How to Draw the Charming and Romantic Characters of Japanese Comics
The romantic characters--the shoujo girls and bishie boys--are the most popular in Japanese manga comics, as the convey a youthful charm that appeals to both young men and women. Knowing how to draw them is essential to making a successful comic.
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Instructions
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See that your characters have a youthful, charming look. This means drawing them with large foreheads and small jaws. Using an oval head shape works best.
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Make the eyes big. This is the number one trait in romantic shoujo characters. Contrast the big eyes with a small nose and mouth.
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Detail the eyes with thick eyebrows for male characters and thinner ones for females. Female eyes should have thick eyelashes. Sketch multiple shine marks within the eyes to make them appear brighter, conveying a youthful innocence.
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Add the hair, making it thick and full to complement the large forehead. This will naturally add height to the head. With many manga characters, the bangs should be shaggy.
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Construct a male figure with broad shoulders and a wide stance. A bishie, or young romantic man, should have long arms and legs, and their heads are small in proportion to their bodies.
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Sketch the body for a shoujo female with a soft, elongated look, giving her long legs and a proportionate torso. If she transforms into a "magical girl," don't change the appearance other than exaggerating details like her hair and clothing.
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Tips & Warnings
Chibis, the cute, miniature characters of manga, should be drawn at a height of two heads tall. Their bodies will be drawn wider and more compact than their taller counterparts, which will add to their cuteness.
