How to draw manga: vol 4

How to draw manga: vol 4
by the Society for the Study of Manga Techniques (this vol is written and drawn by Takehiko Matsumoto.)

Notes:

how to draw interiors and exteriors
simple objects, putting characters in drawings, drawing buildings, drawing backgrounds from photographs

how to draw machines
cars, motocycles, colossal and complex machines, original machines

how to draw nature and animals
expressing natural objects like grass, trees, rocks, oceans, water, clouds, fire and smoke, explosions. Drawing animals include real and imaginary (basic building block is a 3D cube)

how to create a short story manga
tips like the optimal number of characters, keeping the story theme short, alloting pages based on the script, fundamental frame rules (manga reads from right to left), giving characters life (speed lines, using afterimages, frame size), frame structure.

last chapter
advice on drawing pages for submissions to publishers
methods to becoming a manga artist

p.6 “Everyone knows that the best way to improve your drawing ability is to copy your favorite manga; however, without intentionally studying and understanding the ins-and-outs of manga and just frantically drawing pages on end as your method of study, you will make slow progress.”

useful book, ‘cos not everyone is a genius illustrator 🙂