Learn to Draw Anime

Anime drawing is a popular style that was first established in Japan. This kind of animation is a favorite of young kids all over the world, and even adults love anime. And for good reason. Who can resist those big expressive eyes with overstated expressions? If you have set your heart to learn to draw anime, then you have to dedicate a lot of time in perfecting your craft. Acquiring the skill to drawing anime can land you a job in the anime entertainment world. You can make it as a career or a part-time job, or you can simply be a hobbyist. What matters is you love what you do, and you have great passion for anime drawing.

Steps to drawing anime

Let us look at the steps of drawing anime. Once you can draw excellently, you finally have the chance to draw your own version of your favorite anime character. And you can create your own anime characters too.

Fundamentals of drawing

Before you can start drawing anime, you need to learn the fundamentals of drawing first. It may seem boring to you, but practicing to draw basic shapes and lines can go a long way in your drawing experience. Practice the basics of drawing until you are completely comfortable with your work. Then try to blend the shapes and lines together, and be creative.

Perspective style drawing

Learn how to make perspective drawings, since that skill is very helpful in drawing anime. This kind of drawing makes a shape or any subject look smaller as they distance stretches. Practice with a basic shape at first like a square, and tray other shapes later on.

Shading

Shading is crucial skill that you must learn if you want to be successful in drawing anime. Learn how light is reflected on the different parts of a person to give you an idea which part must have light tones and dark tones. You can practice with objects like a ball, and other items with simple shapes. And when you are a master of shading, your anime drawing will show your capabilities. Remember that shading reflects the environment outside. If your anime character is walking under the sun, the shading plays a huge role in making it look as if the day is sunny.

Utilization of color

Color is very important with anime characters. You need to learn how to use colors to give life to your drawings. Do your research about the use of cool and warm colors, and use them accordingly. It is best to study the color wheel, and practice blending the colors.

Basic human anatomy

Anime characters are based on real humans, even though they are at times exaggerated in drawings. Learn how to draw human bodies, and make sure that you are very familiar with the proportions and proper location of every part of the body. Knowing the human anatomy gives you a solid background on drawing anime.

Reference material

As a beginner, you must use a reference material like a printed copy of your favorite anime character when you draw. Practice copying the drawing over and over until you get it right. For practice purposes do not try to deviate from the original anime drawing. Follow and copy everything as they appear. And when you have perfected the drawing, you can move on to the next phase of modifying the anime character. You can add your own style, tweak some areas, and make it your own. The main reason why you should copy at first is to provide you with a strong foundation of the anime character. And so no matter what the circumstances or what changes you want to make in the near future, you always have a solid perception of what the anime character look like.

Patience is a virtue

During the course of your learning process to draw anime, there will be moments when you have the urge to throw everything away. There will be times when you feel frustrated because you cannot get the drawing right. But never give up on your dreams. Practice more until you are happy with the result. Remember that it takes time to learn, and you just need to be very patient with yourself. Just bear in mind that drawing anime is a rewarding concept, and you will reap the benefits one day.

Anime art classes

Another way to learn how to draw anime is to take an anime art class. There are so many benefits in indulging in this kind of courses. You have access to quality tutorials, and your instructor is an expert in anime drawing. Though you have to spend money on a course, it will be worth it.

Tips in drawing anime

Anime creators learned from their mistakes, and it is by their miscalculations that you can learn more. Let us explore a couple of tips on how to draw anime.

• Avoid drawing small strokes since they can appear uneven and with scratches.
• Do not overlap lines when there is no need to do so.
• Practice making steady lines if you usually create wobbly lines.
• Pay attention to the line weight in drawing anime. Heavy line weight damages the beauty of anime characters.
• Choose your colors carefully. Do not choose colors that blend with the anime’s black outlines.
• Always draw in a perspective manner. Doing so will make your anime characters look more realistic and believable.
• Draw guidelines when you are drawing symmetrical parts of your anime like the head.
• Avoid misaligned body parts by creating a “see through” sketch first, and erase it after.
• Be familiar with how anime characters look like. Big eyes. Eyelashes are pointy and thick. Small mouth. Small, sharp chins.

Conclusion

Drawing anime is a great way to satisfy your passion for anime. It is perfect for allowing you to explore your artistic depth, and see how far you can go. By learning to draw anime, you have the freedom to create your own.