ANIME AND MANGA CHARACTERS

DESIGN YOUR OWN

STEP-BY-STEP LESSONS FOR CREATING AND DRAWING UNIQUE

CHARACTERS

LEARN ANATOMY, POSES, EXPRESSIONS, COSTUMES, AND

MORE

TB CHOI
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION

CONSTRUCTING A CHARACTER

The Basics of Line

Human Skeleton

Muscles

Bone and Fat

Basic Human Proportions

Skull

Mouth

Eyes

Ears

Nose
Arms

Hands

Legs

Feet

SIMPLIFYING FORMS FOR GESTURES & POSES

The Basics of Poses and Gestures

Exploring Different Angles

How a Pose Can Support a Story

How to Draw Breasts (on Female and Male Characters)

Adjusting Body Shape to Fit a Character

Silhouettes

DRAWING HAIR, CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

Draping and Folds

Folds and Movement

Proportion and Clothing for Youth

How Hair Frames the Head and Face

Drawing Hats

Drawing Glasses
 4

CONVEYING DIMENSION, EMOTION & CHARACTER

Putting It All Together ...

INTRODUCTION

I work in the concept art industry as a character designer and art educator.
Design Your Own Anime and Manga Characters is written not only for
those who approach art as a hobby, but also for those who are pursuing art
professionally.

This book lays out the basic fundamentals and foundations while also
offering tips for those who want to take it to the next level. At its core,
Design Your Own Anime and Manga Characters is about creating
characters step by step, with suggestions throughout for readers to try many
things. Ultimately, I want readers to create characters in their own way, and
not just copy the examples in this book.
1

CONSTRUCTING A CHARACTER
 THE BASICS OF LINE

Here’s an overview of the basic use and characteristics of drawing lines for
anime and manga.
The two types of line can vary in width, rhythm, and direction.

Follow along and practice these examples.

Compared with nondynamic lines (A), varied lines (B) are more three-
dimensional and better at conveying information.

Imprecise, jagged lines (A) aren’t recommended for beginners. Instead, ...
2

SIMPLIFYING FORMS FOR GESTURES & POSES

 THE BASICS OF POSES AND GESTURES

When drawing a pose or gesture, first establish the position of the chest and
pelvis, then connect them through the abdomen.
If the pose or gesture requires that the positions of the head, chest, and
pelvis are all different, make sure there’s a flow between and among them.
Rotate the chest and pelvis in various angles and add muscles to make the
drawing more ...
3

DRAWING HAIR, CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

DRAPING AND FOLDS
When a figure is stationary, their clothes sag downward because of gravity.
As shown in pink, the areas of clothes that touch the body are flattened against it.
The baggier the clothes and the thinner their fabric, the more folds they display.

When drawing ...

4

CONVEYING DIMENSION, EMOTION & CHARACTER

 LIGHT AND SHADOW, SHAPE AND LINE

BASICS OF LIGHT AND SHADOW

Once the direction of the light is set, it’s easy to enhance line drawings with the addition of light and
shadow.
 APPLYING THE BASICS OF LIGHT AND SHADOW

By interpreting the overall shape and form of the hair surrounding the head, you can adjust the
strength of the lines and shadows.
 CHARACTER APPLICATION

Use different ...

5

PETS, CHIBIS & SIDEKICKS

 PETS WITH PERSONALITY

As with human faces, you can design and build animals’ faces using simple
shapes.
 Certain dog breeds (e.g., bulldog, pug) have smaller mouths.

The biggest difference between dogs and cats is the mouth's appearance.
Dogs have different characteristics based on breeds.
6

EXERCISE: DESIGN & DRAW A CHARACTER

 DRAWING A FRIEND

For this exercise, start by making a mind map. I’ve made this mind map of
my own qualities and preferences.
To create a character, write down what the character likes, then try to create
a drawing that expresses their personality.

Do the same when drawing your friend—start with a mind map of their characteristics before you
begin sketching.

After sketching out various ...

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
TB Choi is a character/concept artist and drawing instructor specializing in
anatomy and character design. Included among her many celebrated film,
animation, and gaming clients are Adobe, EA (Entertainment Arts), Sony
Pictures, Guerilla Games, Netflix, Reel FX, Riot Games, Blizzard, and Epic
Games. To see more of TB’s work, visit her on Instagram @tb_choi and on
Twitter @TB_Choi12.
INDEX

Anthros, 132–135
Arms, 11, 30–35

Backstory, creating character’s, 122–123

Body, adjusting shape to fit character, 66–74
Bones
fat and, 16–17
skeleton, 10–11
skull, 20–23
Breasts, 60–65

Character’s backstory, creating, 122–123

Chibi characters, 128–131
Clothing
draping and folds, 78–83
 hats, 100–102
movement and folds, 85–89
ruffles, 84
for youth, 90–91

Ears, 28
Emotions and expressions
facial, 116–118
storytelling and, 119–121
Eyeglasses, 103
Eyes, 26–27

Faces
animal, 126
basic structures, 110–111
drawing from different angles, 114–115
emotions and expressions, 116–118
hair and, 92
kemonomimi and anthro, 132–134
parts of, 24–29
shapes, 112–113
skeleton, 11
storytelling and, 120–121
Fat, 16–17
Feet, 46 ...
© 2022 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc

Text and illustrations © 2022 TB Choi

Design and presentation © 2022 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc

First published in 2022 by Rockport Publishers, an imprint of The Quarto

Group, 100 Cummings Center, Suite 265-D, Beverly, MA 01915, USA.

T (978) 282-9590 F (978) 283-2742 [Link]

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form
without written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book
have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists
concerned, and no responsibility is accepted by producer, publisher, or
printer for any infringement ...