Draw Manga with a Tracing Method
Ever wished that you could draw art along the lines of your favorite Manga? With practice and vigilance, you can!
Contents
Steps
- Get a picture of a Manga character that you want to draw. You can get it online or maybe even through a book! It really doesn't matter how complex the picture is. But you don't want to get one with too many details if this is your first time tracing.
- Get four to five pieces of tracing paper. There are four steps of tracing manga. Place one of the tracing papers onto the printed picture. Label it Step 1. Try clipping it with a strong clip to a board. That will secure it to stay in the same place while you are tracing.
- Trace 3-4 Major Basic Shapes. When you have your first tracing paper in place and in line with the printed picture, start tracing shapes you see. For example, trace a circle for the head, and oval for the body and a bigger circle for a dress. Make sure your shapes line up with the picture or else you will have a crooked picture.
- Trace the Simple Shapes. Once you have the major basic shapes down, you have to do the other simple shapes. So start by tracing the major basic shapes onto another piece of paper. Once you have 3 or 4 major steps down on paper, put the 2nd tracing paper, which you would have labeled Step 2, on top of the printed picture. Then trace the simple shapes that are slightly more complex than the first 3-4 shapes. As an example, do circles as hands and long ovals as arms.
- Take out the details. Trace the simple shapes onto another piece of paper and start to draw the edges of the character. Just simplify the edges a little more. Label it step 3.
- Details. Trace all the details along with all the 4 steps.
- There you have it! Now just follow the steps to draw on a paper, and now you have your own!
Tips
- If you like Manga/Anime a lot, try to make your own. It doesn't matter if you're "not as good as your friends".
- Take a look at some anime on an Internet player and pause it whenever you find a picture you like. This can work, but there's also using Google for an anime picture.
- If you prefer manga, look through one of the books and sketch it down.
- Feel good about your Manga/Anime! Being negative will make you think that your picture looks really bad.
- Learn to stop tracing. Tracing should only be done only when you're first learning to draw.
Warnings
- Don't trace a picture and give it to a friend claiming that you drew it freehand. He or she will think that you are that good of an artist, and that can lead to a lot of misunderstandings in the future.
- Never claim to have drawn a picture that you have traced. Ever. Not only can there be consequences, but it is also a form of copyright violation. Learn to draw your own original characters so that this won't ever be a problem.
