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How to Draw Anime People and bodies

4.5 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Half star
Based on 377 ratings
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Neil Fontaine

Do you want to draw your own anime or manga, or just draw them better?

Then you need to be able to draw the anime/manga body. Most artists think that anime is easier to draw, but it’s not. It is based on the same anatomy as a realistic drawing. The difference is, anime and manga are stylized.

My course teaches you how to draw bodies in the anime style. It teaches you how to simplify. It teaches the proportions of anime and even a quick crash course on anatomy so your anatomy figures look amazing. But don’t take my word for it.

Read more

Do you want to draw your own anime or manga, or just draw them better?

Then you need to be able to draw the anime/manga body. Most artists think that anime is easier to draw, but it’s not. It is based on the same anatomy as a realistic drawing. The difference is, anime and manga are stylized.

My course teaches you how to draw bodies in the anime style. It teaches you how to simplify. It teaches the proportions of anime and even a quick crash course on anatomy so your anatomy figures look amazing. But don’t take my word for it.

Scroll down and watch some of the free lectures. I offer a few full lessons for free to see if my teaching style works for you.

When you are finished with this course, you will know how to draw anime and manga bodies from imagination. You will be able to pose them and everything or you get your money back, guaranteed, upheld by Udemy’s high standards.

I also have bonus videos, like how to draw a anime girl in a bikini, or a buff male anime figure.

You are ready to draw anime like a pro, so simply scroll down and watch some of the free videos.

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • In this course, you will learn to the proportions of anime bodies
  • How to draw all ages, from toddlers on up
  • How to draw in the unique anime/manga style
  • How to draw both the male and female bodies and what makes them different
  • How to make your anime bodies look 3d
  • How to pose anime people
  • How to draw all the muscles--crash course on anatomy
  • How to draw a hot bikini anime girl.
  • How to draw a reaper anime girl
  • How to draw a buff anime guy

Syllabus

Start here to know what you will and will not learn in this how to draw anime course.

Anime Proportions

One of the most important things to learn when drawing anime or manga is proportions. We start with a standard eight headed figure that you might see in American comics, and then use these relative proportions for anime and manga proportions.

This lesson is important.

Read more

Now we take the relative proportions we have learned in lesson 2 and apply it to the most popular anime and manga proportions, the 7 headed figure.

To draw anime and manga people of other ages, we learn the 6 headed, 5 headed, 4 headed, 3 headed, and 2 headed figures.

In this lesson, we apply the knowledge of proportions, relative measurements, to the side view. Learning the side view is just as important as any other view of the body.

The 3/4s view might be the hardest basic view to learn, but it is a must. Learning the 3/4s view will help you draw many complex poses.

Many students skim over learning the back side view, which they shouldn't. Take your time to learn the back view. It isn't much different than the front view, so it shouldn't take you as long.

Although, we have drawn male and females so far, I wanted to show the differences between the male and female, so you can draw sexy males that look male and sexy females that look female.

Understanding the form of the body is very important because you want to make your characters look 3D. That is what this lesson covers.

We take what we've learned so far and draw some poses.

We continue where we left off last lesson and draw more poses.

In this lesson we learn to draw the pecks, deltoid, and biceps muscles. Learning the major muscles and where they attach is important to logically figure out out muscles stretch and look in different poses.

In this lesson we learn how to draw the torso muscles, which include the love handles.

In this lesson we learn to draw the back muscles. We also learn how to smooth muscles out. Actually, during the anatomy section, we learn to smooth the muscles out as we go along.

Neck muscles aren't that hard to memorize once you learn the two major muscles that make up the neck. This lesson does just that.

In this lesson, we learn the upper arm muscles, which are easier to learn than the forearm muscles.

The forearm muscles might be the hardest muscles to learn, so take your time with this lesson.

Luckily, the leg muscles aren't nearly as hard to learn, so this lesson shouldn't take as long to memorize.

In this lesson, we finish up learning the leg muscles.

After we have learned to draw the muscles for the male, it is important to learn how a nice smooth looking female looks, and how these muscles make up her contour lines. In this lesson we, learn the front view of the female.

In this lesson, we learn the side view of the female body with proper looking anatomy.

In this lesson, we learn to draw the back side of the female with proper looking anatomy.

There are many different body styles in anime and manga. In this lessons, we learn to draw some of them, and learn how you can create different types of people.

In this bonus lesson, we apply everything we have learned in this course, and draw a anime reaper girl.

In this lesson, we apply all we have learned and draw an anime bikini girl. You want to be able to draw nude women or women in bikinis before trying to draw them with clothes on, this way you have a good foundation of the body, so that they clothes fit on correctly.

In this bonus lesson, we learn how to apply all we have learned and draw a buff anime male.

This is a bonus video for how to draw hands. Click the link to watch the video.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides a crash course on anatomy, which is essential for stylizing figures accurately in anime and manga
Covers proportions for various ages, enabling artists to create diverse characters from toddlers to adults
Includes bonus videos on drawing specific character types, such as a bikini girl, reaper girl, and buff male, offering practical application of learned skills
Focuses on simplifying the human form, which is a core technique for capturing the stylized aesthetic of anime and manga
Emphasizes the importance of understanding body form to create 3D characters, enhancing the visual appeal of anime and manga artwork
Teaches how to draw the male and female forms, highlighting the key differences to help artists create distinct and recognizable characters

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Reviews summary

Anime body drawing: proportions and anatomy

According to learners, this course offers a solid foundation in drawing anime and manga bodies, primarily focusing on proportions and a crash course on anatomy. Students appreciate the breakdown of different age proportions and the guidance on rendering bodies in a 3D style. While many find the content on anatomy and posing beneficial, some note that these sections are relatively brief and may require supplementary study for deeper understanding or more complex poses. The course is generally seen as effective for beginners looking to learn the core structure of anime bodies. Some mention the instructor's teaching style as clear and easy to follow.
Introduces basic posing principles and demonstrations.
"The lessons on posing were a good starting point for bringing figures to life."
"I learned how to apply the proportions and anatomy basics to simple poses."
"Watching the instructor draw poses helped me understand the workflow."
"Good intro to posing, but maybe not enough for highly dynamic or complex actions."
Offers a helpful, though brief, introduction to anatomy.
"The anatomy crash course gave me enough information to start understanding muscle groups and how they affect body shape."
"While not super deep, the muscle lessons provided a logical way to think about drawing the body's form."
"It's good to have some anatomy basics before drawing skin, as the instructor suggests."
"I learned the major muscle groups, which is useful for making poses look more dynamic."
Focuses specifically on the anime/manga stylized body.
"The course does a good job explaining how anime stylizes anatomy rather than drawing it realistically."
"If you want to draw in the anime style specifically, this course is on point."
"It teaches you how to simplify real anatomy for the anime look."
"Great for understanding the specific conventions of anime body drawing."
Well-suited for those new to drawing anime bodies.
"As a beginner, I found the step-by-step approach easy to follow and not overwhelming."
"This course is a great starting point if you've never drawn anime bodies before."
"I appreciated that it breaks down complex concepts into simpler steps for new artists."
"Perfect for someone just starting out with drawing anime bodies."
Provides a strong foundation in anime body proportions.
"The sections on anime proportions, like the 7-headed figure and variations for different ages, were incredibly helpful."
"Learning the proper proportions for male and female bodies made a big difference in my drawings."
"I finally understand how to size heads correctly relative to the body based on the head-count method."
"The emphasis on proportions is key to getting the anime style right."
Anatomy section is a crash course, not in-depth.
"The anatomy part was helpful, but it's definitely just a crash course; I'll need to study anatomy more elsewhere."
"I wish the anatomy section went into more detail on how muscles stretch and overlap in various poses."
"Don't expect a full anatomy lecture; it's more of an overview specific to anime needs."
"Good introduction to muscles, but felt a bit too brief for mastering complex anatomy."

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 How to Draw Anime People and bodies with these activities:
Review Basic Anatomy
Solidify your understanding of human anatomy as a foundation for stylized anime figures. Knowing the underlying structure will improve your anime drawings.
Browse courses on Human Anatomy
Show steps
  • Study skeletal structure and muscle groups.
  • Practice drawing basic anatomical shapes.
  • Focus on proportions and landmarks.
Review 'Figure Drawing: For All It's Worth' by Andrew Loomis
Learn the fundamentals of figure drawing to improve your understanding of form and proportion. This will help you create more dynamic and believable anime characters.
View Melania on Amazon
Show steps
  • Read the sections on proportion and construction.
  • Practice the exercises on drawing basic forms.
  • Apply the principles to anime-style figures.
Practice Posing with a Friend
Improve your understanding of posing by practicing with a friend. Experiment with different angles and perspectives to create dynamic and interesting compositions.
Show steps
  • Take turns posing for each other.
  • Sketch quick poses, focusing on gesture.
  • Give each other feedback on anatomy and proportion.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Create a Character Sheet
Solidify your understanding of anime proportions and anatomy by designing a character sheet. This will help you internalize the principles taught in the course.
Show steps
  • Choose a character concept.
  • Draw the character in multiple poses.
  • Include front, side, and back views.
  • Label key anatomical features.
Review 'Manga Mania: How to Draw Manga Characters' by Christopher Hart
Explore different manga styles and techniques to broaden your artistic horizons. This book will provide you with additional inspiration and practical tips for drawing anime characters.
View Manga Mania Coloring Book: Over 100 Cute... on Amazon
Show steps
  • Browse the different character styles.
  • Follow the step-by-step drawing instructions.
  • Experiment with different techniques.
Start a Comic Project
Apply your knowledge of anime anatomy and posing by creating a short comic. This will challenge you to create dynamic compositions and tell a story through your art.
Show steps
  • Develop a short story concept.
  • Create a storyboard with key panels.
  • Draw the panels, focusing on anatomy and posing.
  • Add dialogue and sound effects.
Help Beginners
Reinforce your understanding of anime anatomy and posing by helping beginners. Explaining concepts to others will solidify your own knowledge.
Show steps
  • Find a beginner artist.
  • Offer advice on anatomy and posing.
  • Provide constructive criticism.

Career center

Learners who complete How to Draw Anime People and bodies will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Anime Artist
The role of an anime artist involves creating original characters, scenes, and stories in the anime and manga style. This course directly addresses the core skills needed by an anime artist. The curriculum focuses on drawing anime bodies, mastering proportions, and understanding anatomy. An aspiring anime artist should enroll in this course to refine their drawing skills, study the important differences between male and female figures, and explore various body styles commonly found in anime and manga. The course's emphasis on posing and rendering figures in 3D further enhances an artist's ability to create dynamic and engaging artwork.
See salaries and explore the career path for Anime Artist
Manga Artist
The job of a manga artist centers on creating comics and graphic novels in the manga style. Since this style demands a strong foundation in drawing anime bodies, this course provides essential training. The course's sections cover critical topics, including understanding anime and manga proportions, depicting characters of different ages, and mastering both male and female anatomy. The detailed instruction on how to pose characters and render them in 3D is particularly relevant for a manga artist. This course helps an aspiring manga artist develop the artistic skills needed to bring their stories to life visually.
See salaries and explore the career path for Manga Artist
Character Designer
A character designer develops the visual appearance of characters for various media, including animation, video games, and comic books. This course emphasizing anime and manga character design helps those aspiring to be character designers greatly. The course teaches proportions of anime bodies, male and female figures, and anatomy. Character designers might find the bonus videos on drawing anime characters in specific scenarios, such as a bikini or as a buff male figure, particularly helpful for exploring different character archetypes. Learning to draw various body styles is valuable in the character design process.
See salaries and explore the career path for Character Designer
Storyboard Artist
A storyboard artist creates visual panels that outline the plot of a film, television show, or commercial. The ability to quickly and effectively draw characters in various poses and situations is essential, and this course helps you do that. The course's focus on drawing anime bodies, posing characters, and even a crash course on anatomy provides a solid foundation for this. Gaining proficiency in these areas allows the storyboard artist to clearly communicate the story's progression and visual elements.
See salaries and explore the career path for Storyboard Artist
Comic Book Artist
The work of a comic book artist is creating the illustrations for comic books. This course provides essential skills for drawing characters and figures. In particular, the instruction on drawing bodies, understanding proportions, and posing characters is valuable for comic book art. Comic book artists interested in drawing manga adaptations or manga inspired comics can benefit greatly from the course's specific focus on the anime and manga style. The anatomy lessons can help any comic book artist improve their figure drawing technique.
See salaries and explore the career path for Comic Book Artist
Illustrator
An illustrator creates images for books, magazines, and other media. This course helps illustrators with a focus on anime and manga styles. It teaches how to draw bodies, understand proportions, and pose characters. The course on anatomy may be useful for illustrators who wish to create more realistic and dynamic figures in their work. Illustrators wanting to diversify their artistic skills and cater to the growing demand for anime and manga-inspired art should consider this course.
See salaries and explore the career path for Illustrator
Concept Artist
A concept artist creates visual representations of ideas for use in video games, film, animation, or other media. This course on drawing anime people and bodies helps those who want to be concept artists. The ability to quickly sketch and visualize character ideas is crucial in concept art. Understanding proportions and anatomy, as taught in the course, may be useful in designing believable and visually appealing characters. The course's instruction on posing anime figures is also helpful for conveying motion and personality in character designs.
See salaries and explore the career path for Concept Artist
Animator
An animator creates moving images using various techniques, including hand-drawing, computer animation, or stop motion. This course on drawing anime people aids animators. A solid understanding of anatomy, proportions, and posing is fundamental to creating believable and engaging animation. Animators focusing on 2D animation or anime-style projects may find the course's specific instruction on drawing anime bodies and understanding proportions particularly useful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Animator
Graphic Novel Artist
The task of a graphic novel artist is creating the artwork for graphic novels, which are essentially longer-form comic books. This course on drawing anime people may be helpful for graphic novel artists. This course provides instruction on drawing bodies, understanding proportions, and creating dynamic poses. A graphic novel artist may find the detailed instruction on anatomy and the nuances of male and female figures particularly useful for creating compelling and visually rich stories.
See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic Novel Artist
Webcomic Artist
A webcomic artist creates and publishes comics online. This course on drawing anime people and bodies may be helpful for webcomic artists. The course provides training in drawing anime bodies, mastering proportions, and understanding anatomy. The ability to create eye-catching character designs and dynamic poses is valuable for attracting and retaining readers. Webcomic artists who draw anime or manga-inspired comics can benefit from this course.
See salaries and explore the career path for Webcomic Artist
Video Game Artist
The job of a video game artist is creating visual elements for video games, including characters, environments, and user interfaces. This course on drawing anime people may be useful for video game artists. The ability to create appealing character designs and dynamic poses can enhance the visual quality of a game. Understanding proportions and anatomy, as covered in the course, may be useful in creating believable and engaging characters for video games.
See salaries and explore the career path for Video Game Artist
Art teacher
An art teacher instructs students in various art techniques and concepts. This course on drawing anime people may be helpful for art teachers, especially those who teach drawing or illustration. If an art teacher wants to teach students how to draw anime and manga characters, they may find the detailed lessons on proportions, anatomy, and posing valuable.
See salaries and explore the career path for Art teacher
Freelance Artist
A freelance artist works independently, offering their artistic services to clients on a project basis. This course on drawing anime people may be helpful for freelance artists. Specializing in the anime and manga style can open up new opportunities for commissions and projects. Freelance artists in related fields may find the course's focus on drawing bodies, understanding proportions, and creating dynamic poses valuable for expanding their skill.
See salaries and explore the career path for Freelance Artist
Fashion Designer
The role of a fashion designer is creating clothing and accessories. While this course focuses on drawing anime figures, it may be helpful for fashion designers. A basic understanding of human anatomy and proportions, taught in the course, may be useful for visualizing how clothing will fit on the body. Fashion designers who create anime-inspired clothing lines, may find the course particularly helpful.
See salaries and explore the career path for Fashion Designer
Textile Designer
Textile designers create patterns and designs for fabrics. A strong understanding of visual principles is relevant to textile design. Therefore, a background in art provides helpful context. This course may be helpful for textile designers seeking to expand their knowledge of art and design. Also, an understanding of drawing may be useful for sketching design ideas.
See salaries and explore the career path for Textile Designer

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 How to Draw Anime People and bodies.
Cover image
Manga Mania Coloring Book
Save
Practical guide to drawing manga characters, covering a wide range of styles and techniques. It provides step-by-step instructions for drawing different body types, facial expressions, and poses. It's a great resource for beginners who want to learn the fundamentals of manga art and develop their own unique style. This book is more valuable as additional reading than as a current reference.
Manga Mania Coloring Book: Over 100 Cute Characters...
Paperback
$$

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Rating
4.5 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Half star
Effort
6 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructor
Neil Fontaine
Language
English
Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides a crash course on anatomy, which is essential for stylizing figures accurately in anime and manga
Covers proportions for various ages, enabling artists to create diverse characters from toddlers to adults
Includes bonus videos on drawing specific character types, such as a bikini girl, reaper girl, and buff male, offering practical application of learned skills
Focuses on simplifying the human form, which is a core technique for capturing the stylized aesthetic of anime and manga
Emphasizes the importance of understanding body form to create 3D characters, enhancing the visual appeal of anime and manga artwork
Teaches how to draw the male and female forms, highlighting the key differences to help artists create distinct and recognizable characters
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