Draw Like an Artist: 100 Lessons to Create Anime and Manga Characters: Step-by-Step Line Drawing - A Sourcebook for Aspiring Artists and Character Designers - Access video tutorials via QR codes!

by Alex Brennan-Dent, ABD ABD Illustrates

Overview

This is your go-to drawing and visual reference book for creating anime and manga characters, featuring more than 600 drawings demonstrating basic techniques and depicting a wide range of characters.

For student and aspiring artists, illustrators, character designers, and more, Draw Like an Artist: 100 Lessons to Create Anime and Manga Characters demonstrates foundational art concepts like proportion and anatomy as you learn to draw a broad array of characters and their poses and expressions, all shown from a variety of perspectives.

Each set of step-by-step illustrations takes you from beginning sketch lines to a finished drawing. Artist and author Alex Brennan-Dent’s expert drawing techniques and video tutorials to key concepts accessible via QR codes make this a must-have sourcebook for animators and manga artists.

This comprehensive guidebook includes:
 

• Anime and manga drawing fundamentals, including anatomy, poses and body language, and features such as hair, eyes, mouths, and hands
• A guide to figure proportions, differentiated by age group
• Step-by-step instructions for drawing a wealth of different characters, including characters from everyday life, sports, music, fantasy, sci-fi and horror, and role-playing games
• Tips on depicting interactions, both friendly and fighting

Draw Like an Artist: 100 Lessons to Create Anime and Manga Characters is a library essential for any artist interested in learning the fundamental techniques for drawing these popular entertainment genres.

The books in the Draw Like an Artist series are richly illustrated visual references for learning how to draw classic subjects through hundreds of step-by-step images created by expert artists and illustrators.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780760385715
Publisher:	Quarry Books
Publication date:	04/16/2024
Series:	Draw Like an Artist Series , #8
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	30,231
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Alex Brennan-Dent, aka @ABDillustrates, is a prize-winning queer comics artist and illustrator based in Brighton, UK, specializing in lively manga character designs and digital artwork. He is the winner of Saturday AM’s 2022 March Art Madness competition. To learn more about Alex’s work, visit his website abdillustrates.com, @ABDillustrates on YouTube, @abdillustrates on Instagram, and @AlexBDent on Twitter.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Introduction
How To Use This Book
Tips For Character Design 

Fundamentals
Figures & Faces
Line of Actions
Body Language
Eyes, Mouths & Hands
Hair
Clothes

Figure Proportions
Chibi
Youth
Adult
Elder

Real-World Characters

In Uniform
School Kids
Firefighters
Police
Doctors
Military
Office

Talents
Soccer Player
Volleyball Player
Baseball Player
Basketball Player
Rock Musician
Pop Musician

Rap Musician
Classical Musician
J-Pop Idol
K-Pop Idol
Chefs

Fantasy Characters

Shojo
Magical Girl
Evil Queen
Prince
Princess
Maid
Gardener
Angel
Devil
Fairy
Elf
Mermaid
Merman
Catgirl
Dogboy

Shonen
Treasure Hunter
Pirate
Samurai
Ninja
Spy
Femme Fatale
Martial Artist
Brawler
Outlaw
Sheriff

Classic Roles
Swordsman
Knight
Merchant
Healer
Warlock
Witch
Gladiator
Barbarian
Mercenary
Archer

Sci-Fi & Horror
Sentai
Supervillain
Creator
Creature
Hacker
Cyborg
Astronaut
Alien
Exorcist
Ghost
Vampire
Slayer

Interactions
Friendly
Fighting

Acknowledgments

About the Author

Editorial Reviews

" I would recommend this book above many other manga-drawing tutorial books purely for the quality of the artwork...So, another good manga drawing book will soon be in bookstores near you. Now you have no excuse for not knowing how to design your cyberpunk-fairy-police officer heroine."

—Fandom Post

"Great for beginners and intermediate artists and for fans of anime, manga, and the web series High Hopes, Low Rolls."

—Library Journal

“As a children's book illustrator, writer, and part-time lecturer at various art schools over the past 45 years, I have had the pleasure of knowing many illustration students. Alex Brennan-Dent is one of the very few who stood out as having the focus and passion to make it. So, it's a delight for me to see this anime/manga-themed book published (anime was always his obsession). Not many illustrators have such a natural talent. Alex's has been greatly enhanced by such a strong work ethic and drive. I predict that this is the start of many good things to come.” —Alan Baker, brightonillustrators.co.uk, illustrationx.com

“Alex participated in Saturday AM's MARCH ART MADNESS 2021 event and WON the entire tournament against 63 other artists. While that's wonderful in its own right, what was remarkable was how many competitors supported Alex’s win. It's always been clear to us that this incredible artistic voice offers calm, confident guidance for artists of any age.” 

—Frederick L. Jones, founder of Saturday AM and creator of CLOCK STRIKER

“ABDILLUSTRATES is one of the YouTube channels I watch for my own love of drawing, and I'm impressed with how easily he transferred his easy-going lessons to the printed page. A great book for lovers of comics art!” —Whyt Manga, YouTuber and creator of Saturday AM’s APPLE BLACK

“I love character design and have been a long-time fan of Alex's HEARTLESS characters on his YouTube channel! Seeing this book is a real treat for his fans and for artists who love to craft unique characters!” 

—JeyOdin, creator of Saturday AM's HAMMER; Rick and Morty manga artist

“Author Alex Brennan-Dent is a rising star of manga, placing top three in the UK Japanese Embassy’s annual talent competition, Manga Jiman, every time he enters. His fast-paced, animation-friendly style is fresh and confident, showing excellent character design, sharp graphic design skills, and a winning SPOKON (sports action) flair. He’s put in the hours to perfect his technical wizardry and knows his subject—manga and anime—inside out. What’s more, every drawing displays an abundance of heart. You can’t bottle talent like his, but you can share in it and learn from it.” —@ILYAgraphic, UK mangaka, writer, artist, and editor

From the Publisher

06/10/2024

Award-winning comics artist/illustrator Brennan-Dent is a storyboarder, animator, and voice actor for High Hopes, Low Rolls, a D&D animated web series. His book teaches readers how to draw a wide range of anime characters, from fantasy and Shōnen to sci-fi and horror. The introduction provides six tips and exercises to help beginners, followed by hundreds of characters and styles for readers to emulate or to use as inspiration for building their own characters. Brennan-Dent's drawings focus on expression and action, rather than solely stagnant characters or scenes, and he urges beginner artists to consider the personalities and storyline of their characters. Newbies may find it easiest to follow each character drawing step by step, but the book is structured in a way that encourages more intermediate artists to play around with different styles and genres to create characters of their own. The book also includes more visual guidance than written directions. VERDICT Great for beginners and intermediate artists and for fans of anime, manga, and the web series High Hopes, Low Rolls. Best for readers who prefer visual over written instructions.—Britt Fechtman

Library Journal