How to Draw Punk Anime

Drawing punk anime requires knowledge of punk fashion.

The most challenging aspect of creating punk anime is understanding punk fashion. Drawing anime characters requires the same principles followed in figure drawing, but developing distinct punk clothing designs takes practice. Like many other beginning artists you may be unsure where to begin. Luckily there is a method of drawing punk anime which allows even beginning artists to create eye-catching outfits for their characters.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Black pencil
• Eraser
• Drawing paper
• Punk clothing reference picture

Instructions

Study Punk Fashion

1. Retrieve several full body reference pictures of punk fashion from websites like Photo Bucket or Urban Image. See the resource section for links to these sites. Study the style, accessories and patterns used for punk clothing. Take notes on anything that seems exciting about the clothing.

2. Practice drawing pieces of punk clothing. Do not try to create a finished drawing; focus on understanding how the clothing is designed and how it falls. Work quickly and try not to erase any mistakes.

3. Add an anime twist in your drawings of punk clothing. Exaggerate punk features of your outfits such as studs, pins and boot designs. Sketch lightly and concentrate on understanding the makeup of punk fashion.

4. Create several rough designs of punk outfits using your reference picture as a guide. Sketch the top, bottom, and boots of your outfit quickly. Don't worry about creating a finished drawing, create rough designs which you can use as references later on.

5. Continue studying and drawing until you feel comfortable with the makeup and composition of punk fashion.

Drawing Punk Anime

1. Create the rough draft of your anime character. Draw a circle to map out the head. Extend a line from the bottom of the circle; this will represent the spine. Map out the torso and hips by drawing two squares along the spine of your character. Bend the spine and squares to create the pose desired. Draw two lines extending from the torso and two from the hips to map out your character's arms and legs.

2. Sketch the shape of your anime character using your rough draft as a guide. Do not draw any clothes on your subject; focus on creating an organic outline of the body. Work slowly and press lightly with your pencil.

3. Erase all markings left from your rough draft and adjust any mistakes found in your character's outline. Choose one of the punk outfits you've drafted previously and sketch its basic shape over your anime character. Allow the outfit to fall naturally over the body. Erase any part of your character's body, which is now covered by clothing.

4. Draw the inner details of the punk outfit. Sketch any studs, zippers, tears and belts found on the outfit. Sketch any wrist wear and necklaces worn and adjust the clothing's length wherever needed. Sketch in the hair, eyes, nose, lips and ears of your anime character. Draw the hair in a style which matches the punk outfit.

5. Review your anime character and adjust any mistakes found. Erase any smudges and extra pencil markings in your drawing. Darken your entire picture by pressing over your lines hard with a pencil. Look over your picture a final time and add any other details desired, such as the boot ornaments, belt buckles and tattoos.

6. Ink your drawing by going over your lines with a black pen. Work slowly and adjust any other mistakes found before inking. Erase all your pencil markings for a professional look. Add shading with your pen by using a crosshatching method to complete your drawing.

Tips & Warnings

• Study punk fashion regularly. This will allow you to create new and better outfit designs.

• Practice drawing anime daily. The more you practice, the better your artwork will become.

• View other artists' techniques for drawing punk anime. This will give you ideas and inspiration for your own work.

• Keep in mind that every artist's drawing style will be different. Explore different techniques to develop your own unique style of drawing.

References

• I Draw Girls; How to Draw Comics, Woman Girl Female Steam Punk Post Apocalypse Character Design, Sketch Illustration Also for Manga Anime Step By Step and Video; Xia Taptara; April 2008
• YouTube; Manga University Workshop With Ryuu Yakuta: How to Draw Males; October 2009
• Fashionising; Punk Fashion: Elements of Influence; Daniel P Dykes; December 2010

Resources

• Photobucket: Punk Fashion
• UrbanImage: People Punks Images