Japanese comics (manga) and cartoons (anime) are a huge layer of culture with their own traditions and rules. Anime characters are easily recognizable, and millions of fans of this art direction are scattered around the world.

We will talk about how to draw manga and anime correctly and beautifully in a series of our lessons. In the first lesson, we will start with the very basics of drawing.

Movement is life

Anime and manga are impossible without dynamics. Each episode is characterized by a certain event and a certain movement. When you are going to draw your anime character, first of all think about what pose he should take in the drawing. Don't try to draw "from memory" or as you "see fit". Manga is not only (and far from always) big eyes, it is, first of all, a clear correspondence to the "real world". You will definitely need examples. Take similar images from other works, or use a large mirror in which to pose for yourself. Try different angles before moving on to the final sketch.

Basics of drawing. Create a hero figure

As you may know from the lesson "", the height of a person is on average seven and a half of his "heads". Because anime heroes are still some kind of heroes, then their height, as a rule, is 8 or more “heads”. Thus, our heroes are more expressive. The rest of the proportions of the body are identical to the proportions of a person.

At the first stage of drawing, we create only a mannequin of our future character, which looks more like an articulated doll than another lord of the elements.

From frame to overall structure

So, let's try to give more specific features to our character. For convenience, let's take the simplest pose. Designate the muscles, put small ovals at the articulation points. Please note that the wrists and the very bottom of the legs remained sticks. The torso is also not fastened to the legs.

Finishing the contours

Now we will finally form the contours of the body. Carefully draw slightly curved lines that completely form the image of our hero. The smoothness of the lines is extremely important. Any angles will create the effect of mechanicalness and unnaturalness.

Gum is our everything

Gently wipe all auxiliary lines. As you can see, we have a man. If you want to portray a woman, then in addition to a pronounced chest, you also need to make her wider hips and a thinner waist, giving her an hourglass shape. According to manga canon, women have narrower shoulders and slimmer necks. Often, a woman's legs are drawn in such a way as to further emphasize the hourglass shape.

So, wipe off all unnecessary details. Feel free to clean up the bumps. Our body is ready for detailing.

posing

The "stick-stick-cucumber" approach that we used in general and in this tutorial is a very convenient way for beginners to learn different poses and draw their characters correctly in the required position. Once you get comfortable with this articulated method, you can later draw characters by skipping this step. Practice drawing the various positions of the characters by drawing, for example, the figures as in the picture above.

In the following lessons, we will continue our step-by-step walkthrough of the basics of drawing anime and manga.

The Japanese style of drawing - anime - is very popular among adults and children. Many would like to master this technique.

A lot of manuals and tutorials have been released on this topic, aimed at achieving a single goal - to gradually teach a person to correctly draw, first with a pencil, then with paints.

Anime art originated in Japan in the late sixties of the last century and was originally used exclusively in animation.

With the introduction of modern technology, it became possible to quickly and easily create a computer graphic image, but there are still fans of the man-made genre.

Consider how to learn how to draw this or that drawing in anime style from scratch.

How to learn to draw in anime style from scratch?

A heavy and intricate drawing with a detailed analysis turns out to be quite simple.

To master the technique of Japanese drawing, you should be patient, show perseverance and, following the methodology in the manual, gradually master the implementation of anime from scratch.

First you need to prepare and familiarize yourself with some of the requirements given in the table below:

• His applied with a sharpened pencil, correctly shading.
• First stage- Drawing a contour. To do this, you can initially use a ruler or a student's notebook, making sketches in the cells.
• Selected the details of the picture are depicted close to each other, otherwise there will be no integrity.
• Hatching is performed at a minimum distance of lines, avoiding deviations from parallelism.
• Shadows Apply by rubbing the crumbled lead with toilet paper or a dry finger.
• Carefully work with an eraser, using only a soft one. It should be remembered that it is impossible to draw a beautiful pattern on a damaged paper surface.
• To remove extra strokes or reduce the shadows of the picture, use a special erasing mass that looks like plasticine.

  She can easily cope with the task. If you don't have one, you can use breadcrumbs.

Having familiarized ourselves with the main rules of anime technique, we proceed to the drawing itself. You should not immediately take on the implementation of a complex composition. You should always start with the simplest.

The main thing is to place your hand correctly and learn how to perform simple figures.

Gradually, an understanding of the drawing technique will come, a hand will fill up and it will be possible to try more complicated elements: fairy-tale characters (in full face or profile), nature, cars.

Lastly, having honed their skills, they begin to depict portraits of people. This is a very difficult task, especially if you want to express human emotions with a kiss, anger, joy and other feelings and states.

How to draw an anime face beautifully?

Beautifully depicting a person's face is not an easy task, but strictly adhering to the guide below, it will become simple and enjoyable.

Step-by-step instructions for drawing a human face:

1. compass draw a circle - this will be the head.
2. Received the circle is divided vertically in half.
3. Located center and a vertical marking center line is drawn.
4. Each the resulting vertical section is also divided by segments.
5. Total: three vertical lines. They are necessary to correctly draw the eyes, hair and forehead.
6. Let's get started to face painting.

   To do this, we need to extend our circle two-thirds down, drawing vertical lines on the lower segment on both sides to a height equal to the declared length.

   The middle vertical line should be extended to the end of the segment.

7. Received we divide the segments vertically: the first is the final lower point of the circle, the second is the end of the declared markup, in the middle is the axial one.
8. On these areas will be the nose and lips of a person.
9. Getting Started to face shapes. The type of character depends on how we display them.

   To do this, starting from the bottom horizontal line of the circle, we lay two vertical lines at an angle, converging at the bottom point of the middle vertical line, depicting the letter V.

10. Before, As you begin to draw the eyes, you need to make sure that they are evenly spaced on the face.

    The eyes may be wide open, or depicted as a curved line. There are countless options for depicting eyes, exactly as well as ways to perform.

11. In the bottom branch of the circle draw the nose. Its shape depends on which character we will portray. The main thing is to do it symmetrically to the central vertical axis.
12. Mouth and lips are applied strictly under the nose, without getting out of the resulting letter V.
13. Next cheeks are depicted in stages. It depends on how they are drawn whether the character will be thin or fat.

    They are performed symmetrically to the center line from the bottom corner to the beginning of the lines adjacent to the circle.

14. Ears character are located in the upper parts of the rectangle adjacent to the circle. They should be at eye level.
15. Let's get started to the hair. They should start from the intersection of the upper horizontal line with the middle vertical (axial).

    The hairstyle configuration is set depending on the type of character.

16. Necessary pay attention to the eyes by drawing the iris, pupils and highlights, if the drawing requires it.

Anime is the creation of the soul. How you place the lines relative to each other, which bend you prefer, depends on the type of the resulting face and character in general.

How to draw an anime girl in full growth in stages?

If you decide to draw an anime girl in full growth, it should be borne in mind that the drawing should have a resemblance to a living person.

Therefore, the following sequence must be followed:

• First draw the collar line along with the spine, shoulders and legs. Here you can immediately decide whether the picture will be in dynamics, and decide on the pose.
• Further the skeleton is sketched in thin lines - this is a schematic representation with circles at the locations of the joints and other parts of the body.
• Head. We draw it, as mentioned above. But you need to remember that the facial features in the figure should be expressive, the eyes should be large.
• Hair. Any hairstyle is chosen and performed according to the previously specified rules.
• schematic the image is outlined with real forms, but do not forget that girls have more grace than guys, so a slender waist and lush hips are displayed.

  Particular attention is paid to the chest - it should look as natural as possible.

• Selected clothes - it can be a beautiful dress or a slim suit, the choice is yours.
• limbs Girls are always thinner than men. It should be remembered that arms and legs cannot be perfectly even - bends must be made.
• Image stop and hands. Don't forget to highlight the elbow and wrist joints.
• Auxiliary the lines are erased - this is the completion of the work.

How to draw anime animals with a pencil?

Anime is a universal drawing technique. Having learned to depict one thing and having mastered the technique, you can draw anything.

It is especially interesting to teach children this technique using the example of drawing various fairy-tale characters and animals:

• wolf.
• Dogs.
• Pony.
• Angel.
• Foxes, etc.

Let's analyze this drawing technique with a simple pencil for beginners using the example of a cat:

• First you need to draw a large oval - this will be the head of the animal. It is marked according to the same principle as for a person, with auxiliary lines, with ears, eyes, nose, mouth.
• Next, a smaller oval is drawn, directly intersecting with a large one in the neck area - this is the body. Legs and tail come out.
• It must be remembered that the cat's eyes are large and are located symmetrically to the center line; in the middle of it, a little lower, a round nose is drawn, the ears are made beyond the upper border of the oval and have a pointed shape.
• It remains to decorate the resulting kitten with a luxurious mustache, fluffy hair, complementing the drawing with bright colors.

Any drawing, and especially anime, is an exciting pastime not only for children, but also for adults. Learn, draw and have fun.

Useful video

Most of us dream of having artistic talent, being able to depict different landscapes on paper or canvas. But recently, Anime has become very popular, they not only want to watch it, but also learn how to draw. Many people wonder how easy it is to learn how to draw anime with a pencil. Human abilities are limitless, you just need a little theory and go.

To learn how to draw anime

If you are thinking about how to draw a mango correctly, then you most likely know what it is. And yet, it is worth mentioning the involvement in what kind of art it belongs to. Anime is an abbreviated word for animation, that is, cartoon. Very popular in Asia and Western countries. The main difference between anime and cartoons is that for the most part, it is intended for an adult audience. A distinctive feature is the image of the characters themselves, their disproportionate appearance. The most prominent element is the huge eyes, special attention is paid to each particle during their depiction. The characters are always emotional, their mood is shown by all sorts of features on the face, additional non-natural pictures, for example, a drop of sweat, swollen veins, and so on. The main production of Anime takes place in Japan, where there are more than four hundred specialized studios.

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How to learn to draw anime from scratch

If you already have basic drawing skills, great, then in the future it will be generally easy. If you are a beginner and want to learn the basics of drawing Anime from scratch, that's fine too, it's quite achievable. In this genre, a wide variety of characters, and even very fantasy ones, take at least Pikachu. But for the first steps, you need to start with human forms, gradually moving on to more detailed sketches. In general, drawing all kinds of Anime is quite exciting, because there is where to turn around, it comes out in contrast, and especially with a pencil. It is not difficult to portray anime-style faces, the general rule applies here, the eyes are large, and the outline of the oval is approximate. Further, the clothes are always bright and varied.

How to learn to draw anime step by step

As with any image, you first need to outline the outline and outline of the picture. For a better understanding, let's take a step-by-step look at the images of one of the anime characters. Make a rectangle on paper for the head, below the neck, going down, two stripes of the shoulders. Starting from the left lane, take one down, this is a hand. On its edge, draw a circle - an elbow, continuing to draw a hand, use rectangles, simple lines. At the end of the right line, also draw a circle for the elbow, going from the line with the rectangle for the brush. And here we can begin to depict the clothes of our character, we will not focus on it yet.

Let's start the most interesting part of the characters - the face. Its shape is also approximate, to a rectangle that connects to a triangle. Make these two shapes, and then erase the line that formed after the joints. The result is an oval face, with a pointed chin, draw the final shape. Then, an arc is drawn on top of the face, the character will have a cap, ears, hair slightly pointed at the ends. Next, draw the legs, arms, erase the extra lines with an eraser. And we came to the detailing of the front part. Make a large shape, slightly elongated upwards, eyes, with large black pupils. Growth is small, just draw with an inverted triangle. Actually, it remains to paint the remaining details, shade and give more contrast. A simple pencil is suitable for this, make more bright shadows.

How to learn to draw anime with a pencil

Drawing with a pencil is always an entertaining activity; despite the plot, the drawings are slightly gothic, but no less beautiful than watercolors. In the anime, as already mentioned, all the characters are quite bright, there is a great emphasis on emotions, it is important to convey the character and mood. Let's break it down point by point:

1. For the most realistic image and to simplify it, draw the body in blocks. Change the angle and inclinations of the parts, in the future we will beat it with shadows. You can delve into fantasy and depict a non-real being, since in Anime there is no concept of strict realism.
2. Let's take everything for a beginner, an image of a schoolgirl girl. We draw circles that guide the curves of the position and the contour of the face.
3. We draw first the upper part of the eyes, then the lower one, you can use a slightly thinner pencil. Then an oval, using a pencil with a thicker neck.
4. Since we are depicting a girl, we will make the eyes more expressive, the pupils with highlights, and the arcs of the upper part, make them thicker, as if with eyeliner, and add three cilia to the upper arc.
5. The point of the nose, in anime it is most often depicted as being slightly prominent. Let's draw a laughing girl, the already familiar inverted triangle, but wider and more drawn to the chin. Teeth are usually not depicted, only the tongue.
6. Now shading the eyes with a pencil, shading the entire oval, leaving highlights, and highlighting the dark areas.
7. Hair in this genre is drawn angular, with sharp strands and reflections of light. To do this, shade them completely with a pencil, and walk in some places with an eraser. Well, the eyebrows are simple, ticked, in the form of a thin line.

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How to learn to draw an anime character

Having learned the basics of drawing anime, a human image, you probably also want to try to portray a fairy-tale character. The all-known Pokemon named Pikachu, a cute and kind animal from a popular comic book. So, we draw a good man:

1. We depict a figure similar to a mushroom, without a pronounced lid. We make more oval outlines.
2. We draw three circles in one in different sizes, these will be the eyes. We shade the one in the middle, it turns out a nice reflection.
3. The nose is slightly lower in the form of a small triangle, there are two circles on the cheeks, and the mouth is in the form of an inverted tick and a dog pulling down. Looks like he's getting excited.
4. His ears are slightly directed to the sides with black tips. And the tail is in the form of an elongated zigzag.
5. The paws are small, crossed on the tummy.
6. There is a resemblance to a well-fed squirrel.

While studying anime, you can delve into the variety of their styles, connect your imagination and maybe even come up with your own character.

Now many young people are interested in drawing in anime style. Let's try to figure it out together - what is it and how to draw it all right?

Step 1

Draw the chin and cheeks. Focus on drawing them on both sides the same. Although it may look simple, even the slightest mistake can make the drawing unattractive.

Step 2

Draw the neck. Notice how thin it is.

Step 3

Draw the nose and mouth. Most anime artists draw the nose and mouth VERY small. However, some do not, so decide for yourself.

Step 4

Add eyes. Notice how far apart and how close to the nose they are.

Step 5

Add eyebrows. Notice how much longer they are relative to the eyes.

Step 6

Add ears and you have created a face. Notice that I've added a hairline. Big head...
Please note: the corner of the ear is directed towards the eye.

View in 3/4.
About the average head size (for anime). She doesn't look very attractive until you add hair. Hair takes up such a large section in anime that it needs a separate tutorial.

The structure of the guy's face is different (in most cases). The faces of the guys are usually more elongated, the chin is more pronounced.

When drawing a guy's neck, you can draw it similar to a woman's neck (but usually only for young boys, including teenagers). Or, as shown, you can draw it more developed.

Side view
Man and woman - style 1
More realistic and more pronounced. Their noses do not end sharply. Their eyes are smaller. The chin of guys is more protruding than that of girls.

Man and woman - style 2
Their head is more round. Their eyes are bigger.
You can draw an almost straight line from the tip of the nose to the chin. (i.e. lips and chin are weakly expressed - approx. per.)


Common Facial Shading Methods
There are many ways to shade the face, here are a few.
Try to leave some space between the shadow and the nose.
Sometimes there are highlights above the cheek and on the lip.


eye drawing
Simple eye drawing
Step 1.

Draw a shape like this to make the white base of the eye.
It will only serve as a guide and you will erase it when you are done.

Step 2

From each corner, draw a line pointing outward, then connect them with an arc.

Step 3

After creating the arcs, paint over the resulting shapes.

Step 4

Add the shapes shown.

Step 5

Color in these shapes and sketch in the iris.
Erase the guide lines and you are done. Now you have a simple eye.


Drawing more complex eyes
Step 6

Continue from step 5, draw some eyelashes from the upper left corner of the eye.

Step 7

Creation of "soft" eyelashes.

Create"soft" eyelashes on both ends of the upper eyelid. See instructions above. (Instruction: draw lines very close together. At the end of each stroke, reduce pressure on your pencil (or XD tablet) to get soft ends.)
Step 8

Add small eyelashes to the lower eyelid.

Step 9

Add creases above the eyes and you've made the eyelids.

Remember that the eyelids are usually very thick and do not have a lot of eyelashes raised up like a real eye.
Drawing the iris and pupil
If you have a tablet, sketch out the iris (as in the eye above) and take advantage of the drawing program to create some really adorable anime eyes.
Since not everyone has a tablet, I will draw the iris and pupil as if with a pencil.
Step 1

Draw the base of the pupil half.

Step 2

Paint over, moving from a darker shade to a lighter one (along the gradient).

Step 3

Add shadows at the top and at the bottom.

Step 4

Some artists add a second ring.

Step 5

Add lots of highlights and you are done.
When observing in the galleries of professional anime artists, I noticed that almost all anime artists draw them from similar angles.

On a face looking straight at you, the eyes are sometimes placed at an angle (the arrows illustrate this angle).

A common misconception is that the more the face goes into a 3/4 turn, the further that eye will move towards the edge of the face. It is not right!
See the shapes that define the area with the eyes? Let me say that these lines are guidelines.
The larger the angle of rotation in relation to you, the smaller and narrower the guide lines will be (at the far end of the figure - approx. per.), But they do not change their position.


This is one of the few angles where you have to draw the eye on the edge of the face.

Drawing closed eyes.
If the eyes curve downward (like a U), then the character is sleeping, meditating (thinking), or in a peaceful state.
If the eyes are arched upward, then the character is very happy or smiling.

different eyes
Remember, you should not draw eyes "strictly according to the template". Get creative, mix and match different ways to create your own unique eyes.
Many anime-style eyes have a sloped upper lid:

Round eyes:

Cat or snake eyes:

Eyes used for zombies or hypnotized characters:

When drawing eyes with tears, make the drops big and draw the highlights/reflections in the eye more than you would normally do.

Side view of the eye.
Keep your distance. Pay attention to how far the eye is removed (from the bridge of the nose - approx. Per.).

Drawing noses and mouths
Mouths and noses (in anime) are usually quite small compared to the rest of the face. In anime-style pictures, the main focus is usually on the eyes.


drawing anime ears
Almost every anime artist draws ears in their own way. Draw creatively! Ears can be anything for different characters, so have fun.

Bangs drawing.
There are many ways to draw anime bangs.
This lesson divides bangs into two categories: bangs with a certain organization of the strands (hereinafter, for brevity, I will call them combed bangs - translator's note) and messy bangs.
Combed bangs.
Combed bangs are bangs that cover the entire forehead, and perhaps most commonly drawn bangs. However, there may be certain quirks when drawing them, as they are not straight.
Point and Guide Method.
Step 1.

This helps in creating the first guide lines. Create a dot or circle directly above the face.

Step 2

Create a guide curve. Outline the boundaries of the large strands of bangs. Note that all lines are directed towards the point.
Each strand of hair will follow the same curve as the guide.

Step 3

Start sketching each strand.
Remember to keep the sequence of bends and draw strands in the direction of the point.

Step 4

Finish sketching the bangs.
Note that the middle strand serves as a way to mark the middle. Strands of bangs on both sides of the middle strand are bent in different directions.

Step 5

Clean up your sketch or outline the strands.

You can also add more bangs.

The point and guide method used above was also used for this illustration. The point was placed much higher to make the strands less curved.

Side view
Step 1.

This is the same guiding principle used in the Point and Guide Method. The only difference is that it is rotated.

Step 2

Start sketching each strand. Draw curves where the guide line bends, and make the end of the strand where the guide stops.

Step 3

Erase the guides and lines that shouldn't be visible. Remember to adapt the guide and change it to suit your character's personality.

If you draw strands by picking a point on another strand and going from there, your bangs will probably look like this. The strands are likely to be deformed and further separated, and will give the same effect as shown in the picture on the right. Drawing in this manner is best used for spiky hair.

By painting the strands in their entirety and then going back and erasing so that they are not visible, you can get straight strands that look combed, as shown here.

Bangs don't always have to be V-shaped. By changing the look of the tips, you can get completely different images.

Step 1. Draw a straight line and give it a curve near the tip.
Step 2. Draw a straight line (or it can have a curve that suits you).
Step 3 Add some thin strands here and there.

Step 1. Draw two lines.
Step 2. Make additions that look like two ends or strands, then connect them.
Step 3 Add some thinner bangs to give it more variety.

V-shape Hair. Eyes.
Hair can become a problem when it obscures important features of a character, especially the eyes. Although the following methods are not realistic, they are often used as alternatives.
Method 1

Finish the bangs before they begin to fit over the eyes. This is the most common of the commonly used techniques.

Method 2

Draw the eyes over the hair.

Method 3

Draw the hair over the eyes, but make the outlines of the eyes visible.

messy bangs
Messy bangs... well... messy. They may or may not follow a particular pattern, and they are usually divided into sections that may point in completely different directions.
Guide points Guide points (like the point in the Point and Guide Method) should help you keep your bangs under control.
STEP 1 There are countless options, but it helps to try different bangs and hairstyles.

Drawing hair attached to the head above the forehead

Wedges on the hairline should be aligned with the line of facial symmetry.

Remember that the hair is not glued to the head. They have volume even when pulled back.
Hair detailing isn't just about how many lines you add or how many strands of bangs you add to allow you to convey a character's personality. Many details can be added with shadows and highlights.

Each time you draw a head, you need to start with a circle and intersecting lines through the center. This part is always the same, and the rest of the face is built depending on the desired type (style). Next, we'll take a look at a few different face types in anime.

In all these drawings, it's not just that "the eyes get bigger." They get bigger, of course, but the nose and mouth don't change either.

realistic type

This type of facial construction is so close to true human anatomy that it almost does not look like an anime style. On a real human face, the eyes are much smaller, and the nose and mouth are much more prominent. The ears are at eye level.

cartoon type

We reach the extreme range here, but do not exceed the limit. This style is more suited to the genre of romance (shojo), where expressive eyes are what you need. Looking closely at the sketch on the left, you will find that the eyebrows are very high on this head.

Very cartoon type

With this approach, the enlarged eyes lead to a different relationship with the rest of the facial features, and the ears are now aligned with the nose.I can't express in words how important it is to repeat this balance if you want to paint in this style. Anime and manga fans are a picky bunch. If you draw the proportions wrong, they will see it and let you know!

a little cartoony

You can see this facial construction in the manga when the hero is action oriented. The eyes become larger, while the nose and mouth become less detailed. However, the distance between the eyes and the tip of the nose is still quite close to real anatomy.