Anime Anatomy Tutorial
To create a compelling anime character learn to draw anime anatomy. The anatomy of an anime character is a bit simpler than the swelling musculature of a comic book super hero but a great deal more realistic than your average cartoon character. Use basic shapes as anatomy building blocks for your character.
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Creating the Upper Body
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The male chest will be wider at the top with broader shoulders.
The best way to create an anime upper body is to draw a basic frame first. Use a simple shape like a rectangle that is slightly curved on each side to form the chest. Create guidelines for the shoulders with ovals on the upper left and right sides of the chest. Add the arms with simple lines and make a small oval for the elbow. Use a larger oval to mark out the hand. Put a spine guideline on the character with a vertical line coming down off the chest. If you are drawing a female character the shoulders and upper chest will be smaller. You will also need to draw a bust with two curved semicircles across the chest.
To finish the upper body, draw parallel lines around the arm and chest guidelines. Create the fingers with four bent rectangular shapes on each hand. A thumb can be added with a thicker version of the fingers.
Creating the Lower Body
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A female character will have wider hips.
Create the lower body by using an upside down triangle as the basic structure for the hips. If you are drawing a female character the hips will be wider than a male character. Add legs with straight lines, and the knees with a circle in the middle of each leg. Create the feet with triangles at the ends of each leg.
Flesh out the frame by drawing parallel lines over the leg guidelines. Female characters will have slightly wider upper legs and smoother curves around the hips, knees and ankles.
Creating the Head and Face
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The face is the most important part of an anime character.
The head and face are the most complicated sections in anime anatomy. Use a large oval shape to create the basic frame of the head. Add a chin with a "V" shape on the bottom of the oval. Mark out a guideline for the facial details using a "t" or cross shape on the face. This will help you keep all of your details in the correct proportions.
Add the eyes using ovals on the horizontal line of the facial guideline. Create the pupils inside the eyes with large semi circles. Make eyebrows with very simple curved lines above the eyes. To create the characteristic anime-style nose use a sideways "V" or triangular shape below the eyes. Add the mouth with a simple curved line below the nose.
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