The Art of Manga: Drawing Unique Characters
A course by Natalia BatistaManga Artist and illustrator
A course by Natalia Batista, Manga Artist and illustrator
Learn how to create a manga character from scratch and reach your visual storytelling potential by exploring original drawing techniques
The illustrations and stories found in manga can transport readers to fictional universes designed by its artist. Manga artist and storyteller Natalia Batista has been illustrating manga characters inspired by her passion for female empowerment. The worlds she has created in her art vary from fantasy and action to romance and comedy.
In this course, Natalia Batista teaches you how to draw manga characters from scratch. She shows you how to illustrate the Japanese-inspired protagonists with the correct proportions, and how to give them their own unique style and personality. Are you ready to draw a world of your own?
What will you learn in this online course?
21 lessons & 27 downloads
Tools & How to Use Them
13 minutes, 31 seconds
Introduction to Drawing and Sketching
11 minutes, 22 seconds
Basic Facial Proportions 1
20 minutes, 7 seconds
Basic Facial Proportions 2
19 minutes, 59 seconds
Facial Expressions
12 minutes, 52 seconds
Hair Design
19 minutes, 56 seconds
What's included in this course?
Start by getting to know Natalia, a Swedish manga artist and your teacher for this course. She shares her creative journey that led to her work being published throughout Europe and the US. Hear about the artists and artwork that inspire her and have influenced her work.
Get an overview of the materials needed, and how to use them. Learn about manga history and its character archetypes. Dive into the practical part of the course, and learn basic sketching and drawing techniques. Natalia shares her tips for making drawing a habit, and how to overcome creative blocks.
Next, Natalia teaches you how to draw the facial features of your manga character. She takes you step by step through drawing proportions and how they can change depending on age, gender, and personality. Learn how to draw your manga character’s eyes exactly how you envision them. Explore drawing facial expressions and how to give your character a unique hairstyle. Then, learn how to draw your character’s head in different positions.
Move on to drawing your character’s body by exploring different body types and choosing the one that best suits your style. Hone in on the finer details of your character by learning how to draw their hands. Discover the different ways to draw the poses of your character, as well as how to draw them in motion! Give your character a fashion sense by learning to illustrate their clothing.
Natalia then shows you how to make a character sheet, which comes in handy if you want to make a manga story with your character. Bring your character to life by giving them a personality. Natalia wraps up the course by guiding you through the process of writing about your character to make them relatable.
What is this course's project?
Design and draw a manga character and make a character sheet for them.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is great for those who want to learn how to draw, or for experienced artists who would like to explore the world of manga.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience necessary.
To take this course, all you need is paper, pencil, and an eraser.
Reviews
- rozijunior975PLUS1 month ago
Muito bom
- 1 month ago
Me encantó este curso. Natalia es una gran docente. Admiro su nivel de detalle para explicar desde cero, lo cual ha sido muy útil para mí, ya que es mi primera experiencia con el manga. Mi intención no es hacer manga, sino salir de mi zona de confort, que se centra en personajes realistas, y he visto a través de este curso un camino para lograrlo. Gracias Natalia! Hasta otra!
- 2 months ago
spiegazioni precise e dettagliate
- 3 months ago
Te enseña muy bién y aprendes mucho. Creo que es un curso que vale la pena tanto para priincipiantes como para dibujantes experimentados. Lo recomiendo un montón. 10 de 10
- 6 months ago
Um curso com grandes ideias
Since then, she has illustrated and published a number of manga pieces that are centered on female characters who are fighting for their rights. She is the artist and storyteller behind Sword Princess Amaltea and Mjau!, which have been published and printed throughout Europe and the United States. Natalia has also been featured in the German magazine Tokyopop for her comic Ein Lied für Elise.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
Materials and Basic Manga Character Design
- Tools & How to Use Them
- Manga Character Archetypes
- Introduction to Drawing and Sketching
- U3
A Manga Character’s Facial Features
- Basic Facial Proportions 1
- Basic Facial Proportions 2
- Facial Expressions
- Hair Design
- Head in Different Positions
- U4
Character’s Body
- Basic Body Proportions 1
- Basic Body Proportions 2
- Drawing Your Character’s Hands
- Fashion Design 1
- Fashion Design 2
- Posing and Moving Your Character 1
- Posing and Moving Your Character 2
- U5
Character Sheet and Personality
- Character Sheet 1
- Character Sheet 2
- Character Sheet 3
- Your Character’s Personality
- FP
Final project
- X Creation of a Manga Character
What to expect from a Domestika course
Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
Certificates
PLUSIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Yes, this course is designed for intermediate artists who already have basic drawing skills and want to deepen their understanding of manga character design, anatomy, and storytelling.
You'll need sketching pencils, mechanical pencils, manga nibs, inking pens, paper, a glove for inking, erasers, and a gel pen for corrections. Digital drawing tools are optional for some techniques.
You’ll learn how to design expressive manga characters, master anatomy, create dynamic poses, ink and shade professionally, and understand contracts, pitching, and publishing manga internationally.
Yes, the course includes guidance on pitching your manga to publishers, networking with comic publishers, and navigating the publishing process for international markets.
Absolutely. The course teaches anatomy, body proportions, and figure drawing for both adults and children, including dynamic poses and expressive movements.
Yes, the course explores designing manga for children and covers a variety of genres, including shonen, shoujo, fantasy, and historical manga.
You’ll learn to build multidimensional characters by combining archetypes, psychological traits, and personal inspiration, while balancing originality with audience expectations.