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A Beginners Guide to Drawing Anime Character

Mar 14, 2023

Drawing Anime characters may seem challenging for beginners, but with this guide, you'll have all the tools and tips to create stunning characters in no time! Learn the basics of Anime character design, as well as helpful tips and techniques that will help you master the art of drawing Anime characters.

My Step to Start Drawing Anime Characters

  • Sketch overall character
  • Correct the character's pose, proportion, and anatomy
  • Add more details on the face, face expression, and hair
  • Design clothing and accessories
  • Assess, edit, and polish your anime character

Sketch Your Character

Before you start drawing, it's important to create a sketch of your character's design. This will help you plan out the look, proportions, and features of your anime character.
Let's start by creating a simple line drawing or silhouette that focuses on the shape of your character’s head, torso, arms and legs. Sketching in quick movements helps capture the nuance and energy that defines anime characters.

Correct the Character's Pose, Proportion, and Anatomy

Correcting the character's pose, proportion, and anatomy is essential in creating dynamic and expressive anime characters.

The character's pose refers to the position and posture of the character, which can convey emotions and convey a sense of movement. Proportion refers to the relationship between the different parts of the character's body and their relative sizes. And anatomy refers to the structure and function of the body, and it is essential to understand it to create realistic and believable characters.

Understanding the basic proportions of the anime character

You need to know how to properly measure and sketch the anime structure in order to create dynamic and expressive characters. One of the most important aspects to consider is the head to body ratio.

This ratio is used to determine the proportion of the head to the rest of the body in anime characters. The standard head to body ratio in anime is typically around 5.5, 6, 7 to 8 heads tall. This means that the head of the character is about 7 or 8 times the size of the body.

Understanding this ratio is crucial in order to create characters that have the correct proportion. It is important to keep in mind the head to body ratio and use it as a guide to ensure that the proportions are accurate.

The basics of poses

Using contrapposto is an effective technique to create beautiful and expressive anime poses for your characters.

Contrapposto is an Italian term that refers to the way the body is positioned, where one hip is raised and the opposite shoulder is lowered. This creates a subtle S-shaped curve in the body that can add a sense of movement and dynamism to your anime characters.

This technique can also help to create a more natural and believable pose, as it mimics the way the human body moves in real life. When using contrapposto in anime drawing, it is important to pay attention to the balance of the poses.

When seeking additional references for anime character poses, you may consider using real life photograph or you can use 3D models and 3D poses in Clip Studio Paint as a guide. These can be particularly helpful when attempting to draw characters in challenging angles.

Add More Details on the Face, Face Expression, and Hair

Adding details to the face, face expression and hair is the next step. The face is one of the most important part of the anime character, and it is crucial to pay attention to the details.

The proportion of anime character face

The proportion of the anime character face is an essential aspect of creating dynamic and expressive characters. The standard anime face is typically divided into three parts: the top of the head, the eyes, and the mouth.

The top of the head is usually larger than the other parts of the face, while the eyes are usually large and round. The mouth is usually small and located below the eyes.

This proportion creates a distinctive look that is characteristic of the anime style. Additionally, the facial features of the anime characters are usually highly exaggerated, with large eyes, small mouths, and expressive eyebrows, which help to convey emotions and create a sense of movement.

Understanding the proportion of the anime character face and how to use it to create dynamic and expressive characters is crucial for mastering the art of anime character drawing.

Interesting facial expression of anime character

Moving on to the expression of your character, it’s important to think about what kind of mood or emotion you’re trying to convey. Depending on the type of Anime character you are drawing, they can have a wide range of exaggerated expressions such as shock, anger and sadness.

Remember that facial features are key when drawing an Anime character – eyebrows, eyes and mouth make up the majority of your character’s mood or emotion. Finally, don't forget about adding details like earrings and necklaces that help make your Anime character come alive even more!

Design Clothing and Accessories

Clothing and accessories can be used to add a sense of movement and to convey a wide range of emotions and personalities.

The clothing and accessories that you choose for your characters should be appropriate for the setting and characteristic of the character.

You can use different colors, patterns, and textures to create a sense of movement and to add a unique style to your characters. When designing clothing and accessories, it's important to consider the material and texture, as this can add depth and realism to your characters.

Assess, Edit, and Polish Your Anime Character

After finish all of the basic steps, evaluating your sketch from a distance will allow you to easily spot any errors and give you an overview of the overall composition of your Anime character.

You can also make small tweaks here and there, such as repositioning arms or legs in order to better suit their posture. Then add the overall shading with multiply layer mode!

That concludes our basic guide for starting to draw your anime character. I hope you have found it helpful and are ready to begin your journey in creating your own anime characters. Have fun with your drawing and don't hesitate to seek out additional resources, tutorials and references to keep expanding your knowledge and skills. Remember, the most important thing is to enjoy the drawing and have fun with it.

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