Free Download: How to draw Manga characters

Unlock the secrets to drawing manga characters with our step-by-step guide, from facial proportions to expressive (or just massive) eyes and hairstyles.

With a rich history spanning decades, each artist brings their unique perspective to Manga. Well, some artists bring their dull perspectives to Manga too. In this tutorial, drawing inspiration from beloved classics such as Sailor Moon our focus will be on crafting a unique character through the use of diverse hairstyles, eye shapes, and shading techniques.

Sailor Moon became particularly famous in the 90s for successfully re-popularizing the magical girl subgenre, and its sentai elements... You read it correctly. Don't confuse the term with a similar one starting with "h"... Manga has a "rich" history indeed!

We'll take it step by step so you don't get lost in your character's eyes. So, let's begin this tutorial steadily and thoughtfully!

Face Proportions

It all begins with a circle! When working with stylized faces in Manga art, the characters' facial proportions tend to deviate from realism and vary character by character. It largely hinges on your desired appearance and the style you aim to achieve. I mean, you just need to look at the epitome of Manga art: Shin-chan's face... What were those proportions based on? What I take away from it is that can base your character's face proportions on a sandal or a mango if you'd like...

A central vertical line helps to keep the symmetry (sorry Shin-chan...!). Once the face is divided into two equal parts we can create a cuter and rounder shape, by shortening the second half. In a semi-profile, the vertical line remains pivotal but shifts slightly off-center. It assists in establishing the endpoints of the eye, the base of the nose, and the chin. It could have no nose like the characters in South Park... Oh, that isn't considered Manga? Dang it, that was my favorite Manga!

Eye Shapes

Eyes can be designed in countless ways. Beginning with a circle provides a foundational structure to build upon. You are going to read this often... They can range from detailed to abstract, realistic to round or square, and much more... By now this a non-tutorial... I mean, do we need a guide to tell us we can draw a character whichever way we want? We, the people (the tiny amount reading this article), are sick of this tomfoolery! We demand concrete examples, now! If not there'll be consequences...: We will stop reading!

In the examples provided (oh, there are examples, sorry...! I got carried away...), the green line indicates the eye's angle, which can help you distinguish whether the eye shape appears cat-like or has a droopy appearance. Masculine eyes are in general more square, with less detail, the pupil is smaller, no eyelashes, thicker lower brows.

Eyes undergo such extreme transformations in manga because they serve as a crucial means to express emotions and convey information about the character's nature: be it gentle, sharp, strict, laid-back, and underlaying all of those: Lasciviousness... At least, in the mangas I know of, it seems to be a common thread...! What, am I wrong by any chance?

Feminine and masculine elements

Don't be lazy like Katsuhiro Ōtomo, learn how to draw women properly... Or else you'll be mocked for it endlessly, even if you made the masterpiece that is Akira!

That being said, in Manga, the distinction between feminine and masculine features can be quite subtle, sometimes. To illustrate, we often begin with a soft, feminine face characterized by round elements. However, merely by lowering the eyebrows and sharpening the facial features, a noticeable transformation occurs.

Take note that as individual elements, such as the eyes, become more square or sharper, the character's appearance tends to lean more towards masculinity. In this case (and in most Manga for some weird reason) a teenager's sort of masculinity, though!

Free Download

Okey, let's not farther spoil the PDF and video that awaits you inside this downloadable tutorial... If you've been following the steps I laid out your character might be noseless right now, mouthless and worst of all: Bold... If you'd like to fix all those problems the PDF goes much more in depth than myself on all those missing elements:

To close off this article on a sweet note I would like to share a quote from Sailor Moon: "Nothing Good Comes Out Of Mimicking Other People." Although, maybe this isn't the best quote for the occasion, since it outright contradicts the whole concept of a tutorial...

And my question is: Why does Sailor Moon have the same style as 90 percent of all manga, then...? Oh no, the weaboo community is going to come after me and they are so powerful! Oh, no they entered my home and are forcing me to watch obscure anime with weird sexual undertones and make noise when slurping my noodles to show appreciation for the food...! Sorry, I got hacked for a second there, I didn't type any of that role-play cringe!

In Domestika we won't force you to get domesticated by the countless courses on manga and drawing that you can find in our catalogue... We'll just politely suggest it:

- Join our drawing classes
- Easy drawing ideas for beginners An article by Yoli Arriaga
- How to draw characters