what if you want to learn how to draw anime and manga art? Tutorial

Starting your journey into drawing anime and manga can be both an exciting and challenging adventure. Given the variety of unique styles and characters, it’s clear why so many people desire to craft their anime or manga drawings. But where do you even begin if you’re just starting out? This article will walk you through the basic steps to start drawing anime and manga independently.

Learn to draw anime and manga on Medium.com

Step 1: Master the Fundamentals of Drawing

Before you dive into drawing anime and manga, it’s crucial to understand the basic principles of drawing. Even though anime and manga are stylized, having a strong grasp of basic drawing principles will help you improve faster. This includes understanding concepts such as perspective, proportions, and anatomy.

Practice Shapes and Forms

All drawings can be simplified into basic shapes. Whether it’s circles, squares, or triangles, being able to draw these forms well will serve as the foundation for all your future drawings. Make sure you practice sketching these shapes from different perspectives and angles.

This will help you understand how to create 3D objects on a 2D surface, which is essential when creating characters.

Step 2: Study Anime and Manga Styles

After you’ve become comfortable with basic drawing techniques, it’s time to start studying anime and manga-specific styles. Anime and manga have unique traits like exaggerated facial expressions, large eyes, and dynamic poses. Get familiar with these traits by reading manga or watching your favorite anime shows.

Deconstruct Your Favorite Characters

One good method for learning anime drawing is deconstructing your favorite characters into simple shapes and forms. Pick an anime or manga character you like and try drawing them using basic forms. This will give you a better understanding of how these characters are constructed.

After deconstructing, gradually build up the details like hair, clothes, and facial features. You’ll realize that even the most detailed characters start with basic forms and techniques.

Step 3: Learn How to Draw Anime Faces

A character’s face is one of the most important elements in anime and manga. It’s often the first thing people notice and can convey a wide range of emotions.

Focus on Eye Styles

One of the most distinguishing features of anime characters is their large, expressive eyes. Anime eyes come in many styles, from simple to incredibly detailed. Begin by practicing different eye shapes and experimenting with a variety of expressions.

Anime eyes are highly expressive and can convey emotions like happiness, sadness, or anger. Learning to draw these eyes will add a lot of life to your characters.

Work on Face Proportions

Anime faces often have different proportions than real-life human faces. Usually, the eyes are larger, while the nose and mouth are smaller. The head shape is often more exaggerated. Practice these proportions by sketching the face from various angles like front, side, and three-quarter views.

This will give you a well-rounded understanding of how to draw faces from any perspective.

Step 4: Practice Drawing Anime Bodies

Though faces are crucial, learning how to draw the body is just as important for creating lively characters. Anime bodies, like faces, often have exaggerated proportions. The limbs may be longer, and the characters may have more defined or stylized physiques.

Study Basic Anatomy

Even if anime bodies are not entirely realistic, it’s essential to understand basic human anatomy. Knowing basic anatomy helps create more convincing poses and gestures. Study how joints bend, muscles flex, and bodies move.

Once you understand anatomy, start experimenting with more exaggerated and stylized postures.

Step 5: Make Drawing a Daily Habit

To get better at drawing anime and manga, consistency is crucial. The more frequently you draw, the faster your skills will improve. Try to set aside at least 30 minutes to an hour each day for drawing.

By making drawing a daily habit, you’ll quickly see improvement in your skills. Keep a sketchbook with you at all times so that you can practice whenever inspiration strikes.

Join Online Art Communities

In addition to tutorials, joining online art communities can provide you with feedback and support. Websites like DeviantArt or Reddit’s art forums are filled with aspiring and professional artists willing to share tips.

You can stay motivated by sharing your art and watching others’ improvement too.