Start To Draw Manga
The word manga is derived from the Japanese word for ‘comics’. Western society refers to the term ‘manga’ as being related to comics created in Japan and matches the style developed in Japan in the late 1800’s.
Japanese people of all ages read manga. There are many different varieties of work which include: action and adventure, sports, romance, science, fantasy and mystery. Much of the content comes from Japanese legends and often complete stories of Japanese history are portrayed. The style of drawing which can sometimes be very violent focuses on the day-in, day-out realities of life. Manga has now gained a substantial global audience with stories generally printed in black and white with some in full colour.
Manga stories are usually done in serials with a magazine format which presents a single episode and is then continued in the next issue. Successful series can be republished in paperback and even animated.
The first phase in drawing ‘anime style’ is just that – style. The artist needs to have an image of the character they wish to create and for what purpose. For instance, a magical schoolgirl will have varying facial structures and body proportions to that of a villain.
The anatomy is one of the more important aspects to learn when first starting out to draw manga. Animanga (both Anime and Manga) is very well known for the characters that have quite diverse hairstyles. They range from exotic to wild and have many, many colours. The characters are given distinct appearances however are always created with a generally western look.
In considering the eyes of these characters one must grasp the subtle difference of anime eyes and manga eyes. Anime characters have more slanted looking shapes and can be bigger than the manga eyes. Most of the time the eyes can help differentiate between characters and even show their attitude.
There are many ways to draw the face of a character but most begin with a round circle and a cross in it as the guide. The front view can be reasonably simple to draw, however one should concentrate on the side profile and the ¾ view as these do require considerable practice. This skill is worthwhile as the various face angles can depict moods and movements making the character alive.
Many people begin drawing with the concept that becoming an artist will just happen. Once the realisation is made that it takes a long time they become easily discouraged and especially so when their first drawings didn’t eventuate the way they would have liked. This is where the determination and true want shine through to become an artist.
A manga artist typically works with a few assistants in a small studio. This artist can create many pieces before using a creative editor to cull and fine tune the creations for the final product.