Any manga artists on here?
I’m just starting out as a way to re-connect with old hobbies to help with anxiety and trying to switch off from work stress. Been taking some tips from the internet and the book ‘Manga for the beginner’ by Chris Hart.
I’m a complete beginner, today was the first attempt at sketching a face without any copying. Fairly pleased for a 5 min job, eyebrows a bit chunky maybe.
I’d love some tips and hints for how to improve!
Chunky eyebrows work for Gorillaz!
I would say the design is great, and if you are looking to “improve” then it would be shading. It can make or break a drawing.
Here is some stuff from my fine arts degree.
In the hands, you can see, the line work is so so, but the hand in front is shaded and fleshed out way more.
I know it isn’t manga, but that doesn’t really matter. Drawing is drawing, and yours looks great.
Also. Try half tone shading. It’s a cool effect that’s used in manga a lot.
Thanks @BLKrbbt!
I really like the middle drawing you posted there, captures an expression well.
Yes, I’ve been practising shading on some other pics I’ve copied freehand, it makes a big difference on hair especially
.Here is what I would recommend… I would get used to pushing and pulling tones out of your work… What I mean, is cover EVERY part with some pencil, even if its really light… then after its all covered, go back over with an eraser to make it white again…
but treat the eraser like a pencil in itself… and use a white plastic eraser… like a Staedler…I forgot how to spell it…
because the hair looks wonderful, but then the contrast to the neck is too severe… a light shading on the edges on the neck under the hair would really make the face pop more too…
not criticising! just trying to help!
great work… and keep drawing… also, don’t spend too much on one drawing… its btter to take the time to make multiple drawings… the fidelity will come naturally…
try to fill up a notebook, with every page filled with pencil!
Not manga specific, but I draw for a living, and probably the one thing i can recomend over all, is trace as many designs as you can get your hands on, of whatever style youre into.
And a little second point, kill your darlings, dont bother keeping most of your drawings. Draw and/or trace, shade, toss in the bin and start over.
Thanks for the tips both of you! You’re right @BLKrbbt the shading is paramount, there is a lot of line and space in manga that otherwise has no definition. @Skorheim I haven’t traced any yet but I will try that too.
I’ve been very strict with myself to stop working on a drawing when I’ve got roughly what I was aiming for. I know I could carry on adding/subtracting to any drawing for ever, and not necessarily make it any better - I know this because I do that with music 
For example the aim for the top drawing was draw a male face without copying, get the proportions about right, no need for shading - just outline. Stopped when I’d done that.
Thats a good plan… I copy EVERYTHING… So did Picasso and Francis Bacon!
I used to be big into cartooning, manga, etc. I found an old sketchbook a while back. Apparently, 20 years ago I did a bunch of drawings of the characters from Gorillaz. I think Russel turned out the best, but 2D and Noodle look okay. They were almost certainly copied from the CD insert, but all freehand.
There’s a guy on the forum (@Shoontz IIRC?) that does crazy good anime drawings. He’s got several music videos set to him sketching anime pin-up girls. They’re impressive to watch
Sorry if this isn’t totally relevant (because the op is asking for tips) but Elektronaut Cuckoo is an incredibly talented animator. This is his animated short and it’s truly (like truly) mind blowingly good.
Those are great @cogsy!
Interested to see @Shoontz videos, are they on YouTube as I was struggling to find them?
And I did not know that about @cuckoomusic, that is fantastic. I really like the soft landscapes contrasting with the focused characters.
This is today’s sketch - copied face, starting to think about body proportions. Body yet to be shaded!
And something’s not quite right with that hair parting…
Thanks for sharing 
time flies and now it’s been a while since I made a proper animation film. Tindra was my last. The last few months I’ve started reading the manga Dan Da Dan. I love it, and the style is great. I took a moment to appreciate the character design and drew the main character. I can recommend it!
watching artists draw things that i find beautiful helped me immensely!
just looking at them do things will help a lot, even if you dont understand what they are doing.
twitch has a great and diverse art section, but theres also other platforms to check out!
i recently picked up drawing too! its super fun and rewarding. 
Oh wow you guys are super talented artists! I’m not great at drawing the human figure so I can definitely appreciate those who can do these things.
Hair has always been really hard to me. It still is. I occasionally draw cartoons for my daughter, and I dread drawing hair.
I will say, your eye-drawing game is on point! You capture this glistening texture and shading in the iris that is very expressive
I’m sometimes watching this YouTube channel called Dikidoki Drawing. It’s a half Japanese amateur drawing enthusiast, inviting anime and manga professionals for tips and inspiration to his studio. Check it out.
https://youtube.com/@DoKiDoKiDrawing
Quality varies a bit, and lately it has taken a strange turn 
But there are some nice videos with professional guests there.
Thank you! I have copied all the eyes so far, but I find thinking about them in 3 stages of development really helped - outline, shape, detail:
I watched a couple of these. My first takeaway is to that there’s much more sketching of guide lines, circles etc before laying things down fully than I’ve been doing. So, lighter touch, more strokes.
He makes it look so easy! Thanks for the link 
