorite: the manga mascot! Its the cute, little, furry and squeezable sidekick. This humorous monster-creature helps the magical girlor at least tries to but ends up getting in trouble more times than not.

This book will take you through all of the techniques you need to draw the newest breed of magical girls and their friends, from how to draw magical girl faces and body proportions, action poses, costumes, expressions, magical transformations, and special effects to designing funny mascots, magical boys, supporting characters, and layouts to creating girl fighting teams and more. Theres no other book like this oneif youre a manga fan, this is a must-have. So put a little magic in your arsenal of drawing techniques, and lets get ready to bring some adventure to our sketch pads!

The magical girls face is open, charming, and appealing. She is most often represented as being in the tween years. Although shes growing into adolescent proportions, she still retains the soft contours, roundness, big features, and innocent eyes of a youngster. This makes for a compelling leading character. Steer clear of sharp angles, place large eyes far apart, and draw a petite nose and mouth. With these basics in mind, everything else will begin to fall into place .

The face of the magical girl retains the soft, round look of a preteen but with the feminine features of an older teenager, notably the heavy eyeliner and eyelashes. The magical girl 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. If you make it too angular or sleek, shell look older and less innocent.

Its very important, when drawing the front view, to use horizontal guidelines so that you make sure to keep both eyes, as well as both ears, at the same level. You dont want one to look higher than the other!