Forum - View topicREVIEW: Manga in Theory and Practice: The Craft of Creating Manga
Note: this is the discussion thread for this article |
View previous topic :: View next topic | |||
Author | Message | ||
---|---|---|---|
Kyo Hisagi
Posts: 1 |
|
||
Hey guys, I think I should ask it here.
Any suggestions on "how to draw manga" books? I am interested in creating my own story but I used to learn how to draw superhero comics, not manga. Topics I want to learn about: anatomy, clothes, backgrounds, usage of manga studio/photoshop etc. I've read a few books like Christopher Hart's but I want something more professional. I will be grateful for any advices! |
|||
Back to top | |||
Zeino
Posts: 12 |
|
||
As someone who has always been a fan of Toriyama, this is the highest form of vindication possible. |
|||
Back to top | |||
rinmackie
Posts: 1021 Location: in a van! down by the river! |
|
||
Hi, there! As someone whose bought her fair share of "how-to" manga books, I feel I can offer some advice. Personally, I've always liked the "How to draw Manga" books that have been translated from Japanese. They are published by Graphic-sha and were very prevalent in the late 90's, early 2000's. I'm not sure they're actually publishing any new ones in English here lately. But you can still find them but some may be out of print/ difficult to find and/ or expensive. But I've managed to collect a whole bunch and are about $20 new. It might be hard to find them in bookstores, but I got most of mine from Amazon and used bookstores. The only drawback is some of the advice is Japanese-specific. But most of them are quite good. As for Chris Hart, I agree his manga books aren't that great but his basic drawing guides are alright. I also follow some manga style artists online. Some of them, like Mark Crilley, publish their own "how to" books. Finally, I'd definitely recommend Araki's book that was reviewed here and I've purchased myself. It doesn't give you any drawing instructions but it does offers great creative advice! |
|||
Back to top | |||
Shay Guy
Posts: 711 |
|
||
This sounds like it'd be a worthwhile addition to my collection.
|
|||
Back to top | |||
reanimator
Posts: 1117 |
|
||
Kyo Hisagi, There is not much difference between drawing superheroes and manga characters at fundamental level. They're just two unique ways to draw good ol' human figures. It's good that you want to learn how to draw anatomy, background, and et cetra. In my opinion you really don't need those how-to-manga books to draw anatomy, BG, and etc when there are already tons of great fine art drawing books out there. How-to-manga books are more beneficial if you want to develop particular illustration techinques and software unique to manga, but I don't think you need how-to-manga book to learn basic art fundamentals of anatomy and others. Most important things is: How do you want to develop your visual narrative? That's what comic/manga is about, isn't it? Most people are just content with drawing character(s) in their preferred style and that's the end of it. Those how-to-draw-manga books are just demonstrating techniques how to draw stuffs like people and objects, but they don't discuss in depth on how to set up a series of drawings to create a coherent visual narrative. At least we're finally getting a book from a pro artists like Araki that explores nooks and cranny of making interesting visual narrative. On serious note, DO YOU DRAW everyday? No one is expecting you to draw like a master artist, but being able to draw basic art enables you to express your vision on paper more freely than not knowing anything. You've said that you used to draw superhero comics so at least you have leverage to put your vision on paper. It may not be "manga style", but at least you can put your idea on paper more clearly. We have modern convenience of internet and smartphone camera for reference that would make old generation manga/comic artists envious. You can get like 20 volumes of how-to-draw-manga books, but they're not going to help you if you're not willing to put effort. |
|||
Back to top | |||
Juno016
Posts: 1692 |
|
||
I've submitted to SJ's international contest and self-published my own doujinshi in Japan, which sold a decent amount for a first time. There is a lot that goes into marketing a story through its narrative and visuals without straying from any sense of substance. It's fun, though, to let your imagination weave the story before you modify it.
Kyo Hisagi, My first recommendation for anyone trying to get human anatomy down is Posemaniacs.com, a free website with a bunch of 3D models of humans in different poses to use for reference when practicing. The best option on the site for practice is the 30-second drawing tool. It cycles through poses and your objective is to draw those poses as complete as possible before the time limit. The time limit can be adjusted, but I recommend keeping it to 30 seconds or, at the most, 45 seconds. And do NOT look at your drawing as you do it. It's a muscle-memory workout and your eyes should focus on mapping the image. Your drawings will not look like actual things for a while, but you can toss the paper out when you're done, anyway. You're not creating art. You're practicing how to make bigger strokes and get shapes down on the human body. I do about 15-20 cycles a day (8-10 minutes). |
|||
Back to top | |||
Yuza
Posts: 9 |
|
||
TL:DR; The Silent Manga Audition. The documentary series Manben. Details vs. Flow In Manga Panels - Digibro, Youtube Channel. It's mentioned in the review but most people will just say you have to learn how to draw in classical/realistic style. You don't need to be ultra-realistic but you have to be able to accurately portray reality before you distort it. There's no real "manga style" in the first place, since the word is just Japanese for comics and not an art style. Each mangakas has their own style, but most can draw fairly realistically - style is just omitting or exaggerating details (eg. a lot of mangaka don't draw the noise and just do a little shading, and artists like Boichi exaggerate muscles). Drawing manga/comics just requires regular art skills, as well as the ability to tell a story through sequential art. A good idea is to learn a bit about manga tools and then read manga, but break down the art as you read it. Try to figure out what type of pens they used, what type and how much screentone they used, the reasons why they did it and stuff like that. There are a few tutorials online that will demonstrate some of the equipment, but I'd recommend to watch the documentary series "Manben" from Naoki Urasawa, the author of "Manben", which has footage of mangaka working. You'll see that they all work with different equipment and techniques which you may want to copy, or come up with ideas for your own style. To learn more about sequential art The Silent Manga Audition channel on youtube has a lot of tutorials on how to write and storyboard manga. One of the most important things is that manga pages are supposed to be read two at a time - and not just for double spreads. Most webtoons, scanlations and webcomics miss the point of that, but on Shounen Jump's website they make sure readers read it two pages at a time. They also have a contest on their website you can submit to which gives information on the size of paper they prefer and other small details. Some things I've noticed that differentiates Japanese manga from American comics is that manga uses a lot of screentone or just does gray scale. They aren't coloured because manga are drawn faster and printed cheaper. Screentones are used for shading, texture, to show characters moods (usually in Shoujo manga) and direct the reader's eyes (take a look at Haikyuu! for examples). Manga also generally use nib pens, though this is highly individual. But Shounen manga are usually drawn with a G pen while Shoujo use softer pens. If you're drawing digitally it doesn't matter so much, but the thickness of the lines says a lot about the world of your manga/comic. There's also a lot of super-deformity and cartooning effects. You can find a list of them on Japanese visual tropes on TV tropes, these are shorthand effects like Superhero comics' "Kirby Crackle". In American comics the art is usually always striving for consistency, but manga often have a lot more freedom in their expression and are more willing to do cartoony stuff. Even in a grimdark, realistically drawn story like Berserk there are panels with a lot less details which are meant to be funny, usually for the comic relief characters. There's a Youtube video called "Details vs. Flow" shows how humour in manga depends on how much detail you put into it. The reverse is also true - really big, dramatic panels are often very realistic. For example, Hunter x Hunter usually looks pretty cartoony but in dramatic moments the shading is very detailed and realistic. |
|||
Back to top | |||
Anime News Network Forum Index -> Site-related -> Talkback |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
Page 1 of 1 |
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group
⬈
⬋
-
+
Forum
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
Shelf Life - Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
anime
Paul digs in to the sturdy Arabian Nights-flavored shonen action-adventure Magi, plus all of this week's new anime releases on DVD and bluray!
― I started playing the Fate/Grand Order game this week, and boy is it stingy with rare characters. I'm used to low odds from the Love Live rhythm game, but it still stings to keep getting three-star Julius Caesars when you know your five-star waifu is out th...
Anime Expo 2017 News Roundup: Day One & Two
events
Did you miss any of the massive headlines from the first two days of Anime Expo 2017? Don't worry, we've got you covered - here's everything in one place.
― July 1-4 2017, Los Angeles, California Click here for live photos from our correspondents on the show floor! Day Two Headlines JAST USA to Release Majikoi!, Machine Child Games New Nendoroids Revealed For Fullmetal Alchemist, Naruto, Little Witc...
The Rising of the Shield Hero Novel 8
manga
Naofumi gets sent back to start in this volume of Aneko Yusagi's fantasy series when he lands in yet another world with its own set of heroes.
― If the previous volume of Aneko Yusagi's The Rising of the Shield Hero was all about major plot development and finally beginning to understand the hero phenomenon, this book is about getting back to zero – literally in at least one sense. Volume seven ended...
Anime Expo 2017 - Welcome to the Ballroom World Premiere Report
anime
Amazon's Anime Strike premiered 2 episodes of one of this summer's most anticipated new anime, Welcome to the Ballroom - here's our full report and review.
― The main events hall at Anime Expo 2017 was packed to the rafters for the world premiere of Welcome to the Ballroom, the lavish new adaptation of Tomo Takeuchi's hit manga produced by Production I.G and Pony Canyon. The creative team adapting th...
Anime Expo 2017: Violet Evergarden World Premiere
anime
Long before it premieres in 2018, here's our (spoiler-lite) overview of Kyoto Animation's highly anticipated Violet Evergarden. Will this first episode be worth such a long wait?
― Most anime studios wouldn't be able to premiere one episode of a TV series six months in advance to a room of over 3,000 people, but Kyoto Animation isn't like most other studios. After releasing a PV over a year ago of 4...
The Summer 2017 Anime Preview Guide
anime
The Summer 2017 Anime Preview Guide has begun! Check back daily for fresh previews of every new show this season. Available Now: Battle Girl High School - Clean Freak! Aoyama kun - Knight's & Magic - Katsugeki! Touken Ranbu - Fox Spirit Matchmaker - Hina Logic: From Luck & Logic
― Welcome to Anime News Network's Summer 2017 Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics write up their impres...
Cage of Eden GN 21
manga
Cage of Eden's conclusion is surprisingly unexpected and unfulfilling. Rebecca Silverman explains what went wrong in the final act.
― Spoiler Warning: In order to fully discuss the ending, this review will have spoilers about the final reveal. Most people are familiar with the concept of the Bermuda Triangle. It's a mystical area stretching between Miami, San Juan, and Bermuda, and over the years a n...
Anime Expo 2017: Infini-T Force World Premiere Report
anime
Some of the most beloved anime superheroes of the 1970s team up Avengers-style in Tatsunoko Pro's very first 3DCG anime, which premiered this weekend at Anime Expo 2017.
― In the 1970s, three brothers founded an anime studio that would become synonymous with shōnen action heroes. Building off the success of the live-action special-effects hero Kamen Rider, Tatsunoko Pro would roll out Yatterman, Hur...
Anime Expo 2017: Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card Prologue OVA World Premiere
anime
Our full report (and review) from the world premiere of the return of Card Captor Sakura is live now.
― When Li Syaoran boarded his plane back to Hong Kong and left behind Sakura Kinomoto, the pair's budding romance was halted. Audiences weren't sure if the kids would ever reunite, whether it be for more magical adventures or to officially sort out their feelings. The series was soon followed up wit...
Manga in Theory and Practice: The Craft of Creating Manga
manga
The man behind Jojo's Bizarre Adventure shares his tips for creating fiction, whether in comic form or beyond. Rebecca Silverman digs into Araki's wealth of knowledge.
― While there are many components that go into any creative work, arguably one of the major ones to consider is craft. A creator may have outstanding natural ability or imaginative skill, but without a good understanding of the craft o...
Answerman - Why Are So Many Anime's English Titles Total Nonsense?
anime
Justin explains the process by which some of our favorite anime have some of the strangest English titles.
― Yen asks: What group usually originates a show's English title? Some shows seem to have indecipherable word salad titles that almost too obviously come from the original Japanese team. And while truly graceful titles sound like they're the product of native English speakers (Kids on the Slope...
The Best and Worst Anime of Spring 2017
anime
A blockbuster summer season winds down, and it's time for our critics to pick the best and worst shows of the Spring 2017 anime season!
― The Spring 2017 anime season saw sequels to some of the biggest anime of this generation - Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia - alongside some incredibly promising newcomers like Re:Creators. Now that the season is wrapping up, we asked our crew to tell us their ...
Shonen Maid BD+DVD
anime
This slightly unusual dramedy about a boy who becomes a maid has much more heart to it than you might think. Theron Martin unearths the hidden charm of Shonen Maid.
― Anime comedies have proven time and again that they can still be successful without purely being lighthearted, and some comedies can even adeptly turn their serious aspects into achingly deep exercises in sentimentality. In that vein, t...