How to Draw Anime:

Practical Guide for Beginners

By Li Shen

Copyright©2016 Li Shen
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2016 by Li Shen.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,

distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1- What is Anime?
Chapter 2- Angry Beauty
Chapter 3- Anime Girl in Action
Chapter 4- Anime City Girl
Chapter 5- Anime Princess
Chapter 6- Winter Anime Girl
Chapter 7- Angry Anime Guy
Conclusion
Disclaimer

While all attempts have been made to verify the information provided
in this book, the author does assume any responsibility for errors,
omissions, or contrary interpretations of the subject matter contained
within. The information provided in this book is for educational and
entertainment purposes only. The reader is responsible for his or her own
actions and the author does not accept any responsibilities for any liabilities
or damages, real or perceived, resulting from the use of this information.

The trademarks that are used are without any consent, and the
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Introduction

How much are we really aware of Japan, its customs, culture, art and
people? Have you ever wondered where and how are created all the
fabulous characters in the world of Japanese animation? From where did all
this inexhaustible source of imagination and ideas come? If you are
interested to know more about anime, then the first chapter of this book will
respond to most of your questions.

The remaining chapters of the book "How to Draw Anime" is dedicated

entirely to the process of designing anime characters. The step by step
instructions you will found in this book will allow you to quickly and in an
interesting way master drawing anime young women, girls and handsome
anime male protagonist. Six of the seven chapters of the book are drawings
explaining how you can create these unusual and inspiring characters using
just a pencil and a sketchbook.

The aforementioned is the very essence of this book, meaning you will
learn in an easy way by looking at the pictures how to make drawings of
anime characters, including:
Angry Beauty

Anime Girl in Action

Anime City Girl

Anime Princess

Winter Anime Girl

Angry Anime Guy

Chapter 1- What is Anime?

Anime is a style of cartoon animation originating from Japan, with a

characteristic way of creating characters and backgrounds. While some
anime movies are completely hand drawn, computer-assisted in the creation
of anime is usual. Stories of anime are usually imagined. Anime is
broadcast on television, distributed on media such as VHS or DVD, and via
games for consoles or computers. Many anime works were created under
the influence of Japanese comics known as manga, and some anime titles
are converted into feature films or series.

Anime has many genres, as well as traditional films and series. These
genres include adventure, science fiction, children's stories, love stories,
medieval fantasy, erotica, horror, action, and drama.

Most anime contains elements from several different genres, as well as

variations of themes, and it makes tough sorting several genres. Anime can
have a seemingly simple action, but at the same time may contain much
more complex, deeper plot, and character development. It is not unusual
that anime oriented primarily to action include humor, love, and even sharp
social comment. The same may apply to the anime-oriented love stories that
may contain strong action elements.
Short history of anime

Moving pictures and other animated features began to emerge during the
early twentieth century. Japanese artists and authors have not started to
experiment with animation until 1914, primarily because American
animation studios began to dominate the market. The participation of Japan
in creating the animation was flowing very slowly. One of the reasons was
probably the long-standing self-imposed isolation from the rest of the
world.

After the war World War II, a man named Osamu Tezuka worked in a
factory and was impacted by the early works of Walt Disney. While trying
to draw original characters modeled after the Disney style, he has gained
great popularity. However, the work that has defined the animation in Japan
was a world successful animated series Astro Boy from 1963. His interest
in animation crowned him as the creator of the anime and graphic novels,
known as manga.

Tezuka and his studio have paved the way to Japanese animation; in the
1970s appeared a change and growth of this form of entertainment.
Different trends by various authors began to develop. These trends are
passed down through generations and are present in the anime today.
Instead of the usual struggle of good against evil, writers have begun to
apply the compelling twists and turns and new concepts to make the story
more interesting. E.g. anime Lupin III shows the "good" protagonist with a
somewhat mischievous personality. Mobile Suit Gundam is a story about
the interstellar war between the Earth and its first stellar colonies. From
these concepts were born ideas and components for future anime.

During the 1980s, Japanese artist Go Nagai began to create an anime for
adults, breaking concept that animation is only for children. From satire to
full nudity and sexual engagement, brilliant ideas has attracted the attention
of a greater number of fans and admirers of anime. In 1988, he created a
work that transcends all boundaries and was deemed to have been ahead of
his time.

The film "Akira" is set in an apocalyptic and futuristic Tokyo, where the
motorcycle gang faces numerous obstacles as they learn that one member
has ominous psychic abilities that can destroy the world. This anime in the
eyes of many fans was the trigger for opening the eyes of the true potential
of anime movies. In 1995, he made a step towards even better works.
Anime "Ghost in the Shell" explored the depths of the human mind,
displaying elements of psychological manipulation, conflicts between life
and machines.
That same year, two studies have teamed up to create an anime that will be
very famous in the animation industry. Gainax and Production IG have been
working hard to create the "Neon Genesis Evangelion". This epic anime
series of 26 episodes placed events in the year 2015, where "angels" from a
parallel universe come to planet Earth and attacked the human race. As an
act of self-defense, bio-mechanical machines were created, called
"Evangelion," which are managed by three candidates to defend the planet.

Series itself contains everything its predecessors did not have, at the same
time involves a great amount of depth of the characters, and twists in the
story, breathtaking action, and historical, scientific and biblical elements.
This unique anime led to the emergence of "Eve" phenomenon in Japan
and was considered to be highly appreciated by the critics.

Anime, as a medium of escape from reality, allowed the Japanese viewers

to sink into worlds that are entirely different, with different cultures and
people. Even anime in which the place of events is the Japan of today,
unique appearance and character design continues to create a sense that this
is something more wild and adventurous than Japan in reality.

The fact that anime characters initially looked like westerns, but acted as
Japanese and have Japanese names, helped to create a bond between the
characters and the Japanese audience. The Japanese audience was able to
see the characters as the Japanese, but with a little more worldliness,
freedom and diversity in them.

Artistic techniques in anime are very sophisticated and are the main factor
in making this genre had so much influence on Western pop culture. One
very important aspect of the anime is attention to detail. Tezuka drew
Astro boy`s eyes large and rounded on purpose to reflect the expression of
the face that will allow him to present a wide range of emotions.

Display of various emotions is different in the anime and is quite distinctive

in relation to the American cartoons. In addition to facial expressions, the
artists will also draw foreign physical elements that will emphasize an
emotion, which makes it more spontaneous and anime more unique as a
genre. E.g. Elements such as noticeable veins in the form of crosses on the
left or right side of the head of a character, when irritated, or an
abnormally large drop of sweat on his head, when the character is in
trouble. Blush is another element that is overstated. Rough red lines under
the eyes of the character will appear when they find themselves in a
romantic or unpleasant situation.
Unlike American cartoons, in which the proportions of the body are of the
excessive size and at odds with the rest of the body, the proportions of the
body of anime characters are identical to proportions of genuine people.
This highlights the real aspect of the anima as the characters are created to
be like real people.

Unlike Disney cartoons, where bright details on the characters almost do

not exist, in the anime, an important role have an adequate lighting,
shadows, and shading. The characters must have appropriate lighting and
shade on their clothes, face and most tangled hair which is one of the most
difficult elements of the drawing.

Since it is almost impossible to get out almost every piece of hair (unless it
comes to computer-produced model), the artists draw the hair with thicker
threads, which enable them to maneuver with shading and lighting. The
light in the eyes of anime characters is also very lively and vividly. The
reflection of the cornea is very bright and large in relation to the eye.
Glare tends to increase when the character is about to cry, or when there is
a feeling of envy toward someone or something.

Why did I tell you this short story about anime? I think it will help you to
know important things about drawing anime characters so you could easily
draw it yourself. Now, take a paper and a pencil and let`s get started!
Chapter 2- Angry Beauty

Among anime characters, you can find plenty of angry manga beauty with
lovely but bitter faces. Let`s try to draw one of this intriguing figures,
starting from the contours of her face. I will name her Aruka like a manga
character I once watched on TV.

Start drawing with a lead pencil without pressing the paper hard as shown
in the picture below. Of course, first you will draw those large distinct eyes
and a little mouth characteristic of all manga girls. As you know, the chin is
always a bit sharp and a nose can be just a spot like in the following
pictures.
After, you will thicken the contours with a thin black marker as in the
following picture and you will get an expression on a face of a cute but
angry manga girl. Look closely at her eyes, eyebrows and a shape of her
mouth.
Next, we'll add her abundant hair with a few pencil strokes; you can see
how in the following two pictures, just be patient. On the second picture,
you can see the contours of her small soft hand, holding a strand of hair.
I advise you to draw first with a pen and after that bold the lines with a
thinner marker, so everything will be just the way you want. If you make a
mistake, you can always erase it.
Now, we`ll take a closer look at her big eyes. Her hair is falling on her face.

The following picture shows an enlarged part of the drawing where the tiny
hand holding a stripe of hair is.
The last step is shadowing the girl's hair, which will make it more authentic
and rich. The final picture below is deliberately enlarged so you can see if
you have missed something from the previous pictures.

As you can notice, her eyebrows are very distinct and black. As for her hair,
the darker shading is on the top of the head, where the split is, and on the
hair tails. Do not forget to take a closer look on her neck as she has a collar
from the shirt.
Chapter 3- Anime Girl in Action

Many anime characters fight against their opponents because the main topic
is always the oldest topic in the world and that is a combat of good and evil.
In this chapter you will learn how to draw a young anime girl reaching her
hand for something or trying to fight against someone.

As you can see in the pictures below, you will draw the lines first with a
lead pencil and then bold her big eyebrows with a marker. Her mouth is
open and the eyes are large as with other manga characters. Just keep your
attention on the pictures and you will be able to copy the drawing. Some of
the lines are a bit complex, especially regarding the eyes so it demands your
full attention.
As you can see in the following picture the girl`s eyes are in the form of an
irregular pentagon. You should first work on her eyes as they give an
expression to the whole anime character.
The next thing we will do is to bold the lines of the face, mouth, collar and
a sleeve with a thin marker. Please note that the middle of the chin of
manga characters is always pointed.
Then, we will just continue to amplify the lines with a marker. As you can
see in the following picture our anime girl has a tie and light, long bangs
that fall over her eyes. Those are also the general futures of many anime
girls.

The second picture below shows an enlarged part of the drawing where the
girl`s face is so you could take a closer look. You can also see from the
second drawing how to draw the hair.
We will now make her hair more distinct by shading it with a pencil as
shown in the next picture.
Next, we will point our attention on the girl`s long hair falling down
between her arm and a waist. You can see how to draw the sleeve too.

You should now pay attention to shading the upper part of her dress, a tie
and the hair. The picture below also points out how you can draw the elbow
and the arm.
On the next picture, you can see how to color her long tails of hair, as well
as how to draw her little gentle hand. This way of forming a hand is very
characteristic for drawing anime girls. Don`t forget the curls on the bottom
of her hair.
Chapter 4- Anime City Girl

Now we will draw a handsome young woman that I named City Anime Girl
as she looks like she`s on her way to see her girlfriends on a lunch. The
most of the pictures in this chapter don't show the whole figure of the anime
girl like the first one below.

On some pictures, you will see the upper part of the figure and on others
you will see her legs or the lower part. It is important to know this so you
would now what size the parts of the figure should be on your drawing. If
you are not sure, just scroll down till the last picture to see the whole
drawing.

The first picture below shows the beginning of drawing the girl`s head with
long abundant hair holding the belt of a purse and on the second one you
can see her happy face.
I hope the following picture will show you more clearly how to draw the
upper part of the anime girl as the lines are outlined with a black marker.
The next picture is pretty much the same; it only shows you how to shade.
As you can see our anime girl has a shirt that is unbuttoned a bit and a
jacket. On her head she wears a headband.
The following two pictures illustrate how you will continue drawing a city
girl heading towards her legs. On the second one, you can see how to draw
her waist and join the upper part of the figure with the legs.

You can also notice how to shade it the right way and all those wrinkles on
her clothes.
Let`s now move on to her legs and pants. The next two pictures show you
how to handle with these. As you can see, these pants are not tight, just an
ordinary jeans with the stripe.
You do not have to bother much about her shoes as they are rather in a very
simple form, nothing fancy.
So, your city anime girl should like the one below if you managed to
assemble the top and the bottom part of the figure.
Chapter 5- Anime Princess

Anime princess is very easy to draw and the young woman in the pictures is
very cute and resembles an innocent princess which is in love and thinking
about her love.

As usual, we will start by drawing her head with an ordinary pencil as it is

the part of a body of anime characters that is most distinguished. We will
draw her profile and her beautiful long hair.
In the picture below you can take a better look at the contours of a girl as
they were thickened with a thin black marker. Notice how the two tails of
her hair in front are crossed and hair in the back is curled at the bottom as
she went to a hairdresser.

Also, she is wearing a dress with short sleeves that have unusual big ruffles.
Breasts in the majority of female anime characters are drawn as slightly
bulge, with no erotic connotations. That will not be too hard to draw.
In the second picture below you can take a closer look on her face from the
profile. She doesn`t have that long bands like the other anime girls in the
book, but they are irregularly cut and give the impression of wildness and
freedom.
All there is left for you to do is to shade her hair and the part of the dress that
could be seen in the picture and the anime princess is finished. Now, you can
color her hair and a dress with some engaging colors. You can do the same
with other drawings too, just pick the colors and paint.
Chapter 6- Winter Anime Girl

Next, we will draw a cute anime girl in a winter jacket offering her hand
wearing a thick glove. Let`s begin as usual from the head and the face. Look
at the last picture in the chapter to see the proportion of the figure on the
drawing as you can`t realize it by looking at first pictures.

As you can see our winter girl has a big warm scarf and earmuffs which
makes her even more charming along with her large warm eyes. Her
eyebrows are a bit down like the good people have.

The glow in anime character`s eyes is actually a blank space in an

unexpected part of the eye as you can see if you take a closer look on the
second picture below.
In the next picture, you can see what you should draw by now as the lines
are thickened with a marker. This is just a part of the anime winter girl
meaning you cannot see her offered hand. Just follow the lines and make this
beautiful drawing, the shading is just to come.

The next image is deliberately magnified to make it easier for you to draw
all these jagged lines representing long hair and winter clothes of an anime
girl. As you can see there are many intertwined lines so be aware of it.
The following picture shows the same part of the drawing, but you can see
how to start shading the bangs and the earmuff. Her nose is just a tiny spot
and her lips are just a little line.
We will now move on to the rest of the drawing where the hand is in a big
glove. It is not that hard to draw the glove as it doesn`t have any fingers, but
you should pay attention on the wrinkles. Pay attention where the glove
begins.
The following two pictures will show you how to shade the glove, the coat
and her beautiful long hair on the winter wind. First, shade a big glove and a
part of a winter coat. The glove is big, of course, because it is closer to our
look. As you can see, the scarf is a bit lighter so one can discern it from the
rest of the winter clothes.
Next and the final step is coloring her hair with a lead pencil, so now you
can concentrate on that by watching the picture below. Isn`t she cute?
As I said before you don`t have to finish your anime drawings in black and
white. You can always color it with any color you wish. I already see the
winter anime girl in a light blue coat and a yellow glove. My winter girl is a
blonde, and yours?
Chapter 7- Angry Anime Guy

Finally, for those who would like to learn how to draw a young anime guy, I
have prepared an angry, but not mean, anime guy wearing a jacket on his
shoulder. Let`s start with his strange hair characteristic for anime guys.
Different picture show various parts of the drawing like in some previous
chapters.
In the next picture, you can see how you should draw his angry mouth.
Also, if you pay attention you could see that he has a small ponytail. The
edges of his hear are very sharp, but the chin is not pointed like with an
anime girls. Do not forget the small line that divides his teeth.
Now, you can draw the rest of the figure by looking at the pictures below. In
the first one, you can notice he is wearing an athletic shirt and he threw his
jacket over his shoulder like a really cool guy. It is not that hard to draw his
jacket as we can only assume it is a jacket by the contours of the drawing.
In the following picture you can see how to start shading his jacket. Also,
you can see the outlines on his arm that will divide the blank parts from the
shaded ones on his arm. It is much easier to shade if you outline the object
of shading first.
Next picture shows how to continue shading his jacket, meaning you are
going to shade the inside and the inside is always darker so press the pen
harder. Also, you should shade his arm as shown below.
Now, we will finish the shading of his jacket right on the drawing and his
left arm.
As you could see in the above pictures, his hear is already shaded and to see
how look at the following pictures.
So, our “anime prince” is finished. Now you can paint his hair in black or
his athletic shirt.
Conclusion

I hope the book "How to Draw Anime: Practical Guide for Beginners "
fulfilled your expectations indicated in the description of the book and the
introduction. What I mean I truly hope you have learned something about
anime movies and characters from the first chapter as well as how to draw
some of them presented in the book.

As it was stated in the book description the main characteristic and the best
part of the book should supposed to be explanatory pictures. I hope you
have enjoyed in those pictures that show you how to draw manga characters
step by step.