How to Draw Anime and Manga for Beginners!

Creating a character in the general anime and magna subject means paying attention to the general style that characterizes anime and manga. This means clean lines of varying width and concetration, emphasis on facial expressions, and emphasis on the overall form of the body.

Most people only look at the final piece of artwork in order to attempt to create their own characters. This works for some, but only frustrates others. It is important to not only look at the finished project, but understand the steps and phases a character goes through to get there.

In the human body, the skeleton creates a framework for the body, and gives it its shape and stability. Drawing a basic skeleton for your character will essentially do the same thing. It gives you the framework from which to build your character and gives you a definite pose to work from. Most anime drawing guides suggest this step as you starting point!

There are a large number of ways to build the framework. One way is to draw a simple series of lines that represent the arms, legs, and torso. A second way is to use ovals. The head is represented by an oval, and the arms, legs, and torso can be drawn in head-sized ovals, which ultimately helps with scale.

Your character's facial expressions will ultimately depict the mood of your artwork orr panel. Thus, making the facial features the right dimensions are extremely important.

In general, manga characters' eyes tend to be the largest and most expressive part of the character itself. The ultimate trick is to balance the eyes with the other facial features to enhance the look and mood of your character. The facial structure itself is also important, as it can, along with the other facial features, suggest the age of your character. The Manga Style is particularly unique in this category!

The general trend in manga hair is BIG! Think Yu-Gi-Oh.

The hair style is critical in defying who (or what) your character is. Different hair styles may be appropriate for males and females, and the type of character that you are creating. Think of it this way: If you are trying to create a swordsman, you would most likely choose a different hairstyle than if your character was a business woman!

Anime hair is one of the most major noticable characteristics of your Anime Characters! Make sure that the hairstyle you give your character matches his/her personality!

Like hair, eyes, and the overall pose of your character, the body shape and clothing ultimately complete your character's look.

Legs generally tend to be exaggerated in female characters, while muscle tone is a bigger for male characters. Clothing must also work with the type of character that you are creating. It is also important to keep in mind how the character, clothes and all, will work within the space that you have made. Clothing can either complete or destroy the look of the artwork and the balance of the character and space.