How to Draw Anime Weapons

Anime weapons are key parts of any action drawing. In this Japanese art form, weapons give male and female characters power, personality and poise. Popular anime weapons to draw include swords, wooden staffs, axes, rapiers, machetes, scythes and spears.

Things You'll Need

• Eraser
• Ruler
• Graphite pencil
• Sketch pad

Instructions

Draw Intimidating Anime Weapons for Your Characters

1. Draw your weapon with a straight line, using a ruler. Most anime weapons are sturdy and unmoving until swung or manipulated (swords, staffs, spears), so they should be drawn as such. Consider the material your weapon is made of (metal or wood), which will help you create the design details.

2. Add the mechanism to your weapon at the topmost point of your initial line. For a spear, this will be an arrowhead or metal bayonet. For a scythe or machete, this will be a rounded knife point with a razor-sharp edge.

3. Embellish a sword handle with short, horizontal lines wrapping around the hilt. You can even insert Japanese characters or samurai symbols into the handle to give it ultimate authenticity.

4. Create depth by adding a glint of light on the knife blade of your metal weapon. Using a burst pattern (asterisk), you can easily create a glint of light on the tip of a sword or even on a shield.

5. Add weaponry effects to give your fantasy anime character motion and charisma by adding sweeping curves, stars or wind around the movement of each weapon. Especially for graphic art (comic book) anime, weaponry effects denote magical powers or super strength--two things that are ideal for anime heroes.

Tips & Warnings

• Your anime weapons do not have to be drawn to scale, even in the same piece. You can give your character a giant sword and a little scythe with no incongruity in anime rules.

• Keep size in perspective when using larger-than-life weapons. In anime, it is common to have weapons that are the same size as the upper half of your character, even if they seem too heavy for him.

• Anime motion can also be added by tracing light impressions of your weapon "behind" the motion of your weapon. When something moves quickly, it looks like it is in more than one position at once for a brief second. You can create this look by drawing multiples of your sword or other weapon, with each increasing in thickness as the images get closer to the real one.

• Avoid overly Western weapons for anime characters. Weapons like guns, grenades or ropes are not symbolic of Eastern anime traditions and often look out of place in this genre.