How to Draw Manga

Learning how to draw manga - cartoons based on Japanese-style comic books - is tons of fun.

The first anime (manga-style movies/series) I ever saw was Record of Lodoss War (OVA) - and to this day, it's still my favorite. Berserk actually, is a very close second. It was series like these that inspired me to try out a totally different drawing style some time ago.

Unique from 'Western-style' cartoons, manga characters differ (in one way) in that they are usually seen to have abnormally large shiny eyes. A common question that often comes up is... why? Why do manga cartoon characters have eyes that big anyway? Sure - some do have smaller eyes... but for the majority - big and shiny seems to be the way to go.

How to Draw Manga

A couple reasons for this might be that larger eyes come across as more attractive and/or that manga and anime were inspired by some of the earlier Disney movies/characters. Bambi and Betty Boop would be two good examples of this.

Still, I'm convinced manga characters have large shiny eyes because with larger eyes - it becomes easier for the artist to convey a sense of emotion in a character. As I'm sure you're aware - many manga characters come across as 'cute & innocent' - a look that's much easier to achieve when you're drawing bigger eyes.

Of course - learning how to draw manga isn't just about the eyes. With this unique style comes an assortment of different 'looks' - ones I think would be really neat to explore in the form of simple cartoon drawing lessons.

And on that note - let's get to it! Select one of the manga drawing lessons from the list below to begin...



Beginner   |   Intermediate   |   Advanced


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How to Draw OhmuBaby Ohmu
The creature that will either make or break the future of the Valley of the Wind - a baby Ohmu.





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How to Draw No FaceHow to Draw No-Face
Re-create 'No-Face' the hungry-yet-misunderstood monster from the mega hit anime - Spirited Away.


How to Draw Forest SpiritMononoke Hime Forest Spirit
In Princess Mononoke, the Forest Spirit transforms into this - the 'Night Walker' - when the sun goes down.


How to Draw ChibiHow to Draw Chibi Characters
Learn how to draw your very own unique chibi character - big head, little body, shiny eyes, and all! :-)


How to Draw Manga EyesCreate Your Own 'Manga-Style' Eyes
In this lesson, learn how to draw four different sets of manga-style eyes - both male and female versions.





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Eva Unit 01Evangelion Drawing Lesson
Learn how to draw Eva Unit 01 from the anime series - Neon Genesis Evangelion.






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