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Pluvias .

Ever wanted to learn how to draw anime characters yet don't know where to start? If so, then this is the course for you.

Things to note:

Read more

Ever wanted to learn how to draw anime characters yet don't know where to start? If so, then this is the course for you.

Things to note:

  • This is a drawing course only, coloring is not included. I explain the methods I follow in my own drawing style
  • You don't need any drawing software/app or tablet, all you need is a paper and a pencil. But you can definitely draw digitally if you prefer that
  • The lessons are done on PaintTool Sai just for the sake of explanation, none of the software's features are used
  • To get the most of this course, it is a must to apply the lessons and practice drawing continuously.

Topics covered:

All lessons cover both male and female characters:

  • Facial features
  • Head from different views
  • Hair with various hairstyles
  • Hands and feet
  • Body and poses
  • Clothes and shoes
  • Facial Expressions
  • Brief introduction to chibis
  • General drawing advices and tips
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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Draw full body anime characters with basic poses
  • Use designdoll software for creating models with any pose
  • Draw chibis (miniature characters)

Syllabus

Introduction

Welcome to this course!

Here are a few points to note before you start

Drawing the Face and Head

We will first start with the eye of a female.

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Now we will draw the male eye. Similar steps to the female eye with very little difference.

Finally, we will draw closed eyes both upwards and downwards.

  • The closed upwards eye is used to indicate smiling.
  • The closed downwards eye is used for a sleeping character or one deeply in thought.

 We will learn how to draw the very simple nose, in addition to the smiling and laughing mouth.

Now we will learn how to draw the face. We will start by drawing the symmetric front view for a girl.

And here is the front view for a guy.

We will go back to the earlier-drawn girl face and add hair to it.

Similarly, we will draw the guy's hair.

Here we will learn how to draw the face from a different angle, the three-quarter or 3/4 view.

We will draw both the girl and guy in this view.

The last thing to learn in this section is the side view. It might look hard and intimidating at first, yet it's much simpler to draw than it seems!

Drawing The Full Body

Before learning how to draw the hands, it is important to pay attention to several points concerning the anatomy of the hand. By keeping these in your mind, drawing hands will become easier to understand.

Now we will learn how to draw the hand by applying the points we have discussed in the previous lecture.

In this lecture we will draw a variety of hand poses.

Drawing feet is much simpler than hands. We are going to learn here how to draw the most useful and frequent feet poses.

We are going to learn how to draw the female body by making use of simple shapes. In the following lecture we will cover four different views: Front view, 3/4 view, side view, and lastly, back view.

We will draw the male body in a similar approach. The following lecture also explains the four different views: Front view, 3/4, side, and back view.

Since the characters we will draw will definitely not be standing stiffly, we need to practice drawing poses. The pose of the character plays an important role in conveying the personality and mood.

We have so far learned drawing the bodies by using simple shapes. Understanding poses will be simpler as we will use the same shapes but with varying their sizes and angles.

We will draw 4 different poses in this lecture.

DesignDoll is one of the best tools that help the artist in getting a precise reference for the pose in their mind. With this software you can make any pose you want by controlling the doll (or multiple dolls) and changing its posture.

This lecture offers a general explanation about using the DesignDoll software and its useful features. After that, a pose will be created then used as a reference for drawing.

DesignDoll is compatible with Windows operating system. I am not sure whether it's compatible with iOS since the website does not mention anything regarding that.

Download DesignDoll: http://terawell.net/terawell/?page_id=56

Doll-Atelier: http://doll-a.net/terawell/

Clothing

Clothing and fashion come in many variations, especially for girls. Girls wear different kinds of tops and bottoms as well as dresses, and much more. We will go over some of common fashion items here.

Let's start with tops!

Next is some bottoms; skirts and pants!

Finally, dresses! Many girls like wearing dresses, don't they?

We're going to draw four different looks for the guy as well!

Let's start with tops again.

And now, bottoms.

And to conclude this section, we will learn how to draw shoes; flat and high-heels!

Extras

Learning how to draw facial expressions is of great importance as they are what helps convey the characters emotions, especially when it comes to drawing comics and manga.

In this lecture, we will draw facial expressions that convey some of the common basic emotions.

Hairstyle is of the most important factors of a character design. You may have noticed that most anime (or manga) characters maintain the same hairstyle throughout the series, or do very slight changes such that you can still tell that the character is the same.

This, in addition to the colors of the hair and eye as well as the design of the outfit are what contribute to the character design, and make the character unique in its own way.

Females have plenty of variations when it comes to hairstyles, much more than males, since a female can have a short, medium, or long hair (Well, a male can have that too, but it's not as common). As well as the different ways the hair can be styled.

This lecture introduces four different hairstyles for girls.

You can play around with a male's hairstyle as well, but with less freedom than that of a female, since most males have a short hair.

We are going to draw some different hairstyles for the guy. But don't forget that you can come up with much more variations if you want!

Chibis or little characters are a lovely version that makes the characters look cuter, since we draw them in an extremely unrealistic small size that resembles that of a toddler. But in the end, when it comes to anime (and manga), everything is possible, so why not?

Drawing chibis is actually a form of art itself. It is a broad world, and some artists choose to be specifically just chibi artists. That's why we will talk about it here in a simple and brief way.

We will draw a chibi with a basic pose and another random one.

As I have previously mentioned, we as artists are always in need to observe the world around us, or any thing that helps us draw better and more realistically. Which is why using references when drawing is not a bad thing at all, but rather, it is extremely important so that we get inspiration and improve our skills.

I will mention here some of the references that I use frequently, they help a lot!

Here are the references I mentioned in the video, as well as the keywords I used in searching.

1. Google Images:

Keywords: poses, hands

2. DesignDoll Software

3. Pinterest Website:

Keywords: anime body tutorial, anime hair tutorial, anime eyes tutorial, anime chibi tutorial

4. YouTube Channels:

  • My Channel: Pluvias: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCz6JQHAU1um2_w31udtQ7Sw

  • Ayasal: https://www.youtube.com/user/PokeTheCookie

  • Blanca J. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwUaWpOm0hAbSOScVCdT8RQ

  • Blizz-Mii Art: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEeeVHfbME3SjrwNsmQcFbQ/videos

  • Dee Juusan: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC31Gwj9p4dIVVi-pcNjZq-g

  • Hyanna Natsu: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6vr5gV11oSIstj9mer5AiA

  • Longestdistance: https://www.youtube.com/user/PropheticAnomaly

  • Lulu Chwan: https://www.youtube.com/user/animineloverable

  • markcrilley: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCno-YPZ8BiLrN0Wbl8qICFA

  • Naschi: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6NQ5ob8mRCav9KYyA9gf8w

  • Neko Rina: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwYhFAz5aSEoat4B_SJzoQg

  • Rambutan Illustration: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0eVhLHMHgUoa5BXN0RbQVw

  • Sasucchi95: https://www.youtube.com/user/MsSasuXsaku

  • Yamio: https://www.youtube.com/user/YamioSama

  • Yenkoes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVVt5tbZEzfQSIsHUh3b_vg

  • Yoai Hime: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcOi2fkewiPJ9rcEGJCSUuw

Lastly, don't forget that practice is what will mainly help you improve your skills!

Don't lose hope or give up at all. Since you love drawing and are passionate about it, you will definitely reach your goal with continuous practice.

Believe in yourself, believe that you can improve!

I hope you found this course useful, and I whole-heartedly wish you all the best on your art journey!

Links of Resources for Drawing

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Focuses on foundational skills like drawing facial features, hair, hands, feet, bodies, and poses, which are essential for creating anime characters
Includes a brief introduction to drawing chibis, which are miniature characters and a popular element in anime and manga art
Teaches how to use DesignDoll software for creating models with various poses, which can be a valuable tool for artists seeking realistic references
Requires learners to download DesignDoll, which is only compatible with Windows, potentially excluding users of other operating systems
Does not cover coloring techniques, which may be a drawback for learners seeking a comprehensive guide to anime character creation
Relies on PaintTool Sai for demonstrations, but does not utilize the software's specific features, suggesting learners can use any drawing tool

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Anime Drawing for Beginners with these activities:
Practice Basic Anatomy
Reviewing basic human anatomy will provide a solid foundation for drawing anime characters with accurate proportions and poses.
Browse courses on Anatomy
Show steps
  • Study anatomical diagrams and references.
  • Practice sketching basic skeletal structures.
  • Draw simplified muscle groups.
Read 'Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain'
Reading this book will help you develop fundamental drawing skills and improve your ability to observe and represent forms accurately.
Show steps
  • Read the book and complete the exercises.
  • Focus on the techniques for perceiving edges and spaces.
  • Apply the learned techniques to drawing anime characters.
Gesture Drawing Practice
Practicing gesture drawing will improve your ability to capture the essence of a pose and create dynamic anime characters.
Show steps
  • Find reference images of anime characters in various poses.
  • Set a timer for 2-5 minutes per pose.
  • Quickly sketch the overall movement and energy of the pose.
  • Repeat this exercise regularly.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Read 'Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics'
Reading this book will provide a deeper understanding of the cultural context and artistic conventions of anime and manga.
Show steps
  • Read the book and take notes on key concepts.
  • Research specific manga artists and styles.
  • Analyze the visual storytelling techniques used in manga.
Create a Character Design Sheet
Designing a character sheet will help you solidify your understanding of anime character design principles and practice applying the techniques learned in the course.
Show steps
  • Choose a character concept.
  • Sketch the character in various poses and expressions.
  • Include front, side, and back views.
  • Add details such as clothing and accessories.
Follow Advanced Anime Drawing Tutorials
Following advanced tutorials will expose you to more complex techniques and styles, helping you refine your own drawing skills.
Show steps
  • Search for tutorials on specific aspects of anime drawing.
  • Choose tutorials that align with your interests and skill level.
  • Follow the tutorial step-by-step, paying attention to details.
  • Practice the techniques learned in the tutorial.
Create a Short Anime Comic
Creating a short comic will challenge you to apply all the skills learned in the course and develop your storytelling abilities.
Show steps
  • Develop a simple story idea.
  • Create a storyboard outlining the panels.
  • Draw the panels, focusing on character expressions and poses.
  • Add dialogue and sound effects.

Career center

Learners who complete Anime Drawing for Beginners will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Character Designer
A character designer develops the visual appearance of characters for various media such as animation, video games, and comics. This course helps aspiring character designers learn the fundamentals of drawing anime-style characters, including facial features, body poses, and clothing. Since character design often requires an understanding of different angles and expressions, lessons on drawing 3/4 views, side views, clothing, and facial expressions provide valuable practice. By learning to draw diverse hairstyles, clothing, and poses, learners build a foundation for creating unique and expressive characters.
Comic Book Artist
A comic book artist creates the visual narrative of comic books, often including character design, panel layout, and backgrounds. The skills taught in this course, like drawing full body anime characters with varied poses, are essential for comic book art, especially for those interested in manga or manga-influenced styles. The course's focus on character expressions and varied hairstyles helps a comic book artist develop expressive and distinct characters, and the lessons on drawing diverse poses and clothing enable the artist to create dynamic and engaging scenes.
Animator
An animator brings characters and objects to life through a sequence of drawings or computer-generated images. This course will help an animator understand essential elements of character design, particularly in an anime style. The course lessons on drawing faces, bodies, and poses from different angles as well as using software like DesignDoll are directly relevant to creating animation-ready models. Because animators must frequently draw characters in motion, the course's focus on varied poses and character expressions is especially useful for this role.
Illustrator
An illustrator creates images for various media, including books, magazines, and websites. For illustrators who specialize in character-based work or are interested in anime styles, this course offers skills that are directly applicable. The course's lessons in drawing full body characters, facial expressions, and clothing, help an illustrator develop their ability to create engaging and expressive illustrations. Through studying diverse poses and the use of design software, the illustrator will hone their craft.
Storyboard Artist
A storyboard artist visualizes the shots of a film, animation, or commercial, translating the script into a sequence of drawings. An understanding of how to draw characters in different poses and from various angles is critical for this role, and this course provides that foundation. The course provides a focus on drawing a variety of poses, expressions, and clothing which directly contributes to a storyboard artist's ability to create visually engaging sequences. Learning how to use software such as DesignDoll may be beneficial for the storyboard artist to map out shots.
Video Game Artist
A video game artist creates the visual assets for video games, which may include character design, environments, and user interfaces. This course helps the video game artist understand important aspects of character design and drawing. Specifically, the course's lessons on drawing anime characters, including facial features, poses, and expressions can help a video game artist create dynamic and appealing characters. The course may be useful in helping the video game artist practice using pose reference software, which is an important skill.
Concept Artist
Concept artists create visual representations of ideas for use in video games, films, and other media. This role often requires the ability to quickly sketch out ideas for characters, environments, and props. This course could help expand the concept artist's skillset with its focus on drawing anime-style characters and using pose reference software, which are particularly helpful in developing character designs. By learning different drawing techniques for faces, bodies and poses, the concept artist can develop their ability to communicate their ideas through visual form.
Freelance Artist
A freelance artist works independently, offering their skills to clients for various projects. This course may help a freelancer who wishes to specialize in anime-style illustration or character design. The course curriculum, which includes drawing full-body characters, facial expressions, and clothing, can be directly applied to the type of work that many freelance artists undertake. By practicing concepts from this course, a freelance artist can expand their portfolio to include anime art.
Graphic designer
A graphic designer creates visual content to communicate ideas, often using software tools. While the core skills of graphic design differ from drawing, knowledge in character design and illustration may be useful in a graphic design career, particularly when working on projects that require custom assets. This course improves one's drawing skills, which may be useful for graphic designers that wish to have a more complete skillset. In some cases, graphic designers may be asked to work with custom illustration, and this course may be helpful in preparing for these situations.
Art teacher
An art teacher educates students on artistic techniques and concepts. The lessons in this course, which cover anime-style drawing techniques, may help an art teacher who would like to broaden their understanding of different styles. While the role of art teacher is more than just about drawing, learning from this course may be useful for teaching or demonstrating to students. Learning to draw anime characters can help an art teacher who has students interested in this style of art.
Web Designer
A web designer creates the layout, visual appearance, and user experience of websites. Though web design usually requires technical expertise in web technologies, skills in visual design enhance a web designer's capacity to create engaging, unique and creative websites. This course could help web designers interested in anime-inspired or character-based web elements to use digital drawing skills. If the web designer hopes to design custom website assets, then knowledge from this course may be useful.
Motion Graphics Artist
A motion graphics artist creates animated graphics for advertisements, television, and websites. While motion graphics relies heavily on animation software, having a background in drawing can be useful for developing unique design ideas. This course may be useful for a motion graphics artist who wishes to have a greater understanding of character design and expressions. By understanding how to draw anime-style characters, a motion graphics artist could be able to generate original ideas for their motion graphics.
Product Designer
A product designer creates the form and function of physical or digital products. While drawing skills are not the primary focus of product design, they can be useful for conceptualizing and communicating design ideas. This course may help product designers who wish to improve their understanding of visual design by learning how to draw characters in varying poses and styles. In the design process, quickly sketching an idea can be helpful, and drawing skills learned in this course can help here.
Fashion Designer
A fashion designer creates clothing and accessories. Although fashion design is distinct from character illustration, the ability to draw can aid in sketching out ideas for clothing designs. This course may be useful in helping fashion designers who hope to develop custom illustrations of their designs, especially if they involve anime-inspired styles. Since a fashion designer may want to learn how clothing drapes on the body, learning to draw characters wearing clothes may be useful.
Social Media Manager
A social media manager creates and manages content for social media platforms. While drawing is not a primary skill for this role, the ability to create visual content may be useful when producing social media content. This course may be useful for a social media manager who wishes to learn how to create their own graphics. Having some artistic background may help a social media manager stand out from the crowd.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Anime Drawing for Beginners.
Provides a comprehensive overview of the history, culture, and techniques of manga. It offers valuable insights into the art form and its evolution. It is more valuable as additional reading to provide context and inspiration. This book good resource for understanding the broader context of anime drawing.

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