Let's get down to the basics!

.
Where are you going wrong?

Take for example the three points A, Band C below.

What are you looking at when you draw the straight line A-Band the curved line A- C- B? At the pencil? Or at points C
orB?

When you are drawing a picture, you must visualize the direction of the line you are drawing, looking not just at the point of the
pencil but equally at the three points A, Band C. People cannot draw shapes properly if they are just looking at the pencil point.

0 X
'
''
''
'
~
• • • •

Next, look at the 7 random points below. What can you see?
Just a cluster of points? Or can you faintly discern a shape? You haven't got it yet, have you?

•
• • •
• •
•
• •
• • •
• •
Let's number the points at random. You still naven't got it yet, have you?

.s

5
•
6•

Let's renumber the points to give them meaning. You see, your eyes automatically follow the points in
order. Those who can make out the shape from looking at points in this way are able to draw shapes .

• 8
:1.
t.•
• 2 3
• •
J.f
• 7
5" •
2• •II • 6
3. •

Finally the points are joined up. Random lines join to form a shape. Those talented at drawing can perceive
hidden lines within a picture and trace them smoothly. Your ability to draw shapes depends on whether or
not you can visualize the points in the correct order.
First of all, draw the square boxes.

A view from below A view from above A side view

//
- - - - --

A vjew from .above A vjew from above A vjew from ground level
,
How to draw with accurate perspective
is explained in specialist books but you
don 't have to be able to draw with
precision like an architect. Once you get
used to it, you won 't need to use a ruler
or think about the vanishing point.
To draw straight lines freehand ... Draw
a line on a blank sheet of paper from
one point to another, imagining the end
result in your mmd and remaining
aware of the pencil point. You do the
same with your sketches, just on a A view from ground level A view from above
larger scale.
 Before you begin ...

Start drawing for real! But before that. ..

It's OK saying you'll start drawing, but what are you going to draw?
Do you get hold of the pencil willy-nilly? Are you going to draw a RPG (Role Playing Game) Character? A manga
character? Acharacter in a fight? Or, are you planning to draw an illustration or a poster? Charts of characters' Basic
Expressions? It doesn't matter if what you draw is a scribble. Only, make sure you have a concrete image of the
character, the scene and the pose.Good pictures start with character design.
Once this is decided, you draw the outline of the movement to create a general image. You don't have to worry about
drawing the hands over and over· again or if there is enough room for feet on the page. A good picture has
a solid outline. This is the first step in a sketch.
Several poses are shown below. Pay particular attention to the bending of the backbone. The human body is
quite flexible and the backbone is curved even in a standing position .
A character's individuality is evident even without such details as hairstyle, eyes and creases in clothes. Your job is
I
not simply to decide the pose. It is also to direct and thereby incorporate more information about the character
into the drawing. This is subliminal information.
For those of you with doubts on your ability to draw, take a look at the sketches below. When It comes to using
only lines and circles, it is not really a matter of making judgements about skill levels. But these sketches do
actually decide about 40% of what makes a good drawing.

Don't iust look at

these poses. Think
about the outlines
for your favorite
animators' and
artists • illustrations
_, __a~nd drawings too.
 Now flesh out the outline!

I
Generally, people think that getting the balance right in a sketch is hard. But it isn't really. Think of the simplest polygon.
When you are drawing an illustration, you don't have to draw a square. However, you must decide which direction each
part of the body is facing . And once you have got this you will be fine.

I
As long as you can draw square
boxes, you will be able to draw
characters.
 . . .
is time tQ think.,aJ!~uH~~~.Y · pr~Q.portions . now.
It 1 .
. ~6- .. .
~---·:.; ~:_ ~r:~~.<j'-:.-{'·~:u.: . __.. _ . _,~

Which of the six types shown below appeals to you the most?
The OVA (Original Video Ani me)? Manga? Illustrative? You may have tried to imitate the style of your favorite manga
artist or animator, but it just doesn't look the same.

So far, the characters you have sketched differ in body proportions and design to the characters you like.
We don't have to analyze the body proportion of characters in great detail. Alii ask is that you are aware of which type/s
you want to draw.
--I
1.
I
-~-

I
1-

-,-
I
2.

-,-
I

I
-~-

1. Comical Animation Character 2. SO Character 3. Bishoujo (Young, pretty girl)

Large head, hands and feet. Not _ A small body with a A thin waist and slight
much definition of joints and large head. Not definition of body contours.
muscles. Limbs look small particularly comical or Joints and muscles are defined.
compared with the head. cute.
 I

4. Shoujo Manga (Gal's 5. Comical SO Character 6. Real Type

Comics) character Unlike the SO Character on the The length of the body torso
Overall very thin with long previous page, this type looks and legs are roughly the same.
legs. For girls, body contours funny with thin arms but big Girls do not have exaggerated
are defined but the head is hands, legs and feet. narrow waists.
small. Boys are drawn almost
the same but with broader
shoulders.

I
 Drawing 'For ·Reai! "Rart~~of;the. ~ Face and Position
• • ~~li" .. '! ~ '...... - .. ~... ~£~"l~/·,.._,AA.f'_,:: '.:.·-.: ' . ~.., ~

I
As explained on the previous page, when drawing the face, the most important line that you draw is the cross-line. It is
the first one you draw and decides position and direction. Drawing the features, the eyes and the hairstyle may be more
fun but it is the cross-lines that decide the character design. So, pick up a pencil and have a go at drawing the real thing.

Real Type Character

1. First of all, the horizontal 2. Next, the midline is drawn 3. Then , the horizontal lines that decide
cross-line decides the height of vertically on the full face. This the positions of the mouth and
the eyes. line marks the bridge of the eyebrows are drawn . The distance
nose. between these two lines decides the size
of the eyes. The knack when drawing the
character below is to draw these lines
Exaggerated Type Character wide apart so that the eyes are big.

I
 I

4. The position for the nostrils 5. Above the line that decides 6. The outline between the eyebrow
is marked on the line for the the height of the eyes draw line and the eye line hollows out.
bridge of the nose. The eyes are another line to decide the size of This makes the depressions for the
drawn on this line and their size the ears. The height of the ears eyes. Mistakes are often made at
roughly estimated. The general is about where the frame of a this point. Even those people who
rule is that the lower the pair of glasses would sit. are fairly good at drawing end up
position of the eyes, the more Normally the position for the drawing the base of the nose from
childish the face (See the corner of the eyes is about the eye line. Have a look at the
drawing below) . where the root of the ear is. But bridge of your nose in the mirror.
the more you get used to it, the See how it starts between the
more you can play around with eyebrows, depresses in between the
the positioning to make more eyes, and then sticks out.
exaggerated characters.
 • •. , ··_""Pl"- ·-71'·H.f:1Jt~rl -·." .. · · ~

, .•. 1Diffe'[ent~Ways. to Draw .Characters' Expressions

, •t • Cross-Lines For Different Characters• Foreheads

• -.l.:t'11i.-' ••• • •

Exaggerated Type Simple Type Real Type

 Draw Faces from Several Directions.
- • ....! - - - -- ""'--& _,._., ~ •

In a real story, you have to be able to draw not just faces in profile but faces in all sorts of positions such as looking up
and down. The following views are drawn with the cross-line.
Below we have the basic set of head positions for the characters featured in this book. Once you can draw these, you can
probably create your own work.

Basic 1 (Frontal): Level of difficulty 1 Basic 2 (Profile): Level of difficulty 1

Asymmetry is most obvious in this position. The knack is to distance the base of the nose and
The width to the left and right of the vertical eyeballs further apart than you would first think. Take
midline must be the same. into consideration the height of the nose between the
eyes. The bottom lip protrudes less than the top.

Oblique from behind: Level of difficulty 3 Oblique left: Level of difficulty 2

Don't forget the thickness of the ears. Make Even though this is one that people can draw, it is
sure the horizontal eye-line remains level. also easy to get the perspective out. Pay attention
to the size of the eyes.
From below: Level of difficulty 5 From above: Level of difficulty 5
Pay attention to the line from the tip of the chin The positions for the top of the nose and the
to the eyes. The position of the nostrils is higher mouth are almost exactly the same. The angle of
than you would first think. the eyebrows changes the down-looking
position of the head. Refer to this position for
each character in the pages to follow.

Oblique left and right + From slightly above:

Level of difficulty 3
Take care with the size of the head . People tend to draw the
ears and the nose too close together. The drawing will be
----~ unbalanced if the head isn't thick enough.
Oblique left + From below: Level of difficulty 5 Oblique right + From slightly below: Level of
Once you can draw this , you can improve the variation in your difficulty 4
drawings dramatically. This angle must be practiced because it The inclination of the eyes is difficult to get
is commonly used . Make the curves of the eyes and the head right. Make the chin and forehead parallel. Do
parallel so that the eyes don 't droop. Take care where you draw the same with the eyebrows and eyes.
the hairline because it differs depending on the character.

Oblique right: Level of difficulty 4 From slightly above: Level of difficulty 2

This angle often appears in interview tests at animation studio This is at an angle so it is not exactly a full view from
companies. How the parts on the other side of the nose-line above. Nevertheless the nose and mouth are drawn
(the cheeks, eyes, eyelids and eyebrows) are drawn is very close to each other. Right-handers generally tend to
important. It is a good indication of your drawing ability. Pay have difficulty in drawing this position properly.
attention to the distance between the eyes and ears.
-- -
I
 Think in polygons when drawing the whole body, just as you did when you drew the heads. In the picture below the body

I is drawn as boxes. Though I say it again, it is the quickest way to improving your ability to draw in three dimensions.
Once you master the basics properly you can go on to exaggerate the charactef design and produce good drawings.

1. 2.

Neck

Shoulder joint ~

Chest (solar
plexus)

WaisVhips

Groin/thigh

------ Knee

-- Ankle

-_Toes and the sole

of the foot
1. The body is divided into moving parts (mainly at the 2. Adding on the arms. Naturally, they come out at
joints). Roughly speaking, the body is separated into the sides. The knee is joined at the front.
the head, neck, chest, waist, buttocks, thighs, calves Professionals draw the knee joints as circles in
and feet. Make sure you divide the chest into two. If the their rough sketches. Take care to get the
chest is struck, the solar plexus caves in. So think of it thickness of the instep and toes right. Draw the
as a large joint. Always remember which direction the
front part and sides of the body are facing.
height of the instep and add the moving part for ·I
the toes.
 4.

...
' Elbow

Back of the
hand

3. It is helpful to think of the ankle and shoulder 4. Think of the arms as moving on balls. Basically,
joints as balls as if the human body was a robot. shading depends on the direction of light. Refer to
The soles of the feet are not flat but at an angle. the shading on the flanks of (1 ). Remember that
The shoulders don't just come out at the sides. . even the fingers should be shaded. Just by looking
They are connected to the neck at an angle at the at the shading in (4), you can see how getting a
front of the body as well. Note that the calves feel for shading using (1) improves the drawing.
bulge.
 .
....
....""'
-
~·
•• •
...._..._
••
__ ~-~
4
""-• ......

It is helpful to draw cylinders for the curved parts of the body such as the arms, hips and ankles. In the last section, we
covered basic shapes. The next step is to think of smooth curved surfaces.
Take care when drawing cylinders because the curves change depending on the direction of the body. You don't have to
start with curves when you are drawing something. But it enables you quickly figure out the physique of the character and
draw it realistically from any angle. Look at the following explanatory drawings showing you how to draw the body from
above and below.

The view from below

Be aware of the eye line. The further away, the smaller the Start by drawing the body in
object becomes. squares.

The view from above.

The larger the surface area of the
circles (the cross-sections in black),
the greater the angle of the views
from above and below.

0 0

X
X

I I
\ I
I I --------------------

Both the belt and the shoulder blades are parallel

to the black cross-section. Always draw with an
awareness of the cross-sections. If you don't,
you end up with a superficial picture.
X
 Draw Cylinders from Any Angle.

Practice drawing these cylinders even if you can't see the point of it yet.

I The curved edges and the pattern are always parallel. Once you can draw a good circle without using a compass, you are
ready to draw more exaggerated shapes.

ililili!,,;IJIII'n llllli '11'111111111111,

II
 Drawing Bodies

The Direction of the Body

1. 2.

To practice three-
dimensional drawing ,
the angle combines
perspective and space.
Although this is a
difficult angle to draw,
it is good practice for
drawing shapes and
considering the
thickness of the body.

Draw one hand curved

to study the basic way
of drawing. This is
because the wrinkles in
clothes are affected by Draw the other hand so
different poses. that you can see it all.
Don't draw it rotated
back or held up in the

Draw the feet by

imagining how the
figure is standing on
the floor/ground and
the whole using the
image of the feet as
Don 't draw the boxes.
character standing
upright. Put more
weight on one leg than
the other.

1. The frontal view (Basic) 2. The view from above (Oblique view from behind)
Game and Animation is not just the work of one You must be able to draw things from the down-looking
individual. It involves the joint efforts of a group of angle. Often you need to set the scene and show your
people.Therefore everyone must be able to characters in their environment. In directional terms,
understand the characters' expressions. This front the view from above is used in scenes where the
pose is a standard one that everyone can work from. character is depressed. Drawing the character from
behind increases the sadness of the scene.
 3. 4.

Compare suclh things as

the size of the head, the
----- - appearance of the neck and
the shoulders, and the
length of the arms with the
frontal view in (1 ).

Don 't forget tlhe parts

that are not visible in
/ the frontal view such as
the underarms.

... Draw the curve of the

waist the opposite way
to the way it is drawn
from below.

I
I
I

There is some
exaggeration. The legs
are much bigger than
in the frontal view. The
parts of the body
nearest you are the
biggest.

3. The view from above (frontal) 4. The view from below

As in (2) this pose is often used in explanatory This view is used to emphasize the character's
scenes in relation to the character. size and strength, and to express exultation
and attractiveness.
 A Girl's Body
-,

.I Make sure you draw girls' bodies soft and smooth, not hard looking. In the pose below, take care to get an extremely
natural pose with the knees close together, the feet not wide apart and fists unclenched.

Always be aware of the sides and cross-sections The midline for the eyes.
(the dark shaded areas) when you start drawing.

The line for

positioning the eyes.
The midline for the body.

-- The midline for the body.

The midline for the head .

U
8
Q (A slender neck

Narrow shoulders. --
The line for
positioning the
A smooth line
from the hips to
the thighs.

d~ \
\
\
... ... \
\
(A full bust. ) 1
I
''~---'""" I
I

'[Slender arms. ) I
I

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I

( A narrow waist. )

Small feet
compared with
the boys'.
Little definition of
(Slim ankles.}-----
--- the calves.

I
 A Boy•s B_QdY

Make sure you draw the boys' bodies with muscular definition. In the pose below, the character is drawn with one hand
I on the hip, one fist clenched, the knees opened outwards and the·feet facing outwards.

----- ____ ------- The lines for positioning the eyes.

The midline for the body.

The midline for the face.

The midline for the face.

The midline for
the eyes.

( A thick neck.

Muscular shoulder joints. Muscular upper

arm.

Muscular chest.

Knees open wider

than the girls'.
Muscular calves.

~--- --- { Big feet. )

 So far you have looked at single characters (the leading characters) but an animation or manga work cannot be produced
with just the one character. You must also have a cast of supporting characters.
So take a look at how to draw the essential cast of supporting characters. You have to express the individuality of each
one with accuracy. There are two things that you must do: make the leading characters stand out above the rest,
and endow the supporting characters with enough personality to make them interesting.
Think of the personal background (their past, their beliefs, their relationship with the leading character/s etc.) for each
character and then convey this information in the total design through such things as their expressions, hairstyle,
costume and accessories.
First, compare their height. The Hero is usually
2. The Hero/heroine 3. The Stocky
about 150 em (5'00" ft.). The height of the Normal type
body is 7 times the length of
Middle-aged Man
1. The Child About 1 m (3 '33' ft.) {In the Fantasy Genre works ,
2. The Hero/Heroine (Normal type) About 150 em (5 '00' ft.) the head . The legs are slightly this would be a dwarf, for
3. The Stocky Middle-aged Man About 140 em (4 '67' ft .) longer than is realistic . example.)
4. The Strong Man About 188 em (6 '27' ft.) ;---------
5. The Normal Middle-aged Man About 180 em (6'00' ft .) Broad shoulders. Sturdy.
6. The Older Woman About 158 em (5'27' ft.) His shoulders are usually A square jaw. His jaw
7. The Middle-aged Woman About 140 em (4'67" ft.) about three times wider and temple are about
than the head . , the same width.
,' '---------'
/

His upper arm and below

the elbow are the same A short neck. Only
1. The Child thickness. The width of about as long as the
The head is big compared to the the joints at the length from the
body. Make sure that when you shoulders, elbows and / mouth to the chin.
wrists are about equal.
draw the child'~ expression you
don't put an adult face on a
child 's boJiy.

Narrow
shoulders. About
1.5 times the
width of the head.

waist is not too

narrow (except
when drawing
the Bishoujo
type).

Keep the legs

short within a
One of his hands is
6:4 ratio with
big enough to cover
the upper body.
his face. It gives
him a sense of
sturdiness.

joints and the flesh so don 't draw the

wrists and ankles slim. Muscles haven 't His legs aren 't long but his feet
developed yet. are exaggerated in size. They
are bigger than his face .
 I Characters nos. 3 through 7 are all much more difficult to draw than the attractive leading & supporting characters as
well as Bishoujo characters. Drawing older people realistically breaths life into your work and the characters.
I
4. The Strong Man 5. The Normal His head is about
Middle-aged Ma the same size as
--- -- the Strong Man's.
A slimmer build than
the Strong Man, he is
qtiite slender. His body is leaner
than the Strong
Man 's.
Muscular
definition of his
chest. His upper
body is an upside- Some muscular
down triangle. The definition of his arms
shoulders are 1.5 and calves.
\
\
\
times the width of \
I \
the waist. I
I
I
I
I
I ~--------..
I
Emphasize the
,.,.",.,.,.--' muscular definition of
the arms and calves.
,/
His legs are about half
the length of his body. I-
--
Large feet about
the same size as \ 1
\
his head. \
\
\
\
\
\

~ Taller than the leading

characters.
6. ~he
Older
Woman
She is drawn with
Smooth feminine feminine curves.
curves from the Make sure there are
neck to the no hard contours.
shoulders.
Shaped differently I
from a girl, her bust, The line from the
hips and waist have waist to the crotch is
defined contours. long.
Ample bust, waist
and hips. Her hips (the pelvis)
are about the same
- width as the
The stomach and shoulders.
bust protrude
about the same. The waist hardly
goes in at all.
Huge thighs. The
legs are as short --- Compared with the three
middle-aged men, her joints
as the Stocky
Middle-aged are slimmer. I
Man's.
 The Design of the Supporting Characters: looking at Height
So far most of the leading characters have been introduced. This will help you figure out what size you should draw
the supporting characters in relation to the leading characters.

The Heroes

The Chief of the Organization The Common Soldier

The Strong Soldier that helps the Hero/Heroine To make the Chief stand
He is about a head taller In between the Strong Soldier out, he is a neck smaller
than the Hero. and the Hero in size. than him.
A thick shoulder-width Austere middle age. I

chest. A moustache.

The Stocky Dwarf

Thick arms and legs. The Good Witch
He is about a head The same height as the
shorter than the Hero. The Heroine Hero.
If he were any smaller She is about a neck shorter A slender build.
than this, the screen than the Hero.
composition would be She is strong-minded and
difficult. feminine.
Middle-aged. Always draw her in a special
pose.

The Heroes' Pet

Important to the story line.
A medium-sized animal rather than a small one.
 II •

The Villa1ns

The Enemy Chief The Female Enemy

Stubborn. Character
His shoulders are narrower than the A domineering pose The Monster
Strong Soldier's on the Good1es' s1de. irrespective of the genre type. Huge hands and feet to
A little taller than the Hero. emphas1ze his strength.
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The Enemy Adviser: The Bad I I
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Witch (Character 2) I I
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The same size as the I I
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The Enemy Adviser: The equivalent on the witch on the I I
I I
Sorcerer (Character 1) Goodies' side but she strikes I
I
I

An old man w1th a bent a feminine pose.

back
The Enemy Spy
The Enemy Number 2 Ap1sh {Short w1th long
Half a head taller than the arms)
Hero but smaller than the Moves like a ninja.
Enemy Chief.
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An attractive character I
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I I I
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I I I
I I I
I I I
I I I
I I I
I I I
I I I
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The Villains' Pet

No particular meaning in the story. .
In the story to emphasize the refinement of the dev11.
 · . - Hairstyle a Ia Carte
~ '\ -r.. . • +.' .. ~ ~ .~J • • • ....

Hairstyles have already been mentioned in the earlier chapter on individual characters, but they are different for every
work. In each work, they must be designed to set the particular story and the various personalities within it

The collection of hairstyles here is not definitive. Heroes have unexpectedly conservative hairstyles. Their
hairstyles should be in tune with the expectations of their audience/readers, and to avoid the two extremes of their
possible reaction, that is love and hate, strange hairstyles should be avoided. The hairstyles of the supporting characters
are easy to decide, but the same is not true of the leading characters'. They must be at the same time normal and
striking . Even a professional animation/manga artist spends quite some time coming to a decision on the matter.
 The thing that you must get right when drawing hair is not the shape of the hairstyle but whether you are

I ready to apply the color. Whether you are painting in the color by hand or using a computer, professionals use lines
to divide the hair into areas of different colors.
Amateurs start by drawing each strand of hair and finish with the outline for the entire head of hair.
The first thing a professional thinks of is the entire outline. Then he/she divides the hair into tufts by drawing lines
Shading and applying different areas of colors are deliberate ways of changing tufts of hair and the shape. The
important thing IS to pick out shapes for hairstyles from your favorite works and pictures that you think are good, and
start drawing them.
 Drawing Detail
I

' Practice Drawing Eyes.

First is the practice for drawing the eyes. As mentioned already, the design of the whole body is subconscious
information. Although there are many people who say they like the design of the eyes, or the hairstyle, there aren't
for the sketch of the body (the physique). If the sketch of the body doesn't work though, this registers with people
subconsciously and they end up thinking "I don't like this piece of work much."
Information immediately jumps out to us from eyes, whether they are the eyes of a living human being or a manga or
animation character. This is what is called conscious information. The eyes are probably your greatest concern when
you are drawing the character design. Perhaps you have tried to draw lots of eyes but to your surprise the shape always
looks slapdash.

--
Here is some information on the eyes that are often used in animation and manga. It is meaningless to say
which is the best design. The problem about eyes is that although you can draw them perfectly well face-on, you can't
even draw the eyes you are best at drawing when the direction of the face or body changes. It is fun deciding things like
the color/s of the pupils, the number of eyelashes, and whether the highlights should be round or square. But these
considerations take over and you tend to forget the overall shape. The biggest pitfall you can fall in though is you
can 't draw the eyes when the angle of the face changes.
1 : Start with the Outline
Here are some outlines for the eyes. Can you see that they are outlines of the eyes on the previous pages? Before
you draw the details of the eyes, think that the people looking at your drawing will register this information
subconsciously. Just as with the sketches of the body, the sketches of the eyes are also essential. With an
awareness of their importance, think of it as a culmination of angles like the body. Look at the outlines below and
work out how they are composed. For example, look at the shapes, the diamonds, triangles and curves, in the
outline.
2: Stick on the polygons
Try sticking the outlines for the eyes onto part of the full-face that is considered a polygon (a square box).
Decide the position for the eyes without being led astray by considerations such as the number of eyelashes or the shape
of the highlights. Naturally when the angle changes, draw the outlines for the eyes as they were one side of a
polygon. They are not that difficult to draw if you draw think of them in the same way as you would a box.

3: Last are the Pupils

1
Once the angle has been decided and you have drawn the outline, you can start the job of drawing in the pupils. Actually
this is where "think in polygons" evolves into "think in curves." Make sure you master drawing the pupils on a flat
surface first.
 Practice 'D~awing Feet.
... -- ._ . - . ~·~ , -~

• Hands and feet are difficult to draw because they are very complicated. The first step is to draw them as cubes.

1. Draw the ankles , joints 2. Add the hollow of the 3. Draw the overall
and sides (the shaded part) arch and the toes. Start by shape with smooth lines.
carefully. dividing the toes at even
intervals .

Put in the line that

goes up to the toe
joint.

Round off the angular parts as

if you are planing them off.
Hollow out the big toe joint.
Once you get used to drawing the foot as a
cube, you don 't have to start with squares
any longer. Start drawing it by roughly
approximating the outline.

The midline of the foot comes

to the middle of this toe.

I
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I The nails curve
I
I around the
I
contours of the
toes.

I
I
I
I
I
I
I I
I I
I
I I
I The depression for the
I I
II I
arch of the foot. This line
II
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goes into the foot a little.
-I
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1. Draw the anklebone , 3. Finish by drawing the
2. Add the toes with an
considering the arch of awareness of the joints. Add overall shape , adding the
the foot and the toe the little toe last so that you nails and the visible muscles
joints. can just see part of it. of the instep (the extension
of the bones of the toes).
Aspects of Feet: Variation 1
The sole of the foot is used in quite a lot of scenes such as when the character is kneeling or sitting cross-legged, or
kicking face-on in an action scene. Practice drawing the following poses.
I Aspects of Feet: Variation 2
The following are a collection of common aspects of the feet and the less common twist.

Common Aspects

-- - I- -- - I ---
1 I

--- I-
--
1
1

The Twist ••• ,~••• •-~ 1· ••••• ~. -:~ ••• -~~ ~ •••••• ~ .-~ ••• ~-,~-.
 Practice Drawing Hands
-- -

The hand is the best barometer of human being's evolutionary advancement. Chimpanzees and gorillas have the manual
dexterity to hold things, but they are far inferior to men.
What makes drawing fingers so difficult is that each finger has several joints, all of which are different lengths. The
quickest way to improve is to practice sketching your own hand. Another effective method would be to copy drawings that
make you think "How on earth did they manage to draw that at such a difficult angle?"

1. Draw the wrist, the 2. Imagine how each joint 3. Change t~e overall shape of
joints at the back of the and finger loo.ks Uke. The the handJrom cubic to
h~nd and the sides (the little finger looks different cylindrical. Do this for details
shaded part) carefully. from the others. Check by such as the fingers that
looking at your own fingers. include th·e joints at the back
of the hand , and the thickness
of the palm too .

This shadow faces the opposite way

to the other fingers .

After making a cubic image, roughly sketch the shape

of the hand and carefully position the wrist and the
whole hand, the back of the hand and the thumb.
The first joints,
second joints and
the nails are all
parallel to the curve
The thickness between of the fingertips.
the first and second

The little finger is

slightly thinner than
the rest.

1. Draw the lines for the 2. Add the joints onto the back 3. Shape the fingers in
fingers . Imagine how of the hand , and shape the more detarl , drawing the
they will look and draw fingers . The thickness between protrusion of the joints,
the little finger slightly the first and second joints is the nails and the webs
apart from the rest. the same , but the fingers taper
from The thumb angles

I
outwards.shaped .
 Aspects of Hands: Variations

I The following are a collection of common aspects of the hands. Practice so that you can draw the poses for both the right
and left hands.

Clenched
I

Open ...... .. 1• • _. • • • • • • •. • • • • • • • I••••••••. l ................... .

I I :

I
• rAspects of Hands: Variations

Meaningful poses

Holding something •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• • ••

I I I

I
 SF Stories

A futuristic SF story. Android A is the Hero who has A slapstick action story involving twin Heroes A and
lost his/her memory and Android B knows about A's B in outer space. (But there is more to it than just
past. The layout shows A medium-sized and B full- laughs.) The layout shows the two Heroes silting back
sized. Think of the composition as a circle and to back and front-facing.
triangle .

Love Stories

- -I- -

A love story. A 17-year-old boy meets an old female A love story. An omnibus love story involving three
classmate B after ten years. But A already has girls A, B and C. All three characters , shown breast-
girlfriend C. A love triangle unfolds. A is standing in upwards, have their faces looking in different
the center with close ups of the faces of B and C on directions.
I
either side .

II
Once you can draw the main compositions featured in the book, you will want to draw your own characters from any
angle. It would be a real shame when you get to the layout stage for your story and think "I'd like to do that, but I can't
draw characters' faces looking in different directions ..." and you end up giving up, wouldn 't it? So use the drawings below
to practice drawing the face from slightly different angles. Once you can do this, you are ready to create your own
animation and game.
 A Critique: Example 2

• The feet are sketched too roughly. Draw them in more detail.
• Her arms look bare so draw some bracelets.
• Make the pattern of the dress curve over her breast and hips.
• The dress is not drawn in enough detail.
• The folds at the hem of the dress don't look right. Draw the folds properly at even intervals.
The character's center of gravity is out (See Example 1) and she looks unstable.
It is important to consider how the character fits into the scene and how he/she
appears. Make sure you have this sorted out before you start drawing the details.
If you don't, then you will end up conveying the wrong information. For instance,
look at the character below. The revised version has the character standing in a
confident pose, but the original looks restless as if she is hiding something,
doesn't she?

The balance of the eyes is out.

The distance from

the shoulder to the
elbow is too long.
' ' .,
''
'
''
''
''
' '
<~ The shoulders are not
aligned properly.
The body-line is out.

'+-
It looks as if the
character is leaning
against a wall.

The character is tilted to

one side and looks as if she
is floating off the ground.

I
 A Critique: Example 6

• Meaningless lines are drawn on the thighs and calves. No matter how athletic she is, this is overdoing it.
• Take care with the directions of the arms and the back of the hand. Pose in front a mirror to look at how certain
poses would look.
• Compared with the upper body, the lower body is too sparse in detail. You need to draw with more feeling for
the subject. Don't draw pointed fold lines.
• If you color the fringe that falls over the face, it looks too heavy. It would be better to divide the hair up and
have it sticking out.
• Draw this pose bolder because the original one doesn't go all the way.
 It is difficult to decipher exactly what this drawing means. At a
glance. it doesn't look as if this character is about to jump up
energetically (as the revised version looks as if she is about to do).
There is something odd about the design. But more than that, the
pose was a wrong choice in the first place. A jump is a momentary
pose that lasts for a split second. It is what is called a moving
picture in animation (a still picture between a move from one pose
to the next). Therefore when a beginner decides on this kind of pose
for a drawing exercise, it is highly likely that that the result will look
unstable.

If the hand is simplified, still Apart from the left eye, the
consider the shape carefully. parts of the face are too far
The hands are too big in over.
relation to the wrists.

more and shape the hips out.

Don't draw strange contours on the

thighs. Also , the thighs are too long .

The legs are

This looks unnatural because different
the ankle and instep are lengths.
tensed. Unless you deliberately
want to bend the feet, don't
draw them like this because it
looks unnatural.
l

l
The ears aren 't symmetrical.

Imagine the parts that you The shoulders are not the
cannot see and get into the same width.
habit of drawing them
properly. That is the first
step in improving your
drawing skills.

Make the thickness

of the arms even.

The elbow is too

narrow.

The back of the

hand is too long.

This should be fuller. It looks as if

the back leg is dragging behind.

''
''
''
' ' ...
''
' ', ,......-------..

The overall balance is fine. And the frontal view of the

legs, although a difficult angle to get right. have been
drawn quite skilfully. Once you have reached this
stage, the next thing to work on are the details. Too
much exaggeration of the arms and legs has a negative
effect.
 from
memory...

Recalling it
exactly...