How to Draw Japan

About this book

100 CHARACTERS THAT ACTUALLY MOVE. 6 STEPS EACH. 600 STEP-BY-STEP DRAWINGS. 24 POSES. 12 FEELINGS.

Standing still is Chapter 1 of drawing. This book is what comes next.

Every character in this book is built on a pose skeleton — shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, knees, feet — marked in Step 1 and never moved again. A runner leaning into the dash. A soccer kick at full stretch, the ball exactly at the striking foot. A taiko drummer in the instant BEFORE the hit. A cheer captain frozen at the top of the jump. And every face is built with an expression system: brows, lid lines, mouth and face marks working as one team — laughter, surprise, determination, comic anger, worry with a sweat drop, shyness with a blush and a floating heart, sleepiness with Zzz marks climbing away.

In Step 5 of every character you add the final manga grammar: action marks (speed lines, jump arcs, sparkles, music notes, anger veins) and props placed where the hands put them — bat, racket, book, pompoms, drum, flag, microphone. Nothing moves between steps — the skeleton you mark in Step 1 is the exact skeleton you colour in Step 6.

Inside: 20 everyday-in-motion · 20 sports & games · 15 dance, festival & cheer · 15 joy & surprise expressions · 15 brave, angry & worried expressions · 15 shy, sleepy & calm expressions.

And after every character: a practice page. Trace the faint character, then draw your own version in the empty frame. 100 characters, 100 practice pages.

The companion volumes teach faces and hair, samurai & kimono, yokai & festivals, and chibi characters — all standing still. This volume is the one that makes them run, kick, dance, laugh and sulk. All you need is a pencil and an eraser.