Learn to draw anime!

[Griffin]

my first book, and most likely the best if you dont want any nudity, or other things because you are weak * or if you just dont need it * was "Manga Mania" by erm....erm....Christopher Hart. He has since written "Mech Mania" and "Anime Mania" and Manga Mania - fantasy worlds. he has a flare for doing busty, showy girls, but other than that hes really a good teacher. also, the above titles save for the ones in quotes are guessed at.

[LorentzForce]

i second (or is it third) that you should keep drawing. i remember when i was in primary school i used to draw all sorts of weird stuff. therefore, dad bought me an industrial sized paper roll where i could draw as much as i want. seriously, that roll was something that people use to cut up and make crates (yes, crates) or drawing paper. you know, the partially clear ones... it rocked. it was something like 1.2m x 100m or something... huge

i don't think i filled it all, but i did about half of it. eventually the paper pile was so big and scrunched up that it had to be thrown away. aww... i could have drawn more... but at least it was good while it lasted.

i may still suck at drawing, but i know i got better by drawing a heck lot more

[zoupzuop2]

I really can't draw worth beans... or even just one! I have no clue about proportions (Thank the Lord I can draw sensible female characters without *ahem* overdrawing), and I hardly draw heads the right way! I've tried dozens of ways for the 3/4 view, and those are horrendous. I can at least barely consider drawing a somewhat sensible profile view, which still looks the same for each character. I also can't get the characters to look the same after 2 drawings. And my final rant... my eyes are never right, with a few exceptions, and if it's not the eyes that suck, it's the REST of the darn body!!!!!

[Kite]

Anybody know some good places online to buy manga supplies.

[mechana2015]

how to draw manga dot com has some good stuff

[inkhana]

http://akadotretail.com/shop/comictones.php

That place sells some supplies. I have another link, but I want to check it out before I give it out here. They have tons of screentones there.

[Kat]

Anybody know some good places online to buy manga supplies.

http://www.bluelinepro.com


They have manga paper as well as paper for American comics. Check out their catalog, they have a pretty good selection of stuff.

Also check out http://www.copicmarker.com/. This is the place to get the pens used by the Japanese to do covers, concept art, etc. Before computers, they used these with airbrushes for some gorgeous effects.

--Kathleen

[Fsiphskilm]

Oh I get my Copic

[Retten]

You ink by hand! how! 0_0 wow wish I could do that

[mechana2015]

I ink by hand..but then I fix all the issues I had with it in the computer...and do effects that way too. I just use a mechanical pencil for penciling and a gel roller ball a fountain pen and a single quill pen for inking, and I get 'em all at Staples and the college bookstore.

[Retten]

That's a brilliant idea I hadn't thought about fixing up any little errors I had with the ink on the computer I will have to try that!

[Yuna-Tairyl Kc]

Ink drawing's cool,
i have trouble controlling the ink and paint, i rather stick to pencil drawing,
I'm learning how to draw anime from a great website
http://polykarbon.com
how do you control inks and paints anyway?

[mechana2015]

Ummm... Inks and paints in real life? How are you having trouble controlling them?

[Yuna-Tairyl Kc]

i dun't really know, when i use inks for drawing and writing they seriously bleed in to the paper, and paints they turn a muddy colour

i rather stick with the thing i know how to do and thats pencil
unless theres ways to avoid these problems

[true_noir_chloe]

I'm not an artist, at all, I just hang out with them. And, I think perhaps the bleeding on the paper has to do with either the paper you're using, or you haven't learned how to handle the ink. It's like playing a stringed instrument, you have to hold the pens over the paper very delicately, applying pressure lightly. That's my two cents from hanging out with artists. I'm sure a real artist will come along soon and fill you in a bit more. ^_^

[mechana2015]

hmmm.. are you using a brush for the inks?
First of all, I agree with chloe. Paper makes a huge difference, and even the condition of the paper can make a difference of how it takes inks. I've discovered that if you abrade the surface of a quality paper, it may allow the ink to bleed. Quality paper will prevent bleeding depending on how well the ink is applied, and bleeding also can be lessioned (if you use pens) with a smaller pen or a lighter touch.

[skynes]

I'm a cheat. I use Flash for drawing. Usually I trace over a picture import it as a jpg to Paint Shop Pro where I mask it and colour it.

I've attached a Megaman pic as an example (my avatar is his face)
I took a screenshot of the Megaman X 5 intro. Pasted it into Flash and draw around it (not an easy feat, takes longer to do that than everything else combined)

After outlining - exported to Paint Shop Pro where it got maqued, cut up into layers then coloured/shaded.

What do u think?

[Kireihana]

Nice, Skynes! I use PSP too. ^_^

I'd like to suggest http://www.bakaneko.com for anime tutorials on males, females, adolescents, hands/feet, and CG coloring. The woman who runs it, Athey Nansel, is a great artist and you should definitely check out her art gallery. Her older tutorials aren't exceptionally stunning, but I learned techniques that have really helped me. The females are done tastefully (in my opinion) and the figure only goes as far as basic outlining... nothing detailed. Although I guess that would be more of a temptation to guys than it is for girls (or at least I hope so!) In my mind, like others have said I think the human body is beautiful and classic Renesseance (I know I spelled that wrong) art like Greek sculpture and the Sistine Ceiling are considered masterpieces. (In fact, the church at my school has a framed print of Adam and God from the Sistine Ceiling XD)

[Mangafanatic]

I can't draw very well at all, but one of my good friends can. It's sorta funny, since we were ten she's been bringing me her drawings and asking what I think Of her. I give her my "professional opinion" even thought I don't know diddly about drawing.

[Gypsy]

That's actually a really good, thing, Mangafanatic (I need to think up a good nick-name for you ). I know that after I've looked at my art for a long time (especially *while* drawing it) the picture seems to run together and I can't seem to get myself to give it a "fresh" look ... if that makes sense. So when that happens, I really value honest evaluations (as long as they're nice about it ... my pride bruises pretty easily ). You don't have to be able to draw in order to tell if dimensions, color combinations, and balance are good.

[Retten]

I know that after I've looked at my art for a long time (especially *while* drawing it) the picture seems to run together and I can't seem to get myself to give it a "fresh" look ... if that makes sense.

Yeah I know what you mean! Everything just seems to blend together and then my eyes start to burn if I stare reall hard So I have to go take a break and come back to it so I can see what needs to be fixed

[shooraijin]

> I took a screenshot of the Megaman X 5 intro. Pasted it into Flash and draw around it

Actually, that's something I use Flash MX a lot for, too.

[SwordSkill]

I'm an HTDM product...I've got six of them in my shelf and still hoping to buy more. And yeah, I learned mainly from them (even got the one in "Bodies and Anatomy," which I found very helpful); I'm not very eek-ish when it comes to nudity in studying art, I guess. ^^;; I think it's as basic and as natural as stringing words together when writing.

I also keep an eye when reading manga or watching anime. When I discover a good pose or some kind of POV I've never experimented with, I hit the PAUSE button immediately and draw it in the air.

I also have Brune Hogarth's Dynamic Figure Drawing which is rather technical (I'm not even sure if I can fully understand it, but it's a very good book). Just bought it yesterday. Would be pretty challenging to study it.

And I'm currently looking for a book called Perspective Without Pain which I would recommend to people who have problems with perspective (like me, lol). It's more suited for beginning cartoonists and comic-book artists than technical fine-arts students, but then I figured I'm not an art student anyway and creating my own little comics is probably the most I can do.

[Gypsy]

I also have Brune Hogarth's Dynamic Figure Drawing which is rather technical (I'm not even sure if I can fully understand it, but it's a very good book). Just bought it yesterday. Would be pretty challenging to study it.

Is that the one that goes into actual bone structures beneath the skin, as well as vein patterns?

And I'm currently looking for a book called Perspective Without Pain which I would recommend to people who have problems with perspective (like me, lol). It's more suited for beginning cartoonists and comic-book artists than technical fine-arts students, but then I figured I'm not an art student anyway and creating my own little comics is probably the most I can do.

Hmm, I should look this book up - I detest perspective excercises, but I can't draw flat forever.

[mechana2015]

Gotta look up both of those... I still need to learn some of the basics of anatomy and perspective. Any body got any good books on drawing structures (houses, office buildings... buildings in general)? I can't seem to fing a good one.

[SwordSkill]

Is that the one that goes into actual bone structures beneath the skin, as well as vein patterns?

I think that's Hogarth's Dynamic Anatomy book. Dynamic Figure places great importance in bone structure, but it assumes that you know about them already, and from that it launches to Hogarth's own theories about drawing the body in different perspectives. It's very theoretical...he's got reminders such as the legs being primary, the barrel chest secondary, and the shoulders being tertiary...quite frankly, I don't think I'm going to survive half the book. XD

Any body got any good books on drawing structures (houses, office buildings... buildings in general)?

Don't know any specifics, but there's usually a number in art sections in good bookstores. //squints// I really can't remember. But anyway, you can always go to architectural or interior designing books, otherwise.

[ThaKladd]

how to draw hands:
<snip>

it's not anime hands, but good help anyway...

think I'm going to use that page...

the other pages in the same book give help to all body parts

[ZiP]

uh, thakladd, have you noticed there are naked bodies all over that page?

[Archan]

Unfortunately Zip, for anyone who wishes to become an astounding artist and master the human body....nudity is gonna be an unfortunate hurdle every artist will have to go through. Unless you master how the human body functions and works, there will always be something wrong with an artist proportions.

However, there is a certain series of books that water down the nudity ro simplified geometric shapes, it's a book series by George B. Bridgman on just general things about the human body and form, as well as gesture drawing <------Another key thing for artist to master.

However, I would agree that the next time a link is posted continaing some nudity, a warning be issued.

God Bless,
Archan

[Dragon Master]

Um, a good book to start with is How to Draw Manga By Katy Coope, then get How to Draw More Manga By Katy Coope, I taught my self how to draw manga/anime people but those two books helped me a lot.