How to Draw Manga recommendations -

[Safir]

Please recommend me print books to give as a gift to an *~ aspiring manga artist ~*. (Online resources are also welcome because I'd rather something came out of it, but I need tangible shit that costs money.) I'm going to buy Manga in Theory and Practice, which I understand is something like Understanding Comics but for manga, and would like to supplement it with something on the technical side.

 

[Recoil]

Manga is degeneracy. You need to aspire harder.

 

[Cedric_Eff]

Just start with an good ol’ anatomy book like this one!

 

[saisegeha]

You're better off buying him/her "Constructive Anatomy" and "Loomis' Figure Drawing" instead of getting one of these horrors so they can develop their own style later down the line and not turn into a copy&paste mangaka.

 

[AbyssStarer]

Line, shape, value, form, space, texture.
Learn them, bitch.

 

[The best and greatest]

I was hoping this thread would be dedicated to awful cringy manga tutorials.

 

[Tetra]

Loomis' Figure Drawing

second this one, better to learn the basics before you specialize.

I was hoping this thread would be dedicated to awful cringy manga tutorials.

To be fair, the king of that shit was already posted right before your post. Nothing can top this

artist name is peter gray Christopher Hart if you want to see more of his work, his books went to print and actually sold to naive parents going to walmart

 

[The best and greatest]

second this one, better to learn to basics before you specialize.




To be fair, the king of that shit was already posted right before your post. Nothing can top this

View attachment 871844

Plot twist: He's actually a really good artist but his only subjects are people with severe downs.

 

[pomme]

Figure drawing for all it's worth by Andrew Loomis
Figure Drawing - Design and Invention by Michael Hampton
Perspective Made Easy by Ernest R. Norling
Color - A workshop for artists and designers by David Hornung
Keys to Drawing by Bert Dobson

These are all good starter materials, all of them are both informative and easy to read. Been said before but it's a much better idea to start with fundamentals than to go straight into an "anime style", as trying to replicate the styles of illustrators and mangakas without understanding form, gesture, etc. will lead to some terrible and frustrating attempts at drawing. Composition is very important too for any comic, but I don't have any recommendations here. Some of these books are very expensive so you should go looking for free .PDFs online.

 

[AF 802]

You're better off buying him/her "Constructive Anatomy" and "Loomis' Figure Drawing" instead of getting one of these horrors so they can develop their own style later down the line and not turn into a copy&paste mangaka.
View attachment 871790

This atrocity had me uncontrollably laughing. Thanks.

 

[saisegeha]

Figure drawing for all it's worth by Andrew Loomis
Figure Drawing - Design and Invention by Michael Hampton
Perspective Made Easy by Ernest R. Norling
Color - A workshop for artists and designers by David Hornung
Keys to Drawing by Bert Dobson

These are all good starter materials, all of them are both informative and easy to read. Been said before but it's a much better idea to start with fundamentals than to go straight into an "anime style", as trying to replicate the styles of illustrators and mangakas without understanding form, gesture, etc. will lead to some terrible and frustrating attempts at drawing. Composition is very important too for any comic, but I don't have any recommendations here. Some of these books are very expensive so you should go looking for free .PDFs online.

Gonna help OP out with the pdfs (although he more than likely wants something physical). Great beginner recommendations you've got there.

Spoiler

http://www.alexhays.com/loomis/Loomis%20Figure%20Draw.pdf

https://anatomiaartistica.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/michael-hampton-figure-drawing-design-and-invention-1.pdf

http://www.storytellerartist.com/documents/Perspective_Made_Easy.pdf

[Couldn't find one of Color]

https://www.tafths.org/ourpages/auto/2014/8/11/47875013/Keys%20to%20Drawing%20with%20Imagination.pdf

 

[Teri-Teri]

Here, I got this from a friend who is an absolute weeb.

More How To Draw Manga Vol. 1 The Basics Of Character Drawing : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

More How To Draw Manga Vol. 1 The Basics Of Character Drawing

archive.org

 

[YourMommasBackstory]

Give them some Bammes books, and beat all anime shit out of their head.

 

[Koresh]

I'm going to fall for the obvious troll and say that even before the Loomis and other books, you need to learn how to draw what you see, not what you think you see. Like drawing an actual nose instead of a triangle or an actual head structure instead of a circle or lightbulb shape. Loomis and Bridgeman are useless if you can't take what is in front of you and translate it onto paper, canvas, whatever. Best way to practice is just going out into the world with some paper and pen and drawing what you see until you can actually draw what you see.

Or you can bypass all that and go straight for the Holy Grail.

 

[Baklava]

As someone who was once a tiny weeb whose parents got art books for them, I have a few ideas that might help you. All links are to Amazon pages. I'll link where you can get physical copies for each suggestion on Amazon.

Here are some ideas:

• This book series was great and the art wasn't by that nutjob Loomis. If you don't know which one to get, try "Bodies and Anatomy" or "Compiling Characters". The style is fairly dated, very 90s/early 2000s in many of these, but they're good books for the subject matter. Many explanations of using tone, blotters, and other techniques to achieve desired effects.
• A book on drawing from life. Bridgman's has a huge selection of these that are cheap and easy to learn from, but the best way is to just do it till you git gud really. I've never read it myself, but a lot of people I've met swear by Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, which is also very affordable.
• Some manga with good art that is age-appropriate, so they can see that manga isn't exempt from the principles that make for effective art. Dr. Stone or Murata's One-Punch Man would be safe picks. I'm sure there are others, but most of the titles I can think of are grimdark shit like Berserk or depressingly unfinished like Vagabond.
• Get a straight-up anatomy book. There is nothing that can help more than actually looking at how the human body is structured. Trail Guide to the Body is a good one, and this book is more affordable. There are plenty of other options as well, of course.

 

[Chichan]

Amazon.com: Comickers Art: Tools and Techniques for Drawing Amazing Manga (9780061441530): Comickers Magazine: Books

Amazon.com: Comickers Art: Tools and Techniques for Drawing Amazing Manga (9780061441530): Comickers Magazine: Books

www.amazon.com

Sorry to power level, but I have this one it gives you tips on how to color your manga by hand and digitally I believe.

Comickers Art 3: Write Amazing Manga Stories: Comickers Magazine: 9780061452079: Amazon.com: Books

Comickers Art 3: Write Amazing Manga Stories [Comickers Magazine] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Comickers Art 3: Write Amazing Manga Stories

www.amazon.com

This one helps with setting up the story.

Amazon.com: Comickers Art 2: Create Amazing Manga Characters (9780061452543): Comickers Magazine: Books

Amazon.com: Comickers Art 2: Create Amazing Manga Characters (9780061452543): Comickers Magazine: Books

www.amazon.com

This one talks about how to sketch and recommendations.

Obviously try to find them somewhere cheaper.

 

[The best and greatest]

I'm going to fall for the obvious troll and say that even before the Loomis and other books, you need to learn how to draw what you see, not what you think you see. Like drawing an actual nose instead of a triangle or an actual head structure instead of a circle or lightbulb shape. Loomis and Bridgeman are useless if you can't take what is in front of you and translate it onto paper, canvas, whatever. Best way to practice is just going out into the world with some paper and pen and drawing what you see until you can actually draw what you see.

Or you can bypass all that and go straight for the Holy Grail.
View attachment 871997

I feel like this is what the ultimate goal of "learning to draw manga" is for most people...

 

[Frank D'arbo]

Here, I got this from a friend who is an absolute weeb.

More How To Draw Manga Vol. 1 The Basics Of Character Drawing : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

More How To Draw Manga Vol. 1 The Basics Of Character Drawing

archive.org

I haven't seen those books since elementary school

 

[Dom Cruise]

second this one, better to learn the basics before you specialize.




To be fair, the king of that shit was already posted right before your post. Nothing can top this

artist name is peter gray Christopher Hart if you want to see more of his work, his books went to print and actually sold to naive parents going to walmart

View attachment 871844

 

[IceGray]

Serious answer: Check out MangaMaterials' anatomical turnarounds on Twitter, although due to recent harassment she has made her free materials Japanese only.