BACKGROUND CHARACTERS
No matter how amazing your main characters, or how gripping your story, if your world does not feature some everyday people living in your villages and cities it’s going to look a bit odd.
From the friendly shopkeeper who warns your heroes not to continue on towards the creepy castle, to the frantic office worker who gets caught up in a huge mecha battle, everyone has their part to play in developing your story lines.
SALARY MAN
We tried to make this character realistic, with his dejected expression and slumped posture. Alongside the extraordinary in manga there have to be normal people for whom dodging mechas and mutant invasions is just a tiresome part of modern life.
STEP 1
Draw a basic stick figure with his shoulders stooped, his arms hanging loosely at his sides and his knees bent. He looks as if he is weighed down by the pressure of work.
STEP 2
Use cylinder shapes to give form to your character’s arms and legs, then draw the lines marking his neck and the basic shapes for his hands.
STEP 3
Draw in your character’s basic anatomical details and facial features, and give him some glasses with rectangular rims. Being a sedentary office worker, he’s not very muscular. Complete this stage by drawing the fingers of his right hand and his left hand clutching a briefcase.
STEP 4
Give your character some hair and a suit, shirt and tie. Add details to his facial features and shoes and draw the pen that he has dropped.
STEP 5
Use your lining pen to go over the lines that will be visible in the finished drawing, and erase any pencil lines. Put the finishing touches to his clothes, case, shoes and pen.
STEP 6
Using a dull, single colour for his suit emphasizes just how drab and boring this character’s life really is.
STEP 7
Use highlights and shading to bring out the folds and bagginess of the suit. You want it to look as care-worn as the character.
ARTIST’S TIP
Giving the character a slouched shoulder pose makes him look tired and worn-out, while the dropped pen and open-mouthed pose suggest complete despair.
OLD LADY
Knowledge of the basics of structure can be used to create any type of character., as you will discover here. Our little old lady could easily have been morphed into somebody else. It took just a couple of steps to fix her identity.
STEP 1
Draw a basic stick figure of a short, elderly lady with both arms extended from the elbows.
STEP 2
Use cylinder shapes to give form to the lady’s arms and legs, then draw the line marking the side of her neck and the basic shapes of her hands, which are resting on the handle of a walking stick.
STEP 3
Draw your character’s basic anatomical details – note that her body is quite stout. Sketch in her facial features and her fingers, which are wrapped around the stick.
STEP 4
Give your character some hair and a blouse, a cape and a full-length skirt. Add details to her facial features and walking stick, then draw her necklace.
STEP 5
Use your lining pen to go over the lines that will be visible in the finished drawing, and erase any pencil lines. Put the finishing touches to her necklace.
STEP 6
We decided to use a single colour for her dress, but you could shade her top half in a different tone to create the effect of a shawl.
STEP 7
Notice how the shadowing helps to define the flow of her arm beneath the material.
ARMY GENERAL
We have given this mature military man a solid, strong body shape. For male characters you don’t have to resort to rippling muscles on every part of the body to make them look impressive.
STEP 1
Draw a basic stick figure with his right arm raised from the elbow. We are looking up at this tall, imposing figure, so his legs and pelvis are large in comparison to his upper body and his eyeline is higher than normal.
STEP 2
Use cylinder shapes to bulk out your character’s arms and legs, then draw the lines marking his neck and the basic shapes for his hands.
STEP 3
Draw in the muscles in his arms, legs and torso. Add his basic facial features – he has a craggy face and a cleft chin. Draw the fingers of his clenched fists.
STEP 4
Give your character some hair and a moustache, then add detail to his facial features. Draw his clothes, his belt and the shoulder strap holding his ammunition.
STEP 5
Use your lining pen to go over the lines that will be visible in the finished drawing and erase any pencil lines. Put the finishing touches to his clothes and accessories.
STEP 6
Loose material is also a feature of this character’s clothing. You will have to pay close attention to the shadowing and highlighting at the next stage to bring out the folds.
STEP 7
Use shading to give depth to your character, bearing in mind the direction of the light when you are drawing the shadows.
ARTIST’S TIP
To enforce the impression that this is a leader of men, not only does the pose have to be slightly threatening but your perspective is from below so you are literally looking up to him.
SHOPKEEPER
Not everyone in the world is six feet tall and devastatingly handsome. At first glance our shopkeeper might seem undistinguished but he’s absolutely bursting with character, from his bushy moustache right down to his quirky little shoes.
STEP 1
Draw a short, stocky stick figure with his right arm raised from the elbow and his left arm bent, with the hand behind his back. Both feet are turned outwards.
STEP 2
Use cylinder shapes to bulk out your character’s arms and legs. His legs are short and wide. Draw a cylinder to mark the position of his neck, although this will be hidden behind his beard. Sketch in the basic shapes of his hands.
STEP 3
Draw your character’s basic anatomical details and facial features. Draw his right hand with the palm facing forwards as if he is waving. His left hand is hidden behind his back.
STEP 4
Give your character a tuft of hair, a large moustache and a pointed beard. Complete his facial features and draw his clothes, including his apron and badge.
STEP 5
Use your lining pen to go over the lines that will be visible in the finished drawing, and erase any pencil lines. Add a couple of wrinkle lines above the shopkeeper’s eyebrows.
STEP 6
Add the colouring using lighter shades as shown.
STEP 7
The light is coming from the shopkeeper’s left-hand side. The curved shadowing on the front of the apron makes the character’s stomach look round and chubby, giving him a friendly appearance.
SHARP-SUITED GANGSTER
The very angular and pointed style of this gangster gives him an overwhelming air of menace. Just looking at him you can tell he doesn’t say much, but he’s capable of heinous acts without a second thought.
STEP 1
Draw a basic stick figure of a tall man with his left arm hanging straight down and his right arm bent at the elbow. He is looking you straight in the face.
STEP 2
Use cylinder shapes to give form to your character’s arms and legs, then draw the lines marking the sides of his neck and the basic shapes of his hands.
STEP 3
Draw your character’s basic anatomical details and facial features. His eyes are hidden behind his glasses. Draw the gun in his left hand. The thumb and first finger of this hand are wrapped around the gun and his right hand is tucked inside his pocket.
STEP 4
Give your character some hair and eyebrows. Add details to his facial features and gun. Now it’s time to draw his suit, shirt, tie and shoes. Note how one side of his jacket is lifted up by his left arm.
STEP 5
Use your lining pen to go over the lines that will be visible in the finished drawing, and erase any pencil lines. Colour the gangster’s eyebrows and the sides of his hair black. Add a shadow under his chin and the creases in his suit. Draw the discarded bullet casings on the ground.
STEP 6
Put in the colouring of your character, as shown.
STEP 7
Use black and some dark colours to add shading. Use a light pen to add some highlights on his sunglasses and the edges of his suit where the light hits them.
ARTIST’S TIP
Using very sharp, straight lines for your shadows and highlights will help to make this gangster look even more angular and smart. This will add to the impression of him as a deadly professional.
POWERFUL PUNCHES
We have already shown you how to add power and speed to your kicks see here. Now we look at how to get the illusion of power into a punch.
This punch looks like it hurts, but it lacks that real ‘oomph’ element.
Movement lines and sound effects take this image on to a different level.
FLYING FISTS
Breaking the outline of the limb into motion lines, rather than giving it a solid edge, will help you sell the idea that the arm is in motion and travelling at some speed.
SWOOSH AND SOUND
Movement lines and sound effects lend excitement to fight scenes.
Swoosh lines show the direction of the punch and give the illusion of speed.
A large sound effect adds impact. You can make up words to fit the noises you hear in your fight scenes.
IMPACT AND DEBRIS
Impact flashes can help show the power of the hit. They are better used at the point of impact.
Small impact flashes.
Minor debris can imply blood or spittle.
COLOUR AND TONE
Even though manga was traditionally black and white, the popularity of colour manga has risen greatly in recent years, with computer programs now making colouring easier than ever.
A key to good colouring, whether by hand or by mouse, is understanding how to use shadow and light to get the maximum effect, even if you are using a limited colouring palette.
Talking tones
The majority of manga is still printed in black and white, so mastering the art of shading and achieving consistency with the light source is key to producing authentic-looking manga.
Let’s start with a strong black and white image.
We now need to add an imaginary light source to be able to throw shadows into the scene to help add form and depth. Here, our original image has had its light sources indicated to make things clearer before we move on to the next step. As you can see, the sources of the light come from the window on the back wall and from the holes in the roof.
Anything the light hits directly will be left white, while anything that may be blocking the light will leave a shadow on the opposite side to that where the light hits the item. The further away from the light source the item is, the darker the shadow will be.
Here you can see one of the columns from the back in the first panel without any shadowing and in the second panel with shadows added.
Here is the image with all its shading and toning added. Notice how the floor is lighter nearer the window where more light is being cast. Also notice how the shadows are cast across the floor from our character’s legs, letting you know the light source from the window is stronger than the light coming from above.
When colouring, you have to take into account reflected light as well as the various light sources.
Reflected light is a secondary light source provided by the lighting from your main source bouncing off the environment. The shadows created are less strong than where the light is being blocked by an object.
The entire image with the line work removed and just the shadows on show almost creates a complete image on its own.
ARTIST’S TIP
What you have learned about shading can easily be applied when you’re working in colour, by using different tones of the same colour to add shadows.
Set yourself three darker shades of colour for your three levels of shadow depth and use only those shades until you feel confident blending between the different tones.
Lighting faces
When you’re lighting faces, think about the materials that surround your character and the amount of light they would reflect. Below are some of the usual ways of lighting faces, showing you the sources of the main lighting and the sources of the reflected light and their effects.
This is the most basic and popular way to light a face.
With most of the face blocking the light, there is minimal reflected light. A subtle secondary light source coming from the left adds a highlight line to the jaw.
Heavy shadows are created on the face as it blocks almost all of the light. This approach is ideal for giving your character a creepy look.
A light source pointing directly at a character creates few shadows. This approach saves time when colouring but is dramatically limiting.
Here most of the face is in shadow. A subtle degree of reflected light produces highlights on the jawline, creating an ominous mood.
A main source from above gives minimal reflected light from below. A second, subtle light source adds more definition. Knowledge of anatomy is necessary for this kind of lighting to work successfully.
COLOURING STYLES
Here are the different stages you can take your colour through. When it comes to colouring manga any of these styles are acceptable, depending on the amount of detail you want to include, from flat colour to fully realized colour with complete shadows and highlights.
Stage 1: Basic tone
This is the basic flat colouring you will do as the first stage.
Stage 2: Dark shade
Adding a darker shade of the same colour gives some basic shadowing to your character.
Stage 3: Light shade
Adding lighter shades of the same colour at certain points gives more definition and a touch of three-dimensional quality.
Stage 4: Highlights and shadows
Extra highlights at selected points create a fully defined character with a much more solid look overall.
COMPOSITION
The term ‘composition’ refers to the design of your picture – how the individual parts that make up your piece of work are arranged and interact with each other to create an effect. Good compositions have a massive impact on your viewers and the experience they take away from your art.
When you’re composing an image, preplanning will save you a lot of problems and possible messy revisions later on. Before you start drawing, you should think about your image as a whole. Try to picture in your mind what you want your finished image to look like and remember to include any background, focus lines and speech bubbles.
Your next choice is whether your image will work best in portrait (vertical) or landscape (horizontal) format. Portrait can be used to bring focus to an intense character moment, while landscape is good for portraying fast-moving action or large scenes with detailed background elements or many characters. Either panel format can be used as you please – that’s what keeps your art interesting.
Rule of thirds
An image that is divided into two halves – for example, where the horizon line is exactly halfway down the composition – tends to be boring.
Breaking the image into thirds makes it far more interesting visually and suggests much more going on in your piece.
The rule of thirds can also be applied using the character’s body and clothing to form the divisions in the image.
Thumbnails
An ideal way to plan out your image before committing to fully drawing it is to use thumbnails.
These are simple rough sketches, often with stick figures, that help you to plan out your image on paper before you move on to doing your final artwork. Here are some examples of thumbnail scenes.
BASIC THUMB
MORE DETAILED THUMB
Focal points
When planning an image it’s also important to think about the focal point – the specific part of the image you want the viewer’s eye to be attracted to. This could be a character’s eyes that display emotion, a weapon or item they are holding that is important to the plot of your story, or even something as seemingly unimportant as a switch on a control panel.
You can do some of this by using focus lines (see here). You can also use perspective and foreshortening (see here). Other ways include making a character’s clothing folds or body position flow towards the element you want to draw attention to.
Using thumbnails is an excellent way to work out what you will need to do to pull the focus towards the element you want to feature.
Showing less of the overall body and head draws the reader to the character’s eyes.
Using foreshortening to bring the arm closer to the viewer and making the item break out of the panel will draw the viewer’s gaze towards the object in the character’s hand.
Negative space
Negative space can become an artist’s greatest friend if used correctly. This term refers to the space immediately around the subject you are drawing, as opposed to the subject itself. Negative space can be used in conjunction with backgrounds and other images to help form shapes that push focus in the direction you want.
Negative space can also be used when it’s reversed to add interest to your images. If you think of a silhouette of someone’s profile, this is a great use of negative space, as it creates the image by outlining the main character without actually showing him or her.
Paying attention to the area directly around the image you are drawing will give you many opportunities to add to your artwork by using negative space.
Focus lines draw your eye to the character’s hand without breaking out of the panel.
PLACING YOUR CHARACTER INTO A WORLD
Although manga uses a lot of backgrounds that consist only of focus lines and often panels with no background detail at all, you will still need to be able to place your characters into locations to give your story context.
The mistake many artists make early in their work is to fail to match the perspective and size of their characters to the location they place them in.
By using perspective correctly and approaching elements of your scene as individual blocks, you can avoid having backgrounds that look wrong and out of perspective with your creations.
One way of making an image is to draw your characters first, then add the background around them. However, this can cause problems if you wish to place your character behind, or interacting with, other elements in the image, unless you considered these before you started drawing and adjusted your character’s pose accordingly.
Another way is to approach the scene as a whole, creating your character and the background at the same time. This allows much more creative freedom to adjust the scene to perfectly fit a character.
BAD PERSPECTIVE
GOOD PERSPECTIVE
Building your background
Place a rough outline of your character on the page at the size you want him or her to appear.
Lightly draw a box around the character then, using a ruler, extend the edges of the box out. Add an extra line (shown in red) to denote your character’s eye level.
EVERYTHING COMES IN BOXES
If you imagine that every item you are placing has its own box around it like your character, scenes can be created as if you were using building blocks to make your image.
You now have your perspective guidelines and can begin placing items in the scene using the guidelines to ensure everything works in the correct perspective.
HANDLING THE CUTTER
If you find your scene is becoming overcrowded or confused with all your construction lines, simply complete the items that are in your way so they are ready for inking, then erase their guidelines and move on to the next item in your scene.
Once you have removed your construction lines you can add shading to complete your image.
BUILDING BETTER BACKGROUNDS
Your backgrounds will engage the viewer if you think of them as another character in your story. Always be specific in what you portray and make it appropriate. By doing this you will make your world believable.
Detail is key
A battered waste bin might fit your story line better than a pristine one.
A table in a private eye’s office would look more realistic with stains and dents than one that looks perfect.
Everything matters
Look at these two pictures of a seedy backstreet. Which do you think looks more like the sort of street you’d find a dangerous gang member hanging out in?
What’s over there?
Try not to limit your backgrounds to what is immediately apparent. Use the distant background area to hint at something more going on beyond what you can see.
There are a number of tricks you can use:
Less can be more
There’s no need to include a fully drawn background on every single panel. Try to include one per page to let your reader know the location where the scenes are set, but also use different angles and close-ups in the other panels, where you can include selected pieces from your overall background.
PANELS AND LAYOUTS
No matter how amazing your art, if you don’t lay out your panels correctly on the page all your work will be for nothing. Your story needs to flow from panel to panel so the reader can move through it smoothly and coherently, while at the same time not being overwhelmed by too much information on each page.
Before you start drawing the panels for your comic, plan your layouts by sketching them out roughly on a piece of paper.
The width of the gutters between the final panels is important in order to use negative space for clarity on your page. While horizontal gutters don’t need to be the same width as vertical ones and panels can be any shape, make sure that all the horizontal gutters are of equal width and all the vertical gutters also match each other.
Bad – uneven gutters
Good – even gutters
Make sure your panels flow correctly. Once you have sketched out your panels, see where your eyes are naturally drawn to when looking at the page and make sure this follows the flow of your story. Show the page to friends so you can check that their eyes also follow the same path.
Layouts
Just as important is working out the layout and flow of your story. If you don’t plan this the reader will become confused and lose interest.
In deciding how you want your story to flow, bear in mind where you will need establishing shots and where you may need larger panels for impact.
Make sure you include at least one panel on the page which shows a detailed background whenever you change scene. This helps the reader to understand where the scenes are taking place and also means you don’t need hugely detailed backgrounds in every panel.
Don’t try to put too much in a panel at once. Trying to include an entire student’s room in a single panel, for example, will make it confusing.
Instead, show a portion of the room from a certain angle then, as you move the story through the panels, show different views of the same room.
Transitions are important to your story. Never jump between scenes you have not introduced before. For example, having two characters talking to each other in what your reader knows from the establishing scene panels is a park, then suddenly jumping to another character on a phone in a completely different location, will only confuse. Instead, use an extra establishing panel – see below.
The golden rule is: don’t assume your reader knows the flow of your story. If you haven’t told them something, they cannot guess what you were thinking when you drew your layout!
FROM PICTURES TO WORDS
Speech is handled a little differently in manga from how it is seen in Western comics. Many mangas read from right to left rather than left to right, and they feature a lot of vertical text rather than horizontal, since they follow the traditional Japanese way of writing.
Whereas Western speech and thought bubbles have a small ‘tail’ to show who is speaking or thinking, manga ‘tails’ tend to be more delicate or even completely absent. To distinguish between characters, their speech bubbles may have differing shapes to each other, with the edges changing shape to reflect the tone of voice.
However, as manga has gained in popularity, much of it that is produced outside Japan follows the standard Western convention of text layout. Whether you choose original or Western layouts is up to you. Remember, though, when adding your speech bubbles, that a lot of manga uses its characters’ faces and situations to convey emotions, whereas Western publications prefer to spell out in the text what their characters are thinking and feeling. This is an important point when you are considering your text for your manga comic.
Manga sometimes overlaps speech bubbles into the next frame as a way of visually guiding the reader through the page or giving an overall visual flow to the page. This is something to remember when planning out your speech placement.
THINK WORDS AND PICTURES
When planning out your comic page, remember that the words are as important as the imagery in a lot of stories, so make sure you leave space for your text, even if it involves doing complete mock-up pages with speech bubbles indicated. This will ensure you have enough space to fit everything in without having to make adjustments to your art later on.
Here’s a selection of speech and text bubbles used in manga.
STANDARD BUBBLE
This is used for the majority of speech, but remember that it can be shaped for each character.
ANGER BUBBLE
This is for occasions when a simple exclamation mark just doesn’t get across the intensity of the conversation.
THOUGHT BUBBLE
While it is used in some manga this is a more Western approach, as thoughts are often represented in manga as text without a bubble.
SQUARE BOX
Used for giving information and exposition about plot and location, this can also convey a character’s internal monologue.
TRIPLE DOT
This speech bubble is used when a character has nothing to say or is speechless in reaction to something. It can also denote that a character is thinking.
THE FINISHED PAGE
Here is a complete page using what you have learnt in this book to give you an idea of what is achievable when you put everything into practice.