HOW TO DRAW MANGA Volume 1 : COMPILING CHARACTERS by The Society for the Study of Manga Techniques. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical,incJuding photocopying., recording,taping, or information storage and retrieval systems.
HOW TO DRAW MANGA Volume 1 : COMPILING CHARACTERS by The Society for the Study of Manga Techniques. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical,incJuding photocopying., recording,taping, or information storage and retrieval systems.
HOW TO DRAW MANGA Volume 1 : COMPILING CHARACTERS by The Society for the Study of Manga Techniques. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical,incJuding photocopying., recording,taping, or information storage and retrieval systems.
HOW TO DRAW MANGA Volume 1 : COMPILING CHARACTERS by The Society for the Study of Manga Techniques. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical,incJuding photocopying., recording,taping, or information storage and retrieval systems.
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How 0 d aw MHNIiR COMPILING CHARACTERS
Power up MRNGR techniques for beginners
HOW TO DRAW MANGA Volume 1 : Compiling Characters by The Society for the Study of Manga Techniques
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used inany form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical,incJuding photocopying., recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems
- without written permission of the publisher.
Published by Graphi.c-sha Publishing Co., Ltd. 1-9-12 Kudanklta, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 102-0073
Distributor:
Japan Publications Trading Co., Ltd.
1-2 -1 Sa rug a ku-cho, Chlyoda-ku, Tokyo, 1 01 -0064 Telephone: 03-3292-3751 Fax: 03-3292-0410 E-mail: jpt@jptco .. co.jp
First printing: April. 1999
Second printing: November 1999 Third printing: June 2000
ISBN 4-88996-042-2 Printed in Japan
How to draw M
NGA
COMPILING CHARACTERS
Power up MHNGR techniques for beginners
*AII the manga characters in this book are fictional and have nothing to do with actual persons who may exist.
CONTENTS
THE AIM OF THIS BOOK page 6
A PORTRAIT OF A CARTOONIST page 7
(introducing how to draw manga by means of manga)
INSTRUMENTS AND MATERIALS FOR DRAWING MANGA page 24
MANUSCRIPT PAPER/PENCILS/ERASERS/UGHT BOXES/PEN POINTSI PENHOLDERS/INK/WHITE INK· CORRECTION FLUID/FINE POINT PENS/
The most important point when creating a story/What is character?
ACTUAL TONES page 94
LET'S CREATE CHARACTERS page 95
Character created by the story
PRODUCING THE CHARACTER page 98
Character with a strong will/Rather cool types/The wild typel
Type of character who is cute and perky/The gentfe typel
Weak-willed characters/Strong willed and selfish/Villainsl
The shape of the body is also character/Costume is also part of eharaetsr/ Accessories to the characters/How to draw out emotionl
Effect of background/Continued - Effect of background
A glossary of manga technical terms page 11 2
SUMMARY page 11 5
5
THE AIM OF THIS BOOK
This book is aimed at those who want to start drawing cartoons (or comics) or those who are at a certain level but want to study it more seriously, or those who are already serious but do not see any improvement. In other words, this book is designed to help all non-professional people, from elementary school pupils to adults to improve their technical skills.
This book concentrates on character types.
Speaking of characters, we guess most of you are confident in your native drawing skifl. Howe ver, do you vibrate people with life? Are they 3 -D 7 Are body parts smoothly and fleXibly jointed?
Here, a group member of the author will teach you the retione; merhodand technique to improve yourself, based on their experiences.
First of 611/, Chapter 1 will show you how to draw figures, in fully realised 3-D. Chapter 2 will focus on how to draw bodies. it will show how the muscle structure of the body can be rendered, and will enable you to draw human bodies which look quite natural. Chapter 3 will teach you how [0 draw character. It wi/I enable you to bring out character closer to how professionals do it.
Cover designing and text layout: Hideyuki Amemura Photographing:' Yasuo Imai
English translation: Steve K.Amemura
6
1& IF CO) ffi 1l ffi 1& IT il CO) IF
1& CC 1& ffi il CO) CO) JNJ II § il
Written and drawn by
Tatsuhiro Ozaki
"All the manga characters in this textbook are fanci ful and do not relate to any of persons that may substantially exist.
7
Thank you
very much.
A goodjob.
Well, I've gona go. I have things to do.
Anyway. we will have /jj) a drink to celebrate the
</l/ -c: of tile job,
@~ ~@@
o
8
It goes like this.
And this.
Bring me more beerl We haven't drunk
9
Next, write out the plot developments, one to a page.
Example
Assume that the story of Cinderella is told in 31 pages:
P.l Cover
P.2 't' Cinderella appears.
P.S Cinderella is treated harshly by her
stepmother up to here.
P.6 .. The balf at the castle is decided.
P.9 Cinderella is left alone, lfJ to here.
P. 10 .. The fairy godmother appears.
P. 13 The plot moves to the point of the magic
P. 14,. pumpkin coach.
P.17 Cinderella debuts at the ball. P. 18,. The Prince appears.
P.21 Cinderella dances, up to here.
P.22't' The clock strikes 12.
P.2S Cinderella runs away, at this point .. P.26. The Prince seeks Cinderella up to here. P.29 Cinderella puts on the glass slipper here. P.30. The slipper fits and the Prince proposes.
P.3 J They lived happily ever after.
Now do your rough illustrations of the script. In Japanese this "picture script" or "e-conte.
The plot must. be divided Into pages,. then the scenario of each page planned out.
The size of the conte should be twice the page size ot tne magazine. The paper should be high quality 84.
"One-in-two picture" means one picture drawn over two pages.
To make your menuscnpt: paper, you must make a master template first.
Pick up several pieces of drawing paper, place the template 00 cop, and then poke 72 holes in it using a compass.
Fold in cwo here.
Then draw your frame using the holes as a guideline. You may use a feft tip pen. Use red or blue as it will be easier to see if you decide to draw through to
the paper edge.
~~-. ,~-----" r
,
r
• 1
I ,
r •
Tachikiri means a frame that goes to the maximum size~ of the rlr;lwlnn'
Again and again, our manga artist quits working
on the script and instead goes for a more int,..n:><:f·in, .. 1 and cultivated story.
11
If a publisher sees anything
he doesn't like, then he will' have to do It over from scratch. Mr. Manga's heart beats fast.
And get your work in
CHJ time next time.
'Mr. Manga is calling in his assistants.
As soon as he has come up with the script,
then he will have to pass it on to his assis[ants.
13
Until his assistants come, Mr. Manga starts on rough sketches.
Until my assistants get here,
let's look how manga are made.
14
WHen the ink dries,' do the erasing.
16
My dear Gorilfa, I will .leave this farge portion of background up to you, okay?
17
You do the foea/light effects on this, okay?
Once he starts working, he will be at his desk all day fang.
18
Well, this is the first day, so we still have time to spare.
9
Stomach medicine
Oh .... Mr.MI. ...
Sitting on a chair af! day long ashe does, he falls sick of an ailment he cannot tell others.
Oh
, am so
sleepy.
20
To tell you the truth, I have piles.
But a weapon that fights these two strong enemies is coffee.
Damn but tt'« hot!!
Well. I am awake.
21
Under all that stress,
the cartoonist keeps on working and drawing. .
The last lap
Whipping his sleepy body
At last, the manga is finished.
Thank you
everybody, I appreciate your· hard work and effort.
INSTRUMENTS & MRTER'IHLS FOR
DRRW I NG MAN6R ,~
In general, the basic paper used for cartoon manuscripts
His high-qlJali~y paPder(WOOd free)d' Ken: paper, and. dllraWingh paper. 1~~I:;:;:;:;::;:;:;:;:;::;:::;::;::;:;:;::::;: ... ;:;:.u;;:r.'!,j .. :::;: ... ;:;:.~P;:':;:;::;:::;::;:;::;:::;::;::ID;",J .. rowever, repeate erasure on rawlng paper WI roug en
its surface and as a result it may not be suitable for A: Size of manuscript paper
beginners because ink wOI blot. On the other hand, you (84 = 257mm x 364mm /
do not have to worry about blotting with Kent paper A4 = 21 Omm x 297mm)
(both 90kg and 135kg thicknesses are available) or B: Draw to this edge when
high-quality paper. cutting off frames.
C: Outer frame- finish
drawing at this edge
(84 = 220mm x 310mm / A4 "" , 82mm x 257mm)
D: Internal frame-basic
frame for specifying portions (84= 180mm x 270mm /
A4 = , SOmm x 220m'll)
Nowadays, manuscript paper made exclusively for drawing cartoons is available. Kent paper or
wood free paper is used and It is printed with
light-blue frame-lines for drawing cartoons, and with measurement on the edges that make It easier for partitioning frames and specifying portions of frames that need to be cut off. Recently, cartoonists
have been using this specialized cartoon manuscript paper.
Convenient equipment - For tape, Scotch tape and Mending tape are good.
The photo shows a clear tape. The color and quality of this tape will last. Taping is also good jf you make a mistake. Unlike glue, you can peel it off again.
The photo also shows a can of paper oement. There are two types-the spray type and smear type.
24
c
•
D
L
j
PENCILS
Most cartoonists nowadays use mechanical pencils. Some cartoonists say that they use light-weight pencils when drawing small cartoons for putting weight on pln-points;
and larger-gripped ones for drawing large cartoons with a lighter hand. You should choose a suitable lead hardness-HB, B, 28 and so on-by judging the pressure that will' bear on the pencil unit. Use B or 2B for weak pencil pressure. Blue lead pencils and mechanical pencils are both very convenient. Blue does not show up when printed; therefore, cartoonists use it to specify tone to
, their assistants, and or to show where tone
is needed, where there is no shade or drawing.
ERRSERS
The AIR-IN and MONO series are commonly
used erasers (see photo). Residue from erasers may spoil the tone effect if It remains on the paper so be sure to keep your desktop very clean.
_~ .... , I There is also a very convenient eraser called NON-DUST. This eraser collects the residue by itself and it keeps the working area clean. There is also a pen-type eraser, which is very convenient for erasing in small and narrow spots.
A sand eraser is used to soften tone and bring
L.-.. ...:...__~----.:.. ...J out a sense of smoothness and dimness.
LI6HT BOHES
A light box illuminates the screen from beneath and makes it possible to draw object through the light from behind. If you have one, it's very useful.
25
PEN POINTS
Zebra, Nikko and Tachikawa are
well known nib manufacturers.
For drawing cartoon characters,
the G-pen and the Round-pen are most often used. Some cartoonists prefer to use the turnip pen (Kabura Pen) for the hardness of line it gives. Gillotts is an English make, and here are six different types, ranging from fine-pointed to the G-pen type.
They all draw very smoothly.
PENHOLDERS
The pen is something you hold for a long time and If you grip it strongly you may get callouses. When you buy a penholder, keep in mind that though penholders can hold any standard G-pen, turnip pen and school pen. the round pen requires its own exclusive holder.
26
ZEBRR
Round Pen School Pen Turnip Pen (Tama Pen)
NIKKO
Round Pen School Pen Turnip Pen G-Pen (Saji Pen)
TACHIKRWR
Round Pen Turnip Pen (Spoon Pen)
L- ~ 27
TA CHI K RWAS - P EN
You can get uniform vertical and horizontal lines with this pen.
It has a hard, direct touch.
TACH.KAWA ROUND PEN
This pen draws fine lines, of course, but it is also possible to draw relatively wide lines, and has a good feeling to it, close to that of the Zebra GPen.
28
NIKKO G-PEN
This pen has a very smooth and easy flow. It is suitable for drawing thicker rather than fine lines.
NIKKO ROUND PEN
You may feel it Is designed exclusively for drawing fine lines. It scratches the paper when drawing bold lines, and may require some getting used to.
ZEBRA 6-PEN
Both fine lines and thick lines can be drawn with this pen. Its soft touch produces soft lines. Many cartoonists use this pen, although you may feel a slight resistance in flow.
'Z£BRR ROUND PEN
Basically, this pen Is designed for drawing fine lines, although it is possible to draw bold lines. It may scratch the paper a little bit, but once you become used to it, it will give you very good results;
TRCHIKRWR TURNIP PEN
With this pen you can draw very uniform lines, and the feeling is very free flowing. A combination of both a fine point pen and a Rotring yet some touching is also possible.
NIKKO TURNIP PEN
The pen point has a yielding feel. The line drawn may be a little thicker than those drawn by Tachikawa but it has a similar feeling.
NIKKO SCHOOL PEN
ZEBRR TURNIP PEN
This turnip pen is designed to draw hard and even lines. You
may have some difficulty at first, but this pen is commonly used.
ZEBRR SCHOOL PEN
This pen point is a little bit softer This nib Is good for drawing fine
than Zebra. The lines are a little and hard touch lines. The School
bit bolder. Pen gives hard lines, whereras the round pen creates soft lines.
Each person has own preference in pen nlbs. Tryout different types of
pen points from different manufacturers in order to detennine what works best for you.
29
HOW TO WI PE OFF INK
INK
Some of the commonly used inks and Kaimei Bokuju (China Ink). Kalmei Bokuju does not dryas fast as Pilot, but there will be no problem if you keep a roll of
absorbant paper (toilet rolls work fine!) handy for blotting up excessive ink(See illustration).
Pilot ink for writing documents
is water-resistent, and used for drawing in color. Nowadays, many other good inks have also become available.
Dr. Martin'S, Line & Beta and Lettering Sol, out of the upper four inks in the photo, are water-resistent.
The strength of the black, including Cartoon Black, is much higher than Pilot or Kaimei Bokuju, and they provide a spotless finish.
(l) Place the roll of paper on (2) Roll it over once only. Do not (3) Do not reverse roll to avoid
the drawing. push down otherwise the lines spots. may smear.
WHITE INK· [ORRECTION FLU I 0
Correction flUid may be applied
to correct tone and copies, as long as It is not watery. It is not necessary to dissolve it in water, and it spreads well. Correction ink is convenient to have. Simple mistakes can be corrected.
30
FINE POINT PENS
Drawing cartoons does not require preciseness to the milimeter. Some cartoonists use fine point pens as they are easy to obtain and easy to maintain.
BRUSHES
Very slim brushes are recommended for white ink or correction fluid. Correcting can be very precise depending upon the brush used.
BRUSH PENS
Nowadays, brush pens are commonly used for black masking. For large areas, the brush pen on the right in the photo is more suitable. This pen wi II be also good for drawing highlights in hair.
The brush on the left feels more like a pen, more like drawing than painting.
31
RULERS
Basically, you should choose beveled rulers for lines, and rulers with measurements wUI be more convenient to use. You should have at least three different types of rulers: a 14cm ruler for fine work, a 30cm ruler for frame work, and a 40-S0cm type ruler for long perspectives.
Rulers with metal edges are also useful because you will not damage the ruler when using a cutter.
The pen should be positioned as in the left diagram, so that the ink does not come below the edge of the ruler When drawing with pens.
\
"Edge" means the beveled edge.
See the diagram on the right for the correct positioning of pencils.
32
CURUED RULERS
Be sure to use rulers with an ink edge when using curved rulers or templates. Round chip floating discs are used for preventing seepage you attach them to the back of the ruler, lifting it slightly from the paper.
FLEHIBLE RULERS
These rulers can be made Into any curve you want but they do not have an
edge; therefore, you must '___ ~-'-'----- __ --'-----,"'-'-'-___:'_-'-- --'-"--'----'--'-'--_~
use a fine nib with them.
TEMPLRTES
Oval and circle templates are very handy to have.
COMPRSSES
The type of compasses shown are very useful for not only drawing circles but also for use with a
33
No.1033(Letraset)
TONES
C-188(Letraset)
No.684(Letraset)
Nowadays, tone is indispensable for drawing cartoons. Make sure that the manuscript paper is free from dust and erase residue. If it sticks to the tone paper you won't be able to use it. The sheets are packed individually in clear plastic bags. They should be put back after use. This #61 refers
to Letraset #61 and tone of this dot size is called Screen-Tone. Letraset #684 looks like sand; therefore, it Is called sandy dot.
PORTFOLIOS
The portfolio Is a bag designed for carrying manuscript paper and leaves of tane, so
it protects your work even on
crowded trains.
34
No.61 (Letraset)
s-s 1 (Ie)
S-686(IC)
S-428(IC)
5-45 zoe:
Tone, dot-tone and gradation create half-tones from black to white. There
are also different types of tones such as tone for use in backgrounds and or for garments and other textures.
The cut and paste type is not the only kind of tone. Transfers are also available.
Which type you use will depend on the situation.
Instantex (Letraset)
35
TONE 600DS
Tone always comes with a cutter. You should start with a standard type. Cutter blades quickly wear out and become dull. As a result, it affects
on your work. Make sure to break off the blade edge as often as possible so that you have always a sharp blade. An art cutter is useful for special techniques. Standard cutters should be gripped the same way as you hold pencils. A Clear Mat is useful and protects your desk when placed under the manuscript paper when cutting and
Go ahead and draw the face of one of your original characters. As you do so, think. about the drawing and the shape.
Figure 1
You will see how flat the side of the human face Is when eye position and ear position are connected with lines.
FiQure 2
Also, if the ear posttton
is carried up by line,
you see it will intersect the center of the bisecting line of the head.
38
Figure 3
The human skull Is composed. of two parts, the upper portion of the skull and the lower jaw. These two get together and become one.
Check with the center line if the right and left side are balanced.
If you understand figures 1-3, you can draw simple, skeleta structure based
on that.
Often, people draw a circle and a crossing, see left.
when drawing a face. It simplifies the upper skull, head and upper face. (Figure 3)
You may just draw on the circle and the intersecting lines. However., if you want to get a Httle bit closer to the skeletal
structure, then use something like the diagram on the left as your base.
Ear positioning line
Eye and ear lines should be positioned a little bit lower, consideri.ng that you wi II add the lower jaw.
Eye and ear positlon
Side of plane of face
When you have drawn the basic skeletal structure, calculate where to draw the eyes, nose and mouth and draw them.
Lower jaw (see Figure 1)
nose
I wonder if the eyes should be positioned in the center of the center line.
As long as the basic skeletal structure and positioning of eyes, nose and mouth have been correctly placed, the proportions wil.1 not be affected by any change of angle.
39
Side and front views of basic skeletal structure
The hairline
Let's try to angle it
Now let's look at different angles. Think of adding glasses when deciding eye and ear PQsitiQning.
You see the vertical line from the ear.
The hairline
The standard distance between
the eyes is the end to end length of another eye.
Draw it and adjust later on. ~
Eye position
As the next step, draw positioning lines as in the diagram as if the entire face were the side of a box. Now angle the lines.
40
Faces with different angles
With different perspective, facial proportions will change accordingly.
Eye line
\
Eye line
First, partition the face into four squares, then draw the diagon~ls to find the center.
Assume that the eye position comes to the center. When the figure on the left is angled, you will get the figures below.
This is a figure seen from above and from below.
You will see that if you draw from near to far then the proportion of the forehead will become different.
The distance between eyes and brows becomes wider when looking up at the figure from below,and narrower all of a sudden when looking down from above because the brow is located a little bit ahead of eyes and the eyes are inset.
You do not have to formally draw out all the structures while drawing.
41
Some pattems do not require drawing a plane of the side of the face. By the way, the way that Mr. M draws is this.
HOW TO DRRW FRCES (Rppllcation]
When the basic skeletal structure and the position of eyes and nose is decided then adjust.the facial contours. There wi II be no problem as long as the skeletal structure of taee.ls drawn in accordance with the basic skeletal structure but if
not then adjust it in your own way r~~~\1~~~~-~~'T'1J!9:
This line basically needs to be lined on top of nose, but let's divide it in your
Try to think about the
basic skeletal structure
so that it matches with
the skeletal structure of each character and pattern.
The circle alone forms the basis of the entire fad al pattern.
Add the lower jaw and adjust the outline of the face.
Adjust the shape of the head such as the back of the head, etc.
The way Mr. M draws I can be applied to many other drawings.
How to draw skeletal structure differently.
By Yu Kinutani/Enix/G Fantasy/from "Lucky Racoon~
Just as in the cartoon by Mr. M many different skeletal structures can
.be obtained by just changing the lower jaw.
The jaw structure is very stalwart.
By Yu KinutanilMedia Works/Dengeki Comics EX/from "Angel Arm"
Draw the jaw a little bit longer.
Please pay attention to the position of the cheek bone.
As groundwork for the basic sphere, let's adjust the skeletal structure.
"Lucky Racoon"
43
FRCIRL EHPRESSION
The body part that shoos expression of the heart most is the face.
loud laughter
The louder the laugh, the more the heart is expressed. The mouth opens Wider and more voice wants to come forth.
44
Facial EHpression
When the expressions of the character are drawn vividly, your work will be impres-sive indeed.
Laughter Depending upon the degree of laughter, the eyes narrow,
Normal state
Emotionless Expression
Smile
When happy. the outside facial muscle loosens and eyebrow, eyes and mouth are drawn in a curved line.
~
IA~ 0 f-) 1'7'\
Uiolent anger ).\, J,!, Rnger ~-, Being upset "V
When very angry, the r\~.:;n Depending ~pon the degree When engry, the muscles ~ ~ ~
ends of the eyes lift ~ of anger, wnnkles show up bunch together Into the "''t/
up. in the middle of the face. center.
Crying loudly ~'CrYing -;:5:: ~ Sorrow ... ",,-
Whe.n c.rYing loudly, the The eyelids are pulled G;;f. -=~f) When sorro~ful. the 0(t~'jy:)
eyes may open but it by the muscles of ~ eyebrows will bend ~
depends on the emotional eyebrows. backward.
strength of the heart.
__,I /'\
-
Thinking
When you look at someon who is speaking while thinking, you see that their gaze Is averted.
TroubledQ This expression is similar to sorrow.
Surprise
With surprise, the eyes widen. A useful tip is to draw sweat in order to look like the way it should be.
45
Fright
When frightened, the face looks pale or tense.
Relief
The eye shape here is the main point.
Cry Smiling~ Draw a crying face but make the mouth smile.
Expression is composed of movements of eyebrows, eyes and mouth. Even in cases of deformation, you will be able to express what you want if you understand the basic shapes of those movements.
The difficulty of creating expression is that there are slight differences in even laughing dependirig on each situation.
By Yu KinutanilEnix/G Fantasy/from "Lucky Raccoon"
Study different ways of drawing expressions in cartoons by looking at your own face In the mirror and
see how to create expression yourself.
46
Studying how to position the eyes
The difference between adults and children
Please have a look at the drawings below. The proportions of eyes and nose are different between adults and children.
Basic partlt.ioning of the head
The eye brow Ii ne fa II s at 1 /2 in i ntancy, but the eye line position becomes higher with maturity.
Adult partitioning starts from age 16.
Don't miss ttle points
of skeletal structure that solidify during growing up.
47
Facial aupresstun at different ages
Let's look at the difference in expression at various ages.
By Yu Kinutani/Media Works/Dengeki Comics EX/from bAngel Arm"
r!'":'l:Ii~-----, The difference between girls and women is that you draw girls' eyes larger and use child's facial proportions on the other hand,when you draw the eyes narrower and the nose allttle longer, it looks. more adult.
Early twenties and up to 30 years old
In order to draw an aged face, you simply put
in wrinkles. Cheeks and jaws loosen downwards, and the skeleton starts to show through. Depending, on the age, you-may draw thinner hair or gray hair.
60 to 80 years old
48
By Yu Klnutani/Media Works/Dengeki Comics EX/from "Angel Arm"
The difference between men and women
By Yu Kinutani/Mlldia Work$/Dllngllki Co mica EX/from" Angel Arm"
There is almost no difference
in the facial construction between men and women, however,
you draw the woman's face a little bit smaller than the man's face, and the woman's eyes a little bit bigger, the mouth and
the nose a little bit smaller.
By drawing the mouth and nose a little bit smaller, the effect is more delicate and cute. In order to draw manliness, draw the mouth and nose a little bit larger.
49
DRnWING HHIR
l'
,,~--
Direction of
Wind
How to draw hair
You may want to draw floating hair,
as when the character moves or the wind blows. Movement can also create wind and floating hair.
A so-called head-wind is created from the direction the movement goes into.
Wind
movement
50
Hair moves and follows later the movement of the body.
Direction of movement
Please consider gravity.
Braiding hair
You may want to draw girls wearing braided hair.
Once you start drawlnq, however, you may have difficulty with the way it is braided at the back of the head.
Here are some examples for your reference.
51
Continued ...
how to draw hair
Here we try several kinds of hair highlights using a brush-pen and/or tone.
Brush Pen
Drawing highlights as if you were drawing hair strand by strand.
When you draw highlights, you should use tess than
1 mm of the brush pen tip.
®Start drawing over the rough copy, using a brush pen.
Sharpness is the key point.
<DThink about the hair movement when you want to draw highlights. and make a rough copy.
If your grip is not correct, you may not be able to draw lines well.
Mmmaahh
@ Move the brush pen with your index finger only. Keep your thumb fixed.
52
• Brush
Drawing the outline in blue ~II"!I""II'!""'I"'-:
A fine, broken-in brush with a rough tip gives the best results.
.~
Ccmpleted drawing
ill Draw first a rough cnpy including
the flow of hair. Then use the blue pencil, to draw the outline of the head. A light blue pencil doesn't show up in print if you use It gently.
® Now draw in the outline matching the touch with previous frames. later on, you can adjust it with
a pen or brush.
If you do not have a used brush, make one in these ways.
® Cover the image roughly with tone (use IC#63) then cut out the figure part. You roughly cover it because you can take it off immediately if you make a cutting mistake. Also, you can avoid cuttingadjaoent tone.
1
If you are using a new brush, dip it 'in India
ink and let it sit for a. while to roughen the tip.
Or you can wrap the brush tip with a tissue and squeeze with your thumb to make the end ragged.
When you USe India ink, make sure that you Just dip the tip in to draw.
53
Burn the tip of your finest (slimmest) brush ..
Be careful not to
bum the tip too much. About O.Smm is enough.
N.B. Use India ink or specialized ink only. other types of ink may damage the brush.
Tone (Cutting· Whitening)
Place the tone.
Draw the hair flow in blue before you start cutting.
How to hold the cutter
Use the blade tip to cut.
Hold the cutter in the same way you hold a pencil.
When you cut the tone, place a piece of paper on top of it,in order to avoid spoiling the tone or the white area when trif!1ming.
Basically, any type of paper can be used as long as It does not spoil the drawing but a semi-transparent paper may be convenient.
Draw a rough copy in blue and paint In white. (White liquid exclusively designed for drawing cartoons does not require an eraser, and if you .do not thin too much, you can use it on the tone and it will not lift.)
Replacing with white This means painting in white and replacing black' or other dark color with white.
Use the eraser before white liquid on the tone.
For clearer hair outlines, use this -technique afte r first painting the black.
54
If you make a mistake in white, use a brush pen to adjust it.
A shine in the eye can be drawn with white ltquld,
DEFORMATION
@I.'
How to draw d,eformations
Delicate angling of the face As you can see in the illustration,
even if drawing eyes is difficult
because of the angle ....
Cartoons are deformed sketches, and they need not reflect the reality.
As. long as they look good to the eye and or are interesting to see, then everything Is OK.
Diuiding the facial proportions
You may use the facial proportions of children even for adults for a cute look.
Why eyes are drawn large
You may draw eyes big not only because they leok cute but also because sometimes the character looks small depending upon the cut, yet you may still want to have the character stay as a.main player.
In drawing a cartoon taea, you are fre·e to draw whateuer you lilce
A face can be composed of only eyes and a mouth. As long as people can recognize it as a face, any shape is OK.
•
... you may draw the eye a little bit smaller (deformation) and it turns out weH.
Let's think about different deformations. Funny faces provide some of the most interesting aspects of cartoons.
55
""-I
SUMMRRY
Eyes looking up may often turn down at the outer corners.
< Eyes looking down
often lift up
at the outer corners.
The proportion of eyes and ears are usually decided by straight lines at an angle for drawing; therefore, we recommend to use straight lines even when the angle changes.
Just because professionals start drawing without guidllneS'or only simple guidelines do not mean you should also dispense with them.
Nobody can draw well and fast from scratch.
Some artists use curved lines to position the eyes
and ears, and decide the angling of the face.
Those who are accustomed to doing this wi II not have difficulty, but if not, the shape of the eyes may be affected by those curved lines and a different
character may be created as a result.
Some artists use three z~r~--t--~~~ lines to avoid a wandering
.........l\:-....:o...t-_-1r--+_J~~fleatures.
Be careful with the balancing of the eyes,and make sure they are not out of balance.
The professionals who can draw Without lines can do so only because of their great experience and the sheer volume of drawing they have accomplished.
CHAPTER 2
HOW TO DRAW BODIES
-'\
57
Body basics
The basic body is the skeletal structure and the nude. Aim to be able to sense the space of the body in trying to draw these basics.
By Yu Kinutan,i/Media Works/Dangeki ComicsEXJ 1C::::::..J!lJill~iilllli~~l,;.:;;~~W~~~:.:.:.:.J frnrn "Angel Arm"
Let's try to place the character in the box, using the bottom as the ground,
58
Let's find out about drawing a box based on the perspective drawing method. Itls not necessary to be precise as long,as it does not look strange.
The perspective
, method is illustrated below.
Vanishing point I
Horizontal line
Vanishing point
This is the two-point perspective method.
Let's look briefly at the skeletal structure and try to draw it.
A skeletal structure that moues smoothly
Try putting the shoulder muscle -~-.J on the shoulder.
Curved line of
Drawing the lower portion of the skeleton will make it possible to draw the natural movement of body, including how to turn the body and
where to put its weight etc. 2::::::7
59
Drawing in blocks
Just assume that joints and the abdomen are spheres,
and draw rough muscles in
the shape of blocks to speed
up drawing and to be able to feel the 3-D structure of body.
The male body
In blocks
Draw biceps roughly.
\
Make sure the block does not protrude.
collarbone is jointed.
Now you can really know the
deltoid and biceps. -
Pay special attention to where the shoulder is angled and now the shoulder is hidden by the angle.
If you cannot see the position of the other side of shoulder, lightly pencil in a 3-D box.
60
The female body in blocks
BloCKS are Just guidelines for your head. When you draw blocks, simply adjust them to your liking.
Look at the sides carefully,
The sides of men are usually drawn a little I.onger, while those of women are shorter and joint the hip almost directly from the sternum.
Those who are good at drawing also take note of the hidden parts.
61
Drawing mouements
The center line Is the gUideline for balancing the right and
left sides of the body I and there are two lines one each for the front and the back.
How to draw human body with the block method using the flow of the center line of the body and the curved line of movement.
Pay close attention to the movement of the waistline.
Place a center line on the visible side for a simple standing posture.
62
Imagine a center line that goes with the flow of movement as sometimes the center line on visible side may be shrunk because of the back being bent and so on.
movement
Using curved movement lines enables you to draw good posture and flow
in action cartoons.
[urued line of mouement
It will stabilize the drawing if
you draw frontal body parts a little
larger. j
Curved line of
63
DRRWING [OMPLEH ANGLES
Quite a number of postures can be
drawn using the block method but you may be able to do better if you use the skeletal method for more complex angles.
64
Draw in the
Your drawing will come easier if you consider the part of the backbone that comes from the skull.
STANDRRD HUMAN BODY STRUCTURE
I _1.
The position of the elbow when the arm is lifted
Here are changes and compositions
which are often forgotten using the standard human body as a model.
The correct joint structure of
collarbone and sternum
to its topmost position.
is positioned here.
The elbow position when the arms are lowered.
The crotch has a small gap through the thighs, when the .Iegs are closed.
When you cannot figure out the length of the arm When it is stretched horizontally, use as a guideline the length when it is raised.
When this length is
calculated, then .... ..
.. it will be easy to imagine
the length of this portion.
Another way is to measure the length of the deltoid, then add the same length of biceps plus the joint.
Do not draw crotches like this.
...._-------'
65
Let's look at the back
The skeletal structure of the shoulder blade.
When the body is bent to the side.
The same result will happen even if the body is bent backward or forward.
'\ -----.-
When you have a closer look at the shoulder blades you may realize they look like
a face.
Try to remember them by the face shown above.
The shoulder blades lift up when the shoulders are lifted up.
66
Let's look at the side
A guideline to standard hands and feet
The standard size of a hand Is one big enough cover the face with it.
I I (1
A length of the upper arm should be equal to one and a half the size of the head.
A length of the lower arm should be equal to twice the size of the
head when the fingers are straightened.
The shoulder may move back and forth a little.
When the body is bent down forward the shoulder position
will be pushed forward a little bit.
On the other hand,when the chest is bent backwards, then the shoulder position will also fall backward a little.
67
structure around the breast
is smaller than for that of men.
The biggest difference is the pelvis.
The woman's hipbone line reaches to the navel and the waistline comes above navel.
The position of the nipples is lower in women than in men.
The upper position of the hipbone reaches the navel line.
Men have the body shape of a triangle in reverse, while women have a wider hipped body shape just like a bowling pin.
68
,-
Proportions The proportion of the body is decided by the number of head lengths, so you should first ask yourself how many head lengths there are.
4
1
The size of the head becomes relatively bigger when dividing the same height body into a different number of head lengths.
2
5
Use 2-3 head lengths for a gag character.
7
8
9
2
10
J
Heroes are 9-10 Fashion models are head lengths tall. 7 -8 head lengths tall.
Use 6~ 7 head lengths for average adults. Use 5-6 head lengths for old people.
Use 3-4 head lengths for toddlers.
69
DRAW N6 HRNDS R'ND FEET
How to draw hands Let's draw fingers using blocks.
Look at the gap, with fingers both closed and opened. of this part.
The thumb can move
most freely of all the fingers.
Use this bone as a start up base and begin drawing the thumb.
----+--0
Put the finger block onto the back of the hand.
Make sure that the shape between the fingers is not drawn as a V.
-------
Think about the raised contours of the palm of the hand.
There is always a gap between fingers.
This portion rises when the thumb moves.
Start drawing the raised part of the thumb onto the top drawing.
70
When looking from the side, you will see the raised portion of the index and middle fingers.
The line is a little bit curved.
When looking at the hand from the outer edge side-on you will see three raised portions.
Always remember that muscle COVers the bone.
Pay attention to the finger webbing.
Do not forget to think in 3-D.
Also draw the hidden fingers.
~--+- The bones of the back of the hand should be considered as they spread out from the wrist.
71
Hands should look totally different depending upon how strongly the wrist is twisted and its angle. Sometimes you may not be able to work it out with just an image and theory.
In this case, look at your hand in the mirror and try to draw the theory out of the actual object.
72
Consider the movements of the hand.
Draw feet
Draw feet in blocks, the same way as you draw hands.
One way to deal with feet Is to pretend that the ankle is a sphere, then put a heel in the sphere and acid the other parts.
The back of the foot is similar to the sale of a shoe.
When you draw a foot that shows the instep, imagine
the back of the foot Is a shoe, then it will be easier to visualize.
73
HOW TO DRAW FOLDS IN CLOTHES
You will be doing OK ifit looks 3-~.
Let's look at how clothes fall.
Here are the basics.
Folds are not elastic. However, they are formed because of forces from different angles, movements and gravity, etc.
Each garment will drape differently depending upon the
material. 1==~~
Direction of Force
Even just a line for a wrinkle is a wrinkle.
If you want to ackl shadows to the folds, then think where the shade appears in the drape.
You can take it easy
in cartoons. Basically, if you just capture the feeling, then it's fine.
Loose folds
This fold, as the figure shows, appears when the fabric overlaps. Wrinkles gather
at the bent place.
Gravity causes this type of drape.
Folds created in a piece of cloth
o is hung up on nails. »:
Folds gather when the fabric is loose.
J, Gravity
Curtain The fabric is pulled down.
75
@ When you finished drawing in the black color and the lines with pen, lay down the tone #63 (darkness 30%).
Drawing a leather jaclcet
CD Fi rst , draw a rough copy in pencil to decide where to position the shadows ..
..
® Rub out with the cutter to create shine.
Application -
school uniform highlight
The light falls on the tops of the folds, so consider them carefully.
Basically, the 3-0 effect comes from how light and shadow are used.
You can rub off to create highlights and also create borders.
76
Highlighting using a sand eraser
___/
Adding highlights to body curves.
<D When using the sand eraser, place plenty of size of tone on top of the drawing and rub it off with the eraser directly.
® After highlighting start trimming the tone around the drawing.
77
WHAT ISSHHDOW IN MRNGA?
Two kinds of shadows There are two kinds of shadows in manqa, One is the result of sunlight or illumination light.
The other is shadow to create a 3-D effect.
Second, we will try to draw shadows with a mixture of
the two types, keeping in mind the direction of the fight.
Let's start those shadows first.
Light and shadow are the key points for creating 3-D.
With objects that cast shadows you need to consider the direction from whi.ch the light comes, otherwise
their use iiS irrelevant.
78
DEFORMATION OF THE BODY
What is a deformed body? Characters with short
\ 4~5 head lengths I (child style)
The most important point in manga
How does it look at first sight?' Interesting? Cool? Cute? Beautiful? As long as it looks good at a glance, it will be quite acceptable even if your sketch is actually.out of proportion.
I
d I
, !
It r s the body shape
head legnths are drawn
deformed into babies and children.
3 head lengths in gag cartoons.
(baby style) The length of arm for babies is as short as for 3-head-length characters.
Hands and elbows will be pesltloned the same as for adults.
The arms of deformed characters will also look natural by drawing the length based on the body.
A raised arm will look strange if you use the
adult arm length.
By Yu KinutanilMedia Works/Dengeki Comics EX/from "Angel Arm"
. 79
Continued ... What are deformed bodies?
Which figure do you think is more 3-dimensional?
Using perspective, near objects are drawn larger and those far away smaller.
When a fist is pushed forward, it looks like the Figure 1 in reality, but by deforming the perspective as in Figure 2, it will have greater dimensionality.
To create a sense of 3-D through deformation, draw the front larger and the near smaller. This is one of the basics of perspective. Objects drawn with some exaggeration is so called deformation, and it brings out a greater sense of space.
Figure 1 Far
Figure 2
Perspective represented by far and near can be used not only for persons or characters but also for background.
80
THE HHSICS OF DRnWIN6
What is sketching? Sketching means to draw the object in accordance with what you see.
When sketching you draw a rough copy first.
The rough copy is the base for the drawing to come.
When you draw a face, for example, you look at the entire facial balance and then decide the gUidelines for positioning
the skeletal structure, eyes and nose.
After finishing the rough copy, you work on the details. Making out the shape means drawing a rough copy.
If you start working on the details first, it will be difficult to look at
the entire balance, and you may take a tong time to adjust it.
It ts same for not only faces and bodies, but
This is the basis of drawing.
Is this Picasso or whatl
81
What is manga?
It means to sketch the image in your mind.
For all that, it is not so easy to sketch the image in your mind at first.
To some extent, you will have to study - theory and acquire knowledge.
Well, what do you have to do to be able to sketch
the image in
your mind?
Skeletal str.ucture, gravity. yadda yadda.
In addition to that, you will also need experience.
If you draw with some know1edge, you will see a big
difference compared to drawing without knowledge. And you will be able to visualize the image
more clearly.
82
Sketching nudes
You may not have a model for drawing, so look at photo collections, etc. and sketch.
Photo collection of postures
Draw a couple every day, keeping ln mind the skeletal structure.
It will not only make you understand the human body, it will also enable you to sketch better and increase your sense of space and dimensi oneil ty.
The basic set shows postures from above, middle and bottom at 360 degree angle ..
You will come to see what you could not see before.
83
SUMMARY
Please experiment yourself in various ways
based on the method introduced in ~----
Chapter 2 - how to draw human bodies in block.
By the way, if you want to draw M r A in block
he'll look like this.
Some people say
when drawing in block, it becomes all messy because the lines overlap each other.
Draw in blue pencil first, then use a black pencil to pick IIJJ1.lW'JAAH up the necessary lines.
Put in markings with a blue pencil.
\\\ \ ,\1' ... I. \,. , I;; Irl'r',J';#'
~- Be moderate in --;':;0 ~ your pressure. ~
How to check where
to adjust the illustration.
One of the ways to check which parts should be adjusted is to turn the manuscript over and look at it through the light.
Remarks
When drawing onto the manuscript, do not press too hard; draw rather softly and lightly. Basically, the blue
won't show up in the printing, but if it is pressed and drawn too hard, It may, and it will be difficult to erase it.
CHAPTER 3
DRAWING CHARACTERS
85
THE THREE MRJOR ELEMENTS OF MRNGH
What does the theme mean? The three major elements in drawing manga are THEME, STORY and CHARACTER.
What do you think of when it comes to the theme?
Love, freedom or peace?
Something like that?
Yeah,
I am a rea! Jr'=:~"" demon.
conquer evil? Does she want to have her lover requited? What does the protagonist want?
That ball belongs to the Hakkenshi, The Eight Dog Soldiers.
Ask yourself what the leading character wants to do.
What do you want to say?
Just narrate whatever
it is the leading character wants to be and do.
The story should proceed how the leading character sees and thinks. Telling the story through his/her eyes will keep the story on track and the plot coherent.
86
I like good-natured men.
What does story mean?
Power Mac?
What action would you take based 00 this theme,
if you were the character?
pC baad. "" \ 'l4ant a
UrQ\l,
':==~II~ Desktop type?
~ As an example, say you, the readers,
want a personal computer. At this stage, the theme of desire for a computer emerges.
Some might ask their parents tor it.
Some might start a part-time job.
Different actions
~L___ may be taken depending upon the personality
..-a.~~~~~~~~~~ and the character
P'" of the person.
If you went to
your parents for it, and were refused ....
character's theme, personality, individual
actions are taken that create a drama and you draw them into the story.
Also accidents happen in reality. You could include them too in consideration
a little bit.
You must follow the basics when creating a story.
The in trod ucti 0 n, development, climax and conclusion
What do these terms mean?
First, fit the theme of the leading character into its genre - he wants
the girl he likes to become his girlfriend. The genre is the so called love-come - short for Love Comedy.
It is a love manga with a touch of comedy.
I ntroduc.tion
At this stage, you introduce the reader to the manga world, set up the situation and location, begin the story there.
Let readers know who the leading character is at this start-up stage. This leading character is a man of large frame with a fierce-looking face, and everybody is scared of him.
However, this protagonist
has a strong aversion to dogs.
This leading character has someone he secretly likes.
Deuelopment
The story keeps develop.
Maybe this development is too abrupt.
At the introduction stage, you show the situation
and a certain degree of the personality of the leading character, including the issue "why he likes her".
However, she loves dogs and bulldogs best of all. Maybe she is not scared by his face.
88
Turning point
The story develops in different directions and at some point there will be reversal of events, and for a climax.
The leading character was rebuffed; however, he will confirm to act
In accordance with the theme. 6
There's the special training he formulated to overcome his fear of dogs.
If I don't make her my girl I'll never be able to get any girl, everl
Once again, he decides
to go see her.
Denouement
This is the stage when the results begin to play out, t.e. the conclusion. Something may change at the end or there happens a progress. .
Finally, he shows the result of his special training.
... ...,..,..",.;'~'7::::!~ We wish to see __:_'::;-=::;:._..."j efforts go rewarded.
-=~,;;:I
The leading character has become somewhat accustomed to dogs, but he is still scared basically. °
"games" so that readers can go away with a good impression.
89
The most important point when treating a story
You might have worked very hard to come up with a manga, but it will be in vain unless the story is understood by the readers.
The most important point in creating a story.therefore.ls to make it easy to understand. To do so, you have to make it easy to read ...
WHEN (time) WHERE (place) WHO
WHAT is done or being done
And you must make it dear how and why it turned out that. way.
What is happening now is related
to the past, and wi.1I affect conclusion.
Only she ls not scared of me. o
.'i Past (reason)
Future (conclusion)
Let's have readers understand them.
There are strll several other issues, such as composit.ion and so on, but on this page, we will only touch on the basic.
Who When(time) 5Ws Where(pl.ace) What(done) WhY(Why it turned out. so)
1 H HOW(What was done and how it turned out) Always remember the 5Ws and 1 H.
90
What is character?
The most important elements of manga are the characters. Both the theme and the past story are carried by the character.
The appeal lies in how interesting you make the personallty.the quirks,the failings
and the individuality.
What is important when deciding a character?
An Interesting work has above all, a strong main character, who lives vividly within the story. Even though readers may not remember the story the character lives on in them.
Keep these points
in mind.
have only one theme.
The theme is central.
Feature-length s e ri a I cartoons may have up to three themes and they may have further subplots,
but ...
One theme only for short pieces
Basic theme
91
Rntagonists and supporting casts are important!
Assuming that there Is a hero, as in the example.
But if it weren't for the villain, this hero would be ...
Some basic examples are:
When you draw a cold antagonist vs a passionate hero, their mutual personalities. coldheartedness and passion will each clearly bring out the other's character.
However, it will be a little difficult if the hero and the antihero have the same character, unless both of them have passion. When both of them have just ordinary characters, it wi II be difficult for them to playoff one another, and you run the risk of a story that just goes through the paces.
And one more example, this time of a love comedy.
If the leading boy and girl are both shy and cannot say around that they like the other, the story will not develop and there wi II be no sense
of character.
But if a rival with a positive presence shows up, it wi II bring out the characters of the protagonists, and as a result, the story will develop.
The antagonist and supporting cast are very important in creating and showcasing the leading character.
In manga, it is important to think about the personalities of characters. Even with theme alone, a story will follow. This is the secret fundamental to manga.
Individuality and personality are created from how the characters interact.
93
RCTUAL TONES
lie 62
*Printed at 86% reduction
94
LET'S [RERTE [HRR'RCTERS
Considering individuality and personality decide the genre first.
Then decide the look of the character and think about his profile.
Now start using your imagination.
Write down the traits of the AGE 16 if so, a student ¢ if so, the plot must be set at school.
character to bring out the CHARACTERISTICS Quarreling if so, strong body ~
interesting points, and likes to be active ~ if so,
illustrate the character In
different poses to realize be !JX)d at studying.
him more strongly. DISLIKES Studying/Dogs Aman with a fearsome face, likes
(Weak point) quarreling, is afraid of dogs.
This may be an interesting point to develop.
LIKES Special training If so, he applies special training
(Words or phrases etc.) to every occasion.
Personality like hot geyser dispenser ¢ blood type B7
Individual feature Large frame, fearsome face Very !JX)d. at picking a fight, hangs round with rowdies.
Sometimes you may imagine it from the other end and find the main character from the supporting characters. Needless to say,
you may also Imagine it first from the personal profile, etc.
Special ability:
LIKES Bulldogs,
~ nothing special
.", ordinarily.
Have her opposite number be sorecoe who does not like dogs?
\Nhen you come up with the central personalities in the story. think about the kind of antagonist you think will be able to play against them.
When you have come up with
that character f imagine and develop the story based on explanation or page
[What does story mean?] .
It's also a good idea to find and create a character from the people around you.
Also, try to look at yourself objectively.
It can be yourself. It can be a good idea
to deform the personalIty and individuality from observations on yourself or people around you.
96
Character created by the story
Some decide to draw cartoons because a story, set-up, incident, or interesting situation occurred to them.
In this case, jot down a rough outline of the incident and its cause in a notebook for the portion you want to describe.
You might come up with a wonderful scenario, or glamorous situation. Then, create a character suitable for that situation.
While you are developing the character, you may refine the plot again through the feelings of the character, inserting some lines as you go.
Go back to the
"What is story?" chapter.
Make up a plot. When you make
up a plot, then different thoughts will emerge.
If the manga you are working on is a short piece of 31 pages,
then you may want to create a
great protagonist using all 31 pages.
97
PRODUCIN6 THE CHARRCTER
The first impression comes mostly from the face.
For example, a person with droopy eyes or lifted eyes
will give different impressions.
Character with a strong will
In addition to physiognomy,the shape of the eyebrow and the height of the nose etc. all affect your impression. Now I put that concept to work and create some characters.
@ Image of a hard worker
@ Strength of wi II is most strongly represented by the eyebrows. They should be firm and the ends should lift up. @ Mouth is firmly closed; Reversed V shape
@ In case of girls, they may have short hair so that they can or maybe they tie up their.halr Into a bun.
The drawing right shows a supporting characters but his eyebrows and the impression of his mouth alone represent the. strength of his will.
98
Rather cool types
@ Cool types come in different kindsthere is the artistic type, the cruel type, the delicate type and the calm of noble pride type.
@ Narrow eyebrows feminize the character and give a sense of delicacy.
Manga Drawing For Beginners: How to Draw Manga Comics Male, Female Characters and Objects, Manga Drawing Art and Sketching, Pencil Drawing Techniques, Lessons and Exercises Guide
Draw Amazing Manga Characters: A Drawing Exercise Book for Beginners - Learn the Secrets of Japanese Illustrators (Learn 81 Poses; Over 850 illustrations)