HOW TO DRAW ANIME


 
 
Hey everybody, I was thinking the other day how many people have said to me, "I can't draw, I don't know how!" Well, starting today, no more excuses! I'm going to do a tutorial, starting with the basics, and teach you everything I've been taught and learned as an artist. I may not be a professional, and If you already know everything I'm saying, fine. Don't read it. But if you want to learn some of the fundamental basics of drawing, particularly manga, and you're sick of copying other's work, I'll help you to create your own stuff. I'll teach you things like perspective and proportions, along with tips and tricks I've learned or heard about over the years. So to start off, here's a tutorial on drawing an anime face, straight on. I know it's kinda boring, but I'm just getting started, and the exciting stuff is soon to come. so here it is...
HOW TO DRAW AN ANIME FACE
Part 1: 

1. Draw a circle. If you have trouble with that, use a compass or try the "box" method (decscribed below).
2. Bisect the circle vertically and horizontally
3. Draw a line 1/2 the distance that you want the length of the eyes to be below the horizontal diameter. (ugh, sounds like geometry already! This may sound comfusing, but it's basically so you don't have you're eyes all over the place!)
4. Draw another line the same distance below it, these three lines are your guidelines for the eyes.
5. Draw the jaw below the bottom of the circle and don't make it straight lines, make them curve to fit the underlying bone structure with bulges for the cheekbones and divits for the eyesockets.  (make sure it is symetric with the center line)
Part 2:

1. Draw the eyes inside the lines. Make sure the eyes stay level with the line and that they are evenly spaced with the center line and the sides of the head. The eyebrows should rest just above the eyes (duh).
2. Draw the nose aligned with the center line. Place it where it feels right to you, just not above the bottom eye line, and not too far down. 
3. Draw the mouth originating just below the nose, and keep it symetrical with the center line. If her mouth were closed, it would be level with the top line of the open mouth. 
4. draw the top of the ears lined up with the top eye line, and draw the neck in
Part 3:

1. There really is no specific way to draw hair, it can be as wild and crazy as you want. Just use the sphere of her head as a guideline and think of where the source of the hair is when you draw it. I think spiky hair is cool, but I wanted it to be long too. 
Part 4:

1. Add detail.
Heh, just kidding. I hate it when tutorials say that. Comic art is iconic art. A few lines are meant to portray a real 3D object. This is the time that you have to choose carefully which lines you'll keep and which ones you'll omit. For example: A few lines in the bottom part of the hair gives it more substance, but you don't have to draw every single strand. The partition in the top of the hair is described with three lines, etc...

special note: in manga drawings, eyes are the most crucial feature on the face. (that's why they have the most detail) usually manga eyes have a light reflection or two and the top of the cornea melds in with the pupil. Develop your own technique, because they define the face.
Part 5.

1. Erase the guidelines and strengthen the lines that you're going to use. Now it's ready for photoshop. If you want to ink it, that's fine too. I usually ink my drawings, but I thought I'd try to do a CGed pic from a pencil drawing instead this time. 
Ok, here's the "box method"
1. Draw a square, use a ruler if you're not too good at judging proportions.
2. Draw a horizontal and a vertical line through the middle of the square
3. Using these guidelines, drawing a circle is much simpler