How To Draw Manga: Sketching Manga-Style Volume 1: Sketching As Composition Planning ebook

I purchased this book for my teenager (girl) for Christmas. She requested a book on how to draw manga/anime characters. I returned it because there are several nudes drawings - not your average "this is how to draw a body", but sexy poses of teenage looking characters. There were also several drawings of girls in mini-skirts doing high kicks with a close up of the crotch area. Very anatomically correct, inspite of the skimpy undergarments. Parents (and lovers of modesty) beware...

I was really surprised when I was actually able to get this book in my hands!!! I waited so many months before I could order this book! Any way, this book is comprised from three different artists', Hikaru Hayashi, (my fav by the way) Takehiko Matsumoto, and Kazuaki Morita. These three artists' teamed up to compile a book with there own renditions of stetching manga. Basically this book is a giant rough sketch book showing you the basic shapes they used to get their art work to look the way it does. This is actually helpful in alot of ways. It is preparing you on how to do this so that you can have a idea on how to draw your own manga masterpieces. Toward the end of the book, they give examples of some of the artist's work and how to improve the color on the artwork.

The contents of this book includes:

Chapter one: Sketching while planning

Differences between standard

Sketching and Manga sketch frontline Part 1

Drawing a female character standing

Drawing a close-up of a female charcters face

A look at the Manga charcter standing

Drawing the figure in reverse

Manga sketching forms the foundation of planning

Chapter Two: The fundamental in sketching a face Manga style

The basics of sketching a face layout

(using circles and X's)

Reduction of the head rendered

Using a Circle and X layout

The steps in drawing a face

Drawing the same face

Darwing an assortment of faces

Ths basics in drawing the head

Conceiving of the head as a solid

The basics in drawing the head

The face's musculature, and expressions

Drawing facial expressions based on muscle movement

Chapter three: The fundamentals in drawing a figure manga style

The backbone forms the base of composition

The backbone travels the length of the torso

The backbone is the source of movement

Adding arms and legs after completing the torso

The steps in drawing a figure

Guideline defining the backbone from the front

Drawing a standing pose using

the bone and the axial line

Using the axial line to draw

A front view standing pose with presence

Standing poses and the center of gravity

Noting the spacing between the feet when drawing

The body's structure

Major body parts and their names

Muscles affecting the exterior contours

Distinguishing the genders

Figure drawing

Proportional differences

Makeup of the primary joints and movement

1. Basic neck structure and movement

2. Basic spine structure and torso movement

3. Basic shoulder and arm

connections and movement

4. Basic leg structure and movement

5. Basic hand and finger structure and maovement

6. Basic leg structure and movement

Chapter four: From sketching to design

The fundamentals of stylization

Character design techniques using stylization

Stylized face design

Stylized figure design

Techniques for designing distinctive characters

Thin and trim build

Powerful and muscular builds

Grotesquely muscular build

Slender female characters

Freindly super deformed (ultra stylized) characters

The reality behind key poses

Composition technique: Imagining a box

What constitutes a three deminsional figure

Placing A figure in a box

The steps in drawing a figure from a box

Techniques in dressing characters

The ABCs of drawing clothes

The reality behind dressing characters

Drawing dynamic poses

Cover character designing frontline

Coloring characters

Coloration improvement Techniques

The improved Palette

Improved finished artwork

Artists' discuss the true nature of manga sketching

All-in all this book rocks! It is the complete how to draw book I know. It is jam packed with hepful drafts to get you on the right track. This book is not for beginners though. I think this book would be suited for those more along the lines of intermediate to advance. This book is a must buy! Add it to your how to draw arsenal now!

Sketching Manga-Style is the first installment in this series of How to Draw Manga books. This book covers many basic subjects, from drawing Manga-Styled head and figure to creating truly dynamic Manga characters. But what makes this book stand out from the crowd is the inclusion of step-by-step demonstrations with b/w photos of Manga Artist as they proceed sketching characters.

The book is divided into four chapters:

Chapter 1: Sketching While Planning
- Differences between Standard Sketching and Manga Sketching
- A Look at the Manga Sketch Frontline Part 1
- A Look at the Manga Sketch Frontline Part 2
- Manga Sketching Forms the Foundation of Planning

Chapter 2: The Fundamentals in Sketching a Face Manga-Style
- The Basics of Sketching a Face Layout (Using Circles and X's)
- Reduction of the Head Rendered using a Circle and X Layout
- The Steps in Drawing a Face
- The Basics in Drawing the Head
- The Face's Musculature, and Expressions

Chapter 3: The Fundamentals in Drawing a Figure Manga-Style
- The Backbone Forms the Base of Composition
- The Steps in Drawing a Figure
- Guideline Defining the Backbone from the Front
- Standing Poses and the Center of Gravity
- The Body's Structure
- Distinguishing the Genders
- Makeup of the Primary Joints and Movement

Chapter 4: From Sketch to Design
- The Fundamentals of Stylization
- Character Design Techniques Using Stylization
- Techniques for Designing Distinctive Characters
- Chibi Characters: The Reality behind Key Poses
- Composition Techniques: Imaging a Box
- Enhancing a Character's Appeal: Techniques in Designing Characters
- Drawing Dynamic Poses
- Cover Character Designing Frontline
- Coloration Improvement Techniques
- Artists Discuss the True Nature of Manga Sketching

Chapter one is an introductory chapter which intend to demonstrate what Manga sketching is all about, including two demonstrations, one by Kazuaki Morita and another by Takehiko Matsumoto. If after those, you don't want to draw your own characters, you can put this book away. Chapter two and three are mow traditional instructional guides with lot of step by step samples. Chapter four briefly includes tips about character design, covering body proportions, perspective, clothing, and action poses. This chapter concludes with a demonstration of how the artist colored the cover illustration

In all, this book is great resource for aspiring Manga artists. But be warned, you won't be able to put this book away.

Other books in the series:
How To Draw Manga: Sketching Manga-Style Volume 2
Volume 3: Unforgettable Characteristics
Volume 4: All About Perspective
Volume 5: Sketching Props

It's no exageration. I own dozens of books on sketching, Manga, artistic anatomy, etc. But this one book is almost all inclusive. You can't go wrong with buying this product.

I must point out, however, that it's not for beginners. It expects you to have some basic knowledge of anatomy and proportions, so that you can be thought to stylize them, or even deform them.

A part I really enjoyed is the step by step drawings shown by the hand of the experts. Also, at the end, they provide guidelines on how to properly color your finished pieces.

Overall, this is a must-have for any artist, or sketching enthusiast, regardless of his/her taste for Manga.

This is a great book for beginners struggling with anatomy. The book even helps with drawing arms, hands and feet. Great for learning to map things out. Its has a brief tutorial on how to color and render characters in the last few pages of the book that is in full color. This is an overall amazing book that has helped me tremedously