{ Alex Itsios: Game Dev & Writer }

 

  Unlike females, guys have flat chests (of course) and not much hip. Keep in mind guys stand differently from girls and their girls tend to be a part and do not curve inwards Drawing The Chest As an artist it's good to know the muscles underneathe the skin. maybe not all of them because there is a lot, but here are a few key muscles which make up the chest you should keep in mind. Body Types Did you ever wonder why in girl's manga there are only skinny guys? Well contrary to popular belief, girls who read manga tend to like guys who are tall and skinny (model like). Whereas in boy's manga, or action manga, you will find more muscular built guys. Keep this in mind when you draw male characters. There are always exceptions but if you compare manga you will see these traits are common!

  The female body is usually very delicate. Girls in anime stand a certain way to emphasize cuteness, with their feet facing slightly inwards. Drawing Breasts A slightly awkward subject, but yet one that must be explained as it apart of the female body. Breasts do come in different shapes and sizes. Unless you're drawing something extremely perverted like, ridiculous large breasts which are unrealistic because the weight would break your character's back. As an artist be aware of what is realistic and what is sexualized fantasy when drawing girls. Drawing The Butt This is also pandering to the sexunes sof the manga lady, but it is good to know how to draw the butt cheeks, when drawing a character from behind.

  Chibies are quite cute things, but remember there are a variety of ways to draw them. Don't confine yourself to a specific type.

  Dress for Success When dressing your characters, don't skip out on the details. Think about the details that will make them more convincing such as: Seam links Folds Buttons The Little Things Also avoid dressing characters in plain shirts and pants. If possible try experimenting with actual fashions of the day. Drawing Folds Folds are something you learn to do by observation, adn the amount of folds usually depends on style. However you should draw an ppropriate amount of fold lines to convey tension in clothes and cloth. Any place where the body bends there should be a fold line such as under the arms, knees and hips. How to Use Folds Fold in clothes are important so don't forget about them. You can use them to convey motion and make a pose appear more dynamic. Look at clothes people wear around you and observe the different lines you can make.

  All artist have this period where they can't find anything to draw, which is crazy because there is an infinite number of things out there waiting to be created. Don't let the artist block get the best of you for too long. Here are some things artists can do to find that insipration to create somethng and practice. Keywords to Jumpstart Ideas Even if you have the inspiration, but you still don't know where to start, here is a list of keywords to think about when coming up with a scene. In fact just close your eyes, point to something at random and do it.

Drawing Characters Together I encourage you to draw characters in the same scene. It make a drawing more interesting. When you do remember to check a few things to make sure they look good. Horizon Line If you are a daring artist and actually bother to do group scenes with a crowd in the background or just characters milling about, you need to know this trick. The horizon line, is the where the camera/eye is leveled with the scene, be it up near the head or near the feet. Observe the differences in these scenes. If you draw this line, no matter how far or close the characters are the line should cut through the same part of the body for all of them. Observe the differences in the example. Babies with Adults A very rare scene in manga art, but some artists like drawing adult characters with children or babies. Make sure not to under exaggerate the size of the baby. Too often i've seen proportions where teh baby's head is so tiny it looks like a still-born. Try avoid this and con...

  Brainstorming OCs (Original Characters) OCs are quite fun to brainstorm from your stories or just for fun. Here are some things to think about whilst making up your character. Age Not everyone should be the same age. Consider drawing older characters and children. Ethnicity/Culture There just isn't enought genuine diversity portrayed in manga, so consider that. Height Not all characters are the same height Fashion What do they like to wear. Flaws  A genuine flaw that holds them back. Avoid fake flaws that are insignifican. Backstory Really think out something special. Dont add fake dept such as killing off their parents. Everyone does this, it's a lazy way to force someone to have sympathy for your character. Personality Avoid the character stereotypes you want to mimick in your favorite manga or anime. Influences  Get into your character's head and consider why they are the way they are. Environment, friends, hobbies, etc. Character Stereotypes Character creation is a ...