Hart - Manga mania bishoujo: how to draw the alluring women of Japanese comics

Executive Editor: Candace Raney
Senior Development Editor: Alisa Palazzo
Designer: Bob Fillie, Graphiti Design, Inc.
Production Manager: Hector Campbell

Published in 2005 by
Watson-Guptill Publications
Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House Inc., New York
www.crownpublishing.com
www.watsonguptill.com

Copyright 2005 Christopher Hart

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hart, Christopher.
Manga mania bishoujo : how to draw the alluring women of Japanese comics / Christopher Hart.
p. cm.
Includes index.
Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-0-8230-2975-4
eBook ISBN: 978-0-7704-3490-8
1. Women in art. 2. Comic books, strips, etc.JapanTechnique. 3. CartooningTechnique. I. Title.
NC1764.8.W65H375 2005
741.50952dc22
2005001344

All rights reserved.

CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS :

Diana F. Devora:

Vanessa DurDan:

Christopher Hart:

Atsuko Ishida:

Roberta Pares Massensini:

Maki Michaux:

Romy:

Aurora G. Tejado: cover,

Cindy Yamuchi:

Color by MADA Design, Inc., with the exception of pages by the artists

v3.1

Dedicated to Francesca and Isabella

Im very excited to introduce you to what I believe is, by far, the most comprehensive, authentic and eye-catching book on bishoujo an incredibly popular genre of manga. Bishoujo is a Japanese term that means beautiful women . Knowing how to draw beautiful women is an essential skill for every aspiring mangaka ( manga artist ). The bishoujo genre encompasses a wide range of character types and subgenres, from uniformed schoolgirls to the immensely popular Magical Girl subgenre, and from heroic fighter pilots of the Sci-Fi genre to fairies, martial arts masters, undercover agents, the Urban Chic subgenre, and much, much more.

Have you ever had difficulty drawing dazzling women? Most artists have. Drawing the beautiful eyes, the gentle contours of the face and figure, the hair, the lips, all of it can either make or break a drawing. This book is the definitive resource on how to draw beautiful women. As you flip through the pages, youll see the widest possible assortment of bishoujo characters in a variety of styles. As an aspiring artist, you should have exposure to the entire spectrum of styles so that your work remains exciting and current.

This book is comprehensive like no other. To start, it breaks downinto clear and easy-to-follow instructionsexactly how to draw the eyes so that they glisten and beam with expression. Eyelashes, eyebrows, pupils, and irises are all explained and illustrated in such detail that nothing will remain a mystery to you. Then follows the section devoted to drawing the mouth in various positions and expressions. Moving on, youll learn how to draw the attractive female head in every conceivable angle, which will give you confidence as an artist and allow you to create your own characters in any position, in any scene. All of the latest and most appealing hairstyles are shown, as are facial expressions, emotions, the body, posture, body language, action poses, character types, costumes, and hands and feet.

Did I leave out anything? I dont think so. But theres more! A section on glamour, which shows you the secret to turning ordinary females into sparkling beauties. Youll learn how to draw two characters together in a scene so that you wont have to draw scenes with only one figure anymore. And as a bonus, theres a fabulous section on the fighting women of the famous Magical Girl subgenre. Its a dazzling section sure to inspire you to put pencil to paper.

Not only will this book show you how to draw manga, but it will also improve your drawing skills in general. Youll be learning the solid art principles used by top professional manga illustrators. So, whether youre a big-time manga fan or you draw American-style comic book art, youll get valuable drawing instruction.

The attractive female manga head is made up of three elements: the basic structure and outline, the facial features (including those amazing manga eyes), and a dramatic hairstyle. Well cover the first two here, and get to the hair in a following chapter .

Enchanting eyes are an essential part of the beautiful women of manga. Eyes are the focus of the face and are more important to the expression than any other feature. They make a stronger statement about the character than even the costume. Who has ever seen a seductive villainess without long elegant eyelashes, or a pretty heroine without large glistening eyes? The eyes create the character. In fact, you could almost say that the character is created around the eyes.

Most beginners use the same shape of eye for every female character they create. But eyes are not one size fits all. Different character types require different eye shapes. A young girl will have a different eye shape than a twentysomething-year-old woman.

Although the eyeball may seem like the natural place to start, its best not to begin there. Instead, draw the shape of the top and bottom eyelids. This will help to frame the eyeball and lock it in place. Note that the upper eyelid is always longer than the lower one and is also the one that makes the most dramatic arc .