MANGA Vol.3 Unforgettable CharactersPurpose of This Book “Morita, could you draw the figure appearing in this photo in your own, personal style?” Do you mean so that it reflects the figure's physical appearance? Or do you mean so that it conveys the character of the individual in the photo?" Morita \Wnen you draw a character, do you find yourself automatically drawing one that you have drawn many times before? Or do you pause and first clarify your goal and intentions with respect to the character before drawing? Most artists have probably found themselves at some point starting off planning to draw an “impressive” character, but then becoming absorbed in the superficial appearance ofthe various body parts and other details, resulting in an aver-drawn character that lacks focus. This results from artists forgetting their original plan somewhere along the drawing process, the information to be conveyed becoming distorted, and the artist adding too much extraneous information. ‘Sketching as an art form concerned with the quality and volume of information requires three skils: ski in communication, skill in composition, and skil in visual portrayal. The artist taps into these three skills while carrying outa clear plan. ‘Manga sketching, which goes one step further, involves the skill of making the fantastic saem plausible It ‘also involves skils in determining the quality of te information to be conveyed and how much of it to ‘convey. These last two skills form the focus ofthis book HOW TO DRAW MANGA: Sketching Manga-Style Vol. 3 Unforgettable Characters by Hikaru Hayashi Copyright © 2007 Hikaru Hayashi Copyright © 2007 Graphic-sha Publishing Co.,Ltd. This book was first designed and published in 2007 by Graphio-sha Publishing Co.,Ltd. This English edition was published in 2007 by Graphic-sha Publishing Co.,Ltd 1-14-17 Kudan-kita, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0073, Japan. Cover Art Kazuaki Morita Original Cover Design: Shigo Yamaguchi Design Office Editor: ‘Motofumi Nakanishi (Graphic-sha Publishing Co., Lid.) English Edition Layout Shinichi Ishioka English Transiation: Lingua franca, nc. (http://www lingua-franca.cojp) Publishing coordinator: Michiko Yasu (Graphic-sha Publishing Co.,Ltd.) Project management: Kumiko Sakamoto (Graphic-sha Publishing Co., Ltd) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior writen permission of the publisher First printing: Octorber 2007 ISBN: 978-4-7661-1822-3 Printed and bound in China by Everbest Printing Co.,Ltd.Table of Contents Sketches Are Planned ............ Chapter 1: Drawing Faces in Any Direction. Close-up Compositions as drawn by Kazuaki Morita .. Mastering a Face in 3/4 View. . Mastering Faces Composed at Low and High Angles Practice Composing Faces from a Wide Assortment of Angles Chapter 2: Kazuaki Morita’s Dojo of Sketching. Experimenting with Manga Sketching 1~6..... Developing a Single Character: Tricks in Making a Character Identifiable. Chapter 3: Mastering How to Draw a Dynamic Figure Studying the Neck and Shoulders through Close-ups 4 7 8 oN 18 28 29 30 68 69 oT Studying the Torso and Arms through Medium Close-Shots.... 86 Studying the Hips and Legs through Full-Figure Compositions Chapter 4: Portraying Emotions through the Body and Facial Expression ... “The Nitty-Gritty of Planned Sketching”... Profiles of Takehiko Matsumoto and Kazuaki Morita... 98 wel 112 127 Chapter 5: Bringing Your Own Style to Each Composition ........ eee IQ The Manga Draft Production Process... 130 ‘Actual Manga Production : 134 Color Based on the Planned Design... se 60 Revealing the Character’s Personality through the COStUME ......mnnnnnnnnnnnnnns 170 Eleven Artists, Each with a Different Vision 178 This is the cutting | edge of sketchingSketches Are Planned When a sketch is created, what to draw, how to convey the subject, and other “planned” factors always go into the composition. Even doodles contain some planning, no matter how lightweight. Keeping all that in mind, the question still remains of how to put such planned factors into pictorial form in order to make a sketch more appealing. Contrast in Volume of Information a> < SS Standing This ilustrates the character's hairstyle, face, costume, and other physical traits. However, it communicates nothing further than the physical. Posed This was drawn with the intention of incorporating elements of movement while projecting a vivacious, energetic atmosphere. Yet, this too seems lacking,Quality and Volume of Information to Convey The 3 elements that make a character more appealing are the face (facial expression), movement, and costume. Improving your sketching skills and sketching by maintaining awareness of these three elements and drawing with care will enhance the quality of the information conveyed as well as increase its volume, “Drawing with care” does not mean merely drawing slowly and striving to achieve beautifully executed strokes. t ‘means paying attention to specific parts as well as the overall figure. For example, in the case of the face, it refers to ‘considering the direction of the gaze or the degree to which the mouth should be ‘open. Likewise, when designing the pose ‘or costume, it means showing ‘consideration to many other factors, such as the skeletal structure and musculature (body contours), fabric texture, crease volume, etc. Returning to the topic of what to convey, in order to improve both the quality and volume of the information contained in your artwork, you must consider to what depth you should portray the three ‘elements when yau sketch, “lett that the costume was very important when | drew this character. | wondered what the clothes would end Up looking like when I crew her. That was what primariy beckoned my concern. For example, i | drew the blouse with a more snug fi, then she would come across even more attractive when she took off the jacket. Her eyebrows play a key role in the ‘overall facial expression. | made them stand out just alittle. Positioning them / at a moderate distance from the eyes j | projected a brighter, more cheerful | mood, ‘To portray movement, | added curves lines to her hair to emphasize the sense of flowing locks. | gave the skirt a soft, supple appearance and exaggerated the ripping in the fabric.” Figure Proportioning Study y Morita ‘Artwork by Kazuaki MoritaGoing the Distance with Planned Sketching Surely this is the ultimate pose for portraying an energetic, bubbly personality. “The only thing | visualize when | think of the word “energetic” is a spread out form with the legs open wide. “Bubbly” makes me visualize a figure looking ‘upward. The facial expression should also convey cheerfulness. | would never visualize a downcast gaze, In that sense, it seems that having the reader visualizing the face even when iti not actually drawn is essential to drawing attention tothe figure’s overall movement. The figue's overall pose hints atthe ‘expression on the face The torso was what actually interested me most ‘compositionally. Of her costume, the clothing worn on her torso displays the most tension. The costume ‘almost seemed like the main character. | composed the figure from a moderately high angle. Consequently, foreshortened the torso when I drew it. Curved strokes wrapping around the hips evoke the ‘sense that the torso isa three-dimensional, cylindrical, ‘object. | also had to consider the positions of the jacket's lapels, the position of her chest, the deepness ‘of the neckline, and the spatial relationship between the clothing and the body's various parts as! drew. ‘The type of conceptualzation | descrie (.e. capturing the relationship between the clathing and the body underneath when drawing) will allow you to draw Clothing on a character in any pose, even one that is Artwork by Kazuaki Morita ‘Somewhat dificult.” MoritaChapter 1 Drawing Faces in Any DirectionClose-up Compositions as drawn by Kazuaki Morita The talented Kazuaki Morita, who many readers know from the ‘Sketching Manga-Style series, drew the close-up shown below. Faces in 3/4 view often appear in rough sketches, doodles, and manga however, the neck and everything below is typically omitted in these contexts. To learn the basics of drawing the face, start by sketching a close-up of the face and body (limited to the neck and shoulders). Composing a Face ‘Adal line ‘al ine eyes C ence te re euenensumar Treen fort ent ao Sinus uhagecde et Somes The axial tne is realy atne that divides the right and let sides of the face and describes the face's silhouette in profile. From a front view, tis line passes through the face's center. The body as well as has an axial tne Draw an X acrass an oval using a vertical (axial) and a horizontal bisecting line, Then sketch the face's silhouette contours. ‘The neck i vital when drawing face in 9/4 view. Sketch a layout of the ear in order to establish where to postion the top ofthe neck, i ® Ss brew he os and mth ag the : aia Ine \ Aer drawing the eyebrows, add the ear, while checking the overall composition. ® Draw the neck extending from underneath the ea, while maintaining awareness that it connects tothe back of the head@ Establish the postion ofthe right shoulder while checking the right-to-left proportioning. Sketch a layout of the neck ‘and upper body so that it captures the positional relationships between the body parts, Shoulder contour layout ® S Draw a layout ofthe shoulder contour so that the right and left shoulders lie parallel to one another. The shoulde's wil become foreshortened from a 3/4 perspective, so shorten the contour line connecting the shoulder tothe neck. Diagram ofa face and torso in 3/4 view ‘The axial ine ofthe face and torso shit ) “A ‘al ine of the torso Drawing the chest gives clearer form tothe torso. Adda few sketchy strokes unt you are able to determine where to position the underarm and sie ofthe torso, A bs closer to the direction in which the figure _ is facing, Be aware that the axial lines ® canst the border between what fs! The treats contours shifted more cenraly The Gavcles andthe shoulders aac, Make an ‘he foreground and whats far rom the tnan the cin and constutes a key effort to ensure thatthe shoulders pestoned so Dicture plane, and take care to compose ogmpostional element in portraying a 2/4 view. that the shoulder and clavicle appear to attach in the sketch so tha the subject appears ‘natural fshion thre-dimensional) 15° 45° This is the angle typically used A this angle, the reader has a sense of At this angle, the face appears When drawing a face tured away which direction the character faces. almost in profile. from the picture plane, ‘Angles at Which to Compose the Face Ditterences in Axial Line Placement \ x | \ Near) i ( 15 (Most popular angle) 10.0 Facing forward) { Sit the axial ine according to the angle desired Common Uses Faces composed at 15° appear as if they are ‘From a 45° angle, the direction the character ‘The 70° angle causes the bridge of the nose to almost facing forward. It shows off the face's _—_faces becomes obvious tothe reader, making it obscure the far eye. This composition is highly Proportions wel, making it optimal for showing _effectve for dramatizing the portrayal of a scene, dramatic and is used to portray emotional states ‘the reader the character's face. in a cinematic manner. 14Key Points in Composition Note How the Face and the Rear ofthe Head Note How the Ear (Change in Appearance Note How the Eyes Change in Changes in Appearance ‘Appearance \c The eye appears in its most common form. \ The ear appears long and narrow, aa ‘Now the eye has become taller and narrower. 45° 7 ‘The ear has become wider, To achieve a more realistic rendition, show the eyeball ‘When composing the sketch, draw the outline of ‘the eye that the nose bridge will obscure in the suing. final compasiton ‘The ear appears virtually \ the same as it would in : a perfect profile view. Part ofthe eye becomes covered by the nose bridge, Giving the eye a narrow, long shape. 15The Sketching Process 18 \ \ Thee covers the exon | covert he Draw the axial line slightly off Draw the far J Nes ‘of the head. mee ‘eye on the ~ Sia site 45° / Wake th free ( smal whe j Sites / taller and narrower Lo \ than toi \ a. ao | normally appear Draw the axial line, being conscious of where it would ie ‘me nner comer of ine eye and the bridge of if you were to draw the ead the noes le vitully facing forward or tuned ata 15" 3 te sae contour angle. 70° The back ofthe head _/ comes into view, causing the head to change shape. - ‘low the nose to { extend beyond the cheeks exterior Draw the aval ine lose contour. to the exterior (sithouete) contour. ‘The gap between the ‘chin and the neck makes the head appear tobe a three- ‘imensional sol. 16Contrast between a Head Turned at 15° and a Head Composed at a Front View — Te eves appear virtually the same, but the ears are diferent. Use an oblong elipse ‘The ear appears wider pests eee) forthe irises. at this angle. Be sure virtually a perfect the auricles interior is dificult to include the auricie's Circe from the front. to see without a close-up. interior. Contrast between a Head Turned at 70° and a Head Composed in Profile ™#e2"8 appear virtual the same in bth views; However, the eyes andthe ise take on trent ‘The lips do not break past the The lps’ cheek’s exterior shapes are contours. clearly evident to the reader Theiises take one ears somewhat ofa narrower Now the rs hasan Draw the ear at slant an oblong shape, pearance than it doesn perfect profile, _exaggertedlynarow shapeMastering Faces Composed at Low and High Angles ESE Becoming competent at composing heads at both low and high angles will tremendously expand the variety of faces you are able to draw. - Slightly low and high angles are often casually mixed Moderate Low and High Angles together with eye-level angles of composition. To produce them, simply draw the horizontal guideline with a subtle curve. The various features do not require much modification. However, do take careful note of three particular areas: the top and back of the head, the ears, and the neck. Drawing a Slightly Upward Arcing Curve to Produce a Drawing a Slightly Downward Arcing Curve to Produce { Moderate Low Angle ‘a Moderate High Angle ee comes into view, and | > an ana tne forthe top ofthe head must be added From an eye-level angle, the horizontal, | guideline is straight wf Ad a ite extra : Do not show a gap tistance between the-——> | | between the chin and ——> IN chin andthe torso. the torso \ / e-m4 / \ A \ A \ \ From an yee \ \ anole, te ers ‘ \ Vy, almost aligned with h the eyes. Position the ear N Position the ear sign lower than sight higher es than the eyes. 18Key Points in the Sketching Process Moderate Low Angle \ \ or First, draw an oval with an X, Next, sketch the layouts ofthe neck and 3 ‘Ad the ear, taking care to position it ‘ving the horizontal line an torso, Draw a layout ofthe face's exterior lower than the eyes Upward curve. contours while adjusting the chin's form, Haine layout Draw the lacy headband so that it echoes the curve of the head, This denotes the choker collar's layout. Even if the neck does not have any accessories, you should stil raw a curved line (tipse) on the neck to capture the neck as a three-dimensional form as well as Identity the direction it faces. 4 or ne tsar atest it ‘Add the hair and other details to finish, 19Moderate High Angle ya | wessnmmserscre owmmee weer wpstn beer, 3 anbeupatbck ta eatin wactamaysamoree £ tamagogoe gms bi Papen ences tho re sem eapege sree _- To produce the hair's layout, draw a curved ine that echoes the head's layout 4 sine ne ince nn ne ‘head's layout and the hair's layout. \\\ Adjust the proportion occupied by the teraecrng oe elie Arwen et ete ce, Bsa me mar ars ta tas trishHead Composed at a Moderate Low Angle ‘This is how the figure appears when both the head and body are composed {rom a low angle. This is the standard pairing witha low-angle head Head Composed at a Moderate High Angle This shows both the head ‘and body are composed from high angle. Effects of Combing the Head with the Body \ {4} J [\ \) { \f ! | L Now, the body is compose from an ey-level angle. The character projects a sont stronger impression than she would it her head were likewise composed fram an eye-tvel ange “This shows the body composed from a high angle. The impression the Character project isthe most striking ofthe three "Now, the body is composed form an eye-level angle. The chin appears to be tucked in, / \ Y When the body is composed from alow angle, the reader has the sense that the characteris moving toward him/her. 2: Exaggerating the curve ofthe horizontal guideline will Dramatic Low and High Angles result ina low or high angle composition with a heightened sense of three-dimensionality Looking up: Low Angles Display /—Ths tne denotes the center ofthe head's side. \ | \— draw an upward 7 arcing curve sightly high of center. Layout ofthe Head and Torso / ~ Draw the hair's exterior contour close to the . head. The lower eyelid should describe acu that follows the upward are of| the face Undersides of the Nose and Jaw as Triangles. \ / | Draw the ear just bind the jaw line, Underside ofthe nose Underside ofthe jaw 2Key Points in the Sketching Process e | Draw an oval with anX at an oblique angle Draw the jaw as it carving away atthe ‘head's initaly round layout ‘Adjust the contour lines to achieve the Adjust the contour tines and draw the facil features and desired head shape, the hair to finish Ref.: Head in Front View ‘The forehead becomes narrower, ‘The distance between A Z eyebrows shortens. Head wth X Head with ear and The eyes become more layout jaw layout ‘almond-shaped. ‘The ears drop in (| | while the earobes:—/ Ao the facia features’ forms and | anpear age. vertical dltanes between faci | beta features change when composed | eae from a low angle. The same changes HH ire were take place when composing a head in | || the head meets 24 vow (tuned tan ange) tena 23Looking Down: High Angles Hide the Nostrils / V-shaped Nose { This technique is effective for making a ‘character come across 7 as “cute.” \ \ Draw a sightly oblong oval Z \ with an X. Next, draw the - | asset 2% pees apy seed nate tetova pi fete pepotony be fou tm cop ewe mee, “a Omit a contour \ defining the J nse’ bridge Nose with a Defined Bridge Use this style of nose to create ‘characters with wel: defined facial features. To produce the oval + X layout, draw the horizontal line atthe same locaton it would appear on a head ‘composed at @ 70? angle, giving the horizontal tine & ‘downward curve igh angle compositions ae rarely limited to just the nead, so add a layout of the body as wellV-shaped Nose Ts shows an almost straight-on, 15° angled composi. ——— These curves indicate winere | ‘the bridge ofthe nose begins. TE \ \ ‘The eyelids thickness becomes ‘evident when viewed from a high angle, so use two tines for the eyelid contour. wy ~E Contrast with a Face in ProfileTorso Note the differences between the contour starting atthe nose ‘and tracing to the lps a well as the changes in appearance of the eyes and ears A shadow was added undemeath the jaw to-make the face in profile appear three- dimensional ~ ‘ \ wey ‘ ‘Start with a layout for \ ahead composes at 2 \ rane In the case ofthe low angle head, give the eyes along and narrow shape while drawing the earlobe onthe large side,Practice Composing Faces from a Wide Assortment of Angles Draw an oval with an X initially in order to compose it facing just about any angle imaginable.Starting with drawing an oval + X layout makes composing faces at any angle practically trouble-free, regardless of how dramatic the angle. AP ‘The head was initially drawn at 45% and then recomposed at a ‘ow angleChapter 2 _ Kazuaki Morita’s _ Dojo of Sketching poUsing the Same Character Experimenting with Manga Sketching This section covers how to use common angles of composition to make a character appealing. Our target character for this exercise is a girl with short hair and a cheerful personality. Let’ start with a close-up turned slightly askew from a { 1 } Close-up front view. This view is used to show the character's face and is commonly adopted when introducing a character to the reader for the first time. ‘The head's layout consists ofa roughly sketched circle ——The head to be ‘composed vitally faces forward, so the axial tne is almost perfectly centered. "Atists often draw close-ups, which tend not to display much movement, as a means of capturing a character inthe inital stage of a work of manga. The artists may use such a This horizontal close-up to introduce a character tothe guideline establishes reader, or may use the close-up as a point of the postions ofthe ‘departure for composing views ofthe eyes and ears, character from other angles.” To procuce the heads layout, ist draw an oval with ‘an X inside and then roughly sketch the contours of the facial features, Drawing a Layout of the Face and Upper Body Sketch a layout of the upper body up Estabish the ear's to approximately positon, and then wals-ievel, determine where to place the eyes, nse, i “The sketch and mouth. large ! iis and pupil creates demonstrates the impression of a - awareness ofthe = bubbly personality. t torso's axial ine, - Draw the neck’s contour underneath where jaw and the ear meet Use an abiong form for the torso. 30This character has bags that concentrate toward Marta dew plenty of har round her cheeks. { the font of her head, A the bangs are portrayed This makes her face looknarower, accentuating | using sweeping, arched strokes that curl inward her lrg eyes. toward the axial tne the lines defining the har ‘alone sufficiently evoke a sense of three- dimensionality. ‘After drawing the arms, add the har. Use curved lines that adhere tothe head when portraying straight hai. Use the axial nes of the head ‘and torso to estabish the direction the character faces. ‘Add the back hair that brushes the neck to fnish the rough sketch 3Adjusting the Lines to Clean up the Forms Carefuly lay one sketched line over another until you ative ata definitive, primary tne. Do not merely trace the shape already drawn. Draw the eyebrows, double-checking to ensure The manner in which the cheeks swell and the ‘Add stokes to build the desied form that their roats or the arcs they describe are not chin's extent of angulaty affect the impression thrown off kite. the character projects. Take the utmast of care when drawing these features. YA pet . /| _ | sy —_ y t / Ina dose-up, the neck can give the reader @ This isnot ntnded tobe a muscular character Ang the clavicle makes the upper body seem sense ofthe character’ buld as a whale, so take Consequenty,anaturaly Towing, cured ine was slid and three-dmensional tetra care when craving the contour running used fo the upper arm's contour {om the neck tothe shoulder. ‘Adjusting the direction in which the head faces or the shoulders’ angles | Le [allows you to heighten the sense of | movement, However, you must be able | to portray a common pose correctly | if you plan on showing movement in \ an effective manner When drawing the breasts, take note of how the sizes and shapes differ from left to right and from which point they begin to swell. 32; In this section, we will draw the full figure ofthe character Full-Figure Compositions featured in the close-up of the previous section. Full-figure compositions of a character standing are used to introduce that character or to make an impression on the reader. Take extra care not to draw a bolt-uprigh, stiff figure Drawing a Layout of a Full Figure / When sketching the layout of a Draw an oval + X layout forthe head, full figure, try to use a | and sketch the shoulders’ layout. proportioning of 70% figure to Remain aware of how wide the torso 30% joints. / should be, asi attaches tothe shoulders, \ x y x y x : Draw the arms while double-checking the : appearance ofthe torso. In a standing pose here the body is straight through the hips, the ‘wrists donot fll below the groin, andthe Imagining thatthe characteris standing elbows le around wais-lvel ina sinuous, $-curve pose, draw the tors0's layout at an oblique angle, The torso extends from the shoulder tothe groin, Use the head's length as a ‘measurement guide for establishing where to position the groin 34~ ~ Use curved lines to define the knees as wel, Both the torso and the legs are ctindrical, so Draw ac leg up tothe knee while visualizing use a curved line for the layout defining where how the legs are positioned. the legs attach to the torso. 1 5 t Vento tats Ae ory poston et of eon totes ddd te cre stt om he es deer alee Separtwen fone oman be reno et Perratebitaes | ‘The leg stepping forward should terest ey tor he 1 head. This wil make the figure \ 35Reinforcing the Figure’s Contours Rather than merely tracing the lines you have already drawn, be conscious of adding strokes that build the figure asa three-cimensional object. Next, sketch the legs, adjusting the contour where the legs meet the torso, ‘Start with the torso which has a large surface ‘area, Take note of the positions of the chest and hips as you draw, i Draw the thigh up tothe knee. Draw the rest ofthe tigh’s contours, following the basic rues of cylinder sketching discussed above KY The rues of| ovlnder sketching also apply when drawing arms, / Reinforce the contour where the arm attaches to the torso, maintaining awareness of how the top ofthe arm should appear. Ths is to capture the full igure as a silhouette when sketching the head. 36 Basic Rules of Cylinder Sketching The arms, legs, and torso are cylinders. Oraw their exterior contours asf they are two curves facing one another, such as illustrated by arrows ‘And B inthe figure above.Drawing the Head and the Face, and Adjusting the Figure’s Contours Overall Draw the full figure, capturing it in sihovette form. eS ‘Add the facial features, using the horizontal ‘uideline as reference, Produce a careful outine ofthe head. ‘Sketch the hairs sihouete, while careful taking Sketch general, large areas fist and then ‘note of the figure’s proportioning When drawing the proceed to smaller, more detaled parts. ‘same character repeatedly, sketch the character fist in silhouette, This will rest in a sketch that preserves the proper impression for that character. ‘Begin to clean up the forms ofthe neck, shoulders, and other body vo Maintain awareness of how the figure should appear as a solid ‘and follow the rules of cylinder sketching when drawing the lines ofthe final sketch, 37Completing the Head and the Body This stage is aint inking when creating a werk of manga. Lets take lok at al of the steps ives ‘Adjust the contours ofthe face.Pay careful attention to the width of each toe Draw the iris and pupil ast. You have now finished round one ofthe sketch. / crn hen eke exten care wth Y/ the sketch | oti find areas that didn’t come out the way intended or just elly mistakes “hie ie why | fel ie important also to look at the sketch from ‘the fp side or to take a break from the eketch before coming back and ooking it over again. ——_/ 1m a more objective perspective. / This shows the sketch fom the reverse side “ Looking at the reverse side allows you to check — for areas inthe sketching or in the proportioning that need tweaking from an objective perspective. 39