How to Draw Anime and Manga Characters

How to Draw Anime and Manga Characters How to Draw Manga and Anime Characters ChaptersThe Different Styles of Manga and AnimeThe Different Types of CharacterTools for Drawing Manga CharactersHow to Draw Anime Anatomy and PosesHow To Draw Heads in Manga and AnimeEmotion in an Anime CartoonResources on How to Draw Anime and MangaThese days, many young artists find their way to art through comics and animated series. And the popularity of manga and anime has been steadily growing over the past twenty years.But what, you may ask, is anime/manga and what is the difference between the two?Both are different styles of drawing that come from Japan. They are to Japanese art what Franco-Belgian or American comics are to European art. Manga is the written form, similar to comic books. They are read from the right cover to the left - for us Europeans, “back to front” - and are often in greyscale, though some more elaborate albums are beautifully coloured. Anime designates an animated series drawn in the same style as manga comics. Many modern children’s animated ser ies are in the anime style - even Marvel comics!If you’re not certain what anime is, here are some well-known anime series and movies you might recognise:Pokémon, starring the yellow-and-black creature with the lightning tail, PikachuDragon Ball ZNarutoYugi-OhHowl’s Moving CastleGhost in the Shell (originally a manga and now a live-action film as well)Princess MononokeHere we will look at how to draw anime characters. This is a very basic tutorial - we won’t be touching on inking or colouring at all.here.The Different Types of CharacterAn interesting aspect of manga drawing techniques is that - at least in shojo and shonen - you can always tell the hero from the villain. Not from what they are wearing, but from the way they are drawn. When you learn how to draw manga characters, it’s important to know what side your figures are on.Male and female heroesTypically, heroes have large eyes. This is particularly exaggerated in the shojo and shonen style, where eyes can eat up al most half the face (we will be looking at eyes particularly). Even in josei and seinen, where the eyes are usually (though not always) more realistically drawn, a hero’s eyes will be rounder and more open than a villain’s.Heroes and heroines often have unusual hair. Manga hair can range from an unusual colour (pink, blue, orange…) to an extraordinary hairdo. (A standing joke is how to spot the main character in anime - it’s the one with the blue hair.) Again, this is more common in shojo, with shonen coming a close second, but more adult styles will generally find a way to make the hero or heroine’s hair more interesting than anyone else’s.An unusual aspect of manga girls are the pop-up boobs. While some are generously proportioned from the outset, other anime girls seem to have perfectly normal breasts - until they undress.In fantasy settings, elves always have overly long pointed ears that droop slightly.Bad boys, anti-heroes and villainsBad girls and villains will hav e closed eyes. Not that they keep their eyes closed, but all the lines in the eyes meet and the eyes are generally more narrow and pointed at the edges. A femme fatale will often have rounder eyes, but the eyelashes will be more emphasised and, again, the edges of the eyes will meet.This character might be an anti-hero or a villain - but he's definitely not the idealistic high.school student type of character. Photo credit: Troileh on Visual huntVillains often have interesting hair but in more elegant hairstyles. Bad boys often have long hair that falls into their eyes. If a villain has a similar hairstyle to the hero, it will be more squarely drawn, with fewer curves.Cute sidekicksNo, Disney doesn’t have the monopoly on sidekicks. From Pikachu in Pokemon to the pig Hawk in Seven Deadly Sins, cute talking animals are common in anime. However, they are mostly absent from adult mangas - or take the form of huge battle-tanks.Tools for Drawing Manga CharactersThere is no reason to pre fer paper over digital when drawing anime or manga. You can get prepared paper storyboards or templates for Photoshop or CorelDraw. If you are drawing digitally, make sure you have a good tablet - a higher-end Wacom, for example, though you don’t have to go for their professional line if you are just starting out.As a beginner, you will need:Paper.Pencil. It’s better to go for softer pencils that are easy to erase.Eraser. A kneadable eraser is best; try an electric eraser if you tend to make heavy lines.That’s it. As you advance, you will want to invest in good ink (Japan or India), brushes or ink pens, and Copic markers (Copic markers let you shade well, and give more of a Manga look than a coloured pencil). If you are digital, a good series of greyscale tools (such as Ben-Day dot brushes)  can be useful if you want to draw traditional manga comic books.Traditional manga comics are generally printed in greyscale. Photo credit: kenleewrites on Visualhuntlower arm is slightly l onger than the upper arm. The length from groin to knee is about the same as from knee to ankle.The female body in mangas has little to do with reality. Waists tend to be exaggerated, legs are endless, and we have mentioned the pop-up boob effect above.PosesThere are two ways to improve in drawing poses:Get really good at perspective, so you can draw the basic shapes in the right perspective from the outset.Use pictures. However, since manga poses are often quite unusual and exaggerated, it is hard to find just the right resource.Anime poses are often quite dramatic. There is are certain conventions for conveying certain emotions. Photo credit: wotupset_080803 on Visual huntPractice fluid movements by sketching stick figures in various poses - just lines with circles at the joints.A good way to practice the right perspective and foreshortening is copying panels from well-known mangas. As you progress, you will start using the right foreshortening on your own anime drawings automatic ally.How To Draw Heads in Manga and AnimeDrawing faces is an important part of learning how to draw anime. It is the most expressive part of the figure and in some styles also the largest.The shape of the headFor the basics of how to draw a manga face, we will only be looking at a front view. You will need to work with perspective to draw the face in other poses.First, draw a circle. Some people like to get the actual shape in right away, others prefer to set their markings first. The final shape will be slightly flattened on top and with a pointed chin for Shojo and Shonen; for a more realistic style of drawing anime see below.Then add a vertical line to divide the face into two halves. (If your character is shown looking to the side, the line will no longer be in the middle.) If you are drawing in the more adult style, extend the line a little beyond the bottom of the circle - this will be your chin line.Add a horizontal line to divide the face into equal top and bottom halves. Th is is where the top of the eyes go.About halfway between this line and the chin, draw another line: this is the bottom of the nose.The bottom of the eye will be nearer or further away from the nose line depending on the style of anime character you are drawing.Finally, the mouth line is about a third of the way between the nose line and the chin.This face is titled slightly away from the viewer. Print out the picture and draw  the proportion lines to see how they work in perspective. Photo credit: wotupset_080803 on VisualhuntAnime characters have rounded cheeks and pointed chins; more adult characters have longer faces, but rarely with a square jaw unless he’s a bad boy or a villain.How to draw manga eyesThough eyes are the most characteristic and expressive part of a manga head, they come in different types. Shojo and shonen have rounder eyes that are generally left open at the sides, or only closed on the outside.Other styles have eyes that are more oval, with a marked slope on either the inside (usually for a manga girl) or the outside (a manga boy). This said, the eyes are still generally bigger than in Western animation and comics.Villains and bad-boy secondary characters have narrow eyes that can be closed at the sides and smaller pupils.Girls have longer lashes; how many are shown depends on the type of anime girl:Innocent schoolgirl types will have a full set, drawn individually.Innocent women without the little girl vibe will have individual lashes mostly on the outside.Femmes Fatales will mostly have lashes on the outside, drawn with darker lines to appear fuller.Pupils tend to be large and are often used to express emotion, expanding to show joy and contracting to show fear.In manga the nose and mouth are very small. Manga eyes are large and usually only closed at the outer corners, if at all. Here the light reflections are further down because the eyes are shaded to express mystery. Photo credit: wotupset_080803 on Visual HuntOne thing that sets manga eyes apart is the light reflections - oval white areas within the eye. There are generally  two:One in the pupilOne in the irisThe one in the iris is almost always set along the top eyelid. The one in the pupil generally as well, but it can wander downwards slightly.Here you can see how light reflections are used in anime eyes (three of them, here). THe sparkles around the characters can also appear in the eyes themselves. Photo credit: CéROM on VisualhuntWhen learning how to draw anime eyes, it’s important to know how to work with additional light reflections to express emotion or a specific type of character:Villains might only have an iris reflection, or else a very small pupil reflection, giving their eyes a flat, cold look.Young girls in love will have up to six, not all of which need to be oval - stars are very popular for certain types of stories. More reflections make the eyes appear more innocent and “star-struck”.Adding reflections in certain patterns can hel p add emotion to anime eyes. Try and observe what your favourite manga artists do and integrate that knowledge when you practise how to draw eyes.The nose and mouthManga noses and mouths are fairly minimalistic.The nose is a single line between the eyes and a tilted oval where the bottom of the nose is. In profile, they can be rather pointed - stronger for men, while women have small button noses. Western characters in manga and anime often have bulbous noses.The mouth at rest is also a single line. Be careful not to make the mouth too wide - it should not extend further than the inside corners of the eyes.When surprised or angry, anime mouths more than triple in size. Photo credit: wotupset_080803 on Visualhunt.comThis is at rest, or showing sedate emotions, such as a small smile, a sad mouth or a grim mouth. For excessive emotions - the mouth can end up taking up most of the face if a character is yelling or crying.More and more 3D drawing technologies are used to transform 2D man ga into anime.Japanese manga and animes are also a great sources of inspiration to design cool logos.Manga hairWhen drawing manga, don’t forget to give the hair some personality. Manga and anime hair flows, bounces, fans out in the wind, stands up on end… It is an expression of the character’s personality and current emotions.Even when drawing realistic manga, when it comes to hairstyles, think big.Even when drawing short hair, try to use flowing lines; make zig-zag lines long rather than short.In short, manga hair is big even when it isn’t.When drawing shonen, shojo or chibi styles, think even bigger.This manga girl has a fairly normal hairstyle - yet it still conveys a lot of movement and character. Don't hesitate to imagine a breeze to showcase your character's brilliant hair! Photo credit: mangamissou on Visual HuntHair can simply be an exaggerated version of actual hairstyles, or it can be Yugi-Oh’s amazing lightning-bolt type hair. It can literally be any colour. Hav e fun with it!Many people use  mangas as a source of inspiration for designing cool tattoos.Emotion in an Anime CartoonThere are certain conventions for showing emotions in anime, and certain set facial expressions for a manga face. For example, fear is generally depicted by contracting the pupil, joyful expressions include closed eyes with the eyelids arched upwards and fists pressed just under the chin. Watch your favourite anime and manga to learn the conventions for specific expressions.There are certain conventions on how to express emotions in manga and anime. Closed eyes are associated with happy emotions, especially with girls. Photo credit: wotupset_080803 on Visual HuntResources on How to Draw Anime and MangaThis article cannot be more than a simple introduction on how to draw manga and anime. For some more tutorials, check out these websites:This one has the bare basics to get you started.Anime Outline has a series of tutorials on how to draw anime, some of them quite spe cific (such as how to draw anime glasses). It focuses mostly on the more youthful styles.Painter Artist has some helpful tips on how to draw manga.This iTune app called Manga University is fine for learning the basics, though you should look elsewhere if you want to progress, for example in the books by Tadashi Ozawa on “How to Draw Anime and Game Characters” or the 23 volumes of “How to Draw Manga” from the Society for the Study of Manga Techniques.Want to know more about drawing anime and manga? Why not take some manga drawing classes with one of our Superprof tutors?Find drawing lessons london.