This Photoshop character composite features artwork from my next How-To guide currently in progress.

The book will give readers the chance to draw their own versions in 10 simple steps. As these will be from the 'How to draw figures' section, I deliberately gave them figure-hugging outfits to help make things a little easier to understand without baggy clothing or too many drapes and folds interfering with the body shape.

You can check out Digital Manga if you'd like to learn in-depth Photoshop techniques for achieving the same colour results :)

Here's another selection of some of my older manga, game or anime inspired artworks (originally posted on my Instagram and cropped). Let me know if you have a favourite out of these :)

Check out Art Dump #1 for more.

[gallery type="rectangular" size="medium" link="file" ids="2760,2761,2762,2764,2763,2765,2766,2759,2768"]

Here's another selection of some of my older manga, game or anime inspired artworks (originally posted on my Instagram and cropped). Let me know if you have a favourite out of these :)

[gallery size="medium" link="file" type="rectangular" ids="2776,2775,2774,2773,2772,2771,2770,2769,2767"]

New Book Project Update

I'm still currently working on my latest 'How-To' guide book due for publication in 2016. Here's a little preview of some of the characters budding artists will be drawing from the book.
The working title for the project- 'The artist's guide to drawing manga'. With so many how-to-draw manga books out already it makes the hardest part just trying to come up with a title which hasn't already been used!

A Solo challenge

In previous books I'd get some assistance- a few images contributed by other artists, help with parts of the text, or I might at least commission an artist to digitally ink a couple of the images to save me some time. I wanted this one to be 100% my own stuff, for better or worse! Since I'd used my my previous back-catalogue of artwork on Digital Manga, I'm having to create all new stuff within an 8 month deadline while having other projects on the go. A challenge, but already have 89 pages down, with 39 to go :)

Had an idea about drawing a robot holding a dying woman in her arms, so sketched out a quick doodle:

A few days later I was thinking about 'Quake 3 arena' - many hours of fun had playing that one on the Sega Dreamcast with friends, or solo when I was in my teens. Wanted to try sketching something up without starting with a line art like I usually do so did this:

Here's a little walk-through of me discussing the artwork currently on my website, as of 2015/2016. I'll no doubt update the gallery with newer pieces over the years and take down older artworks. It'll be interesting to see which pieces stay and which get removed over time.

Designing something a bit different

Most designs you find at local retailers are boring, ordinary, common or look cheap and tacky- especially this recent craze for rectangle prints on the fronts of t-shirts which look like an uninspiring ink-jet transfer paper job. A design on shirts, any other clothing, or even tattoos on skin need to be placed properly. A top-heavy shirt with a design covering just the shoulders and chest or an a-symmetric piece of artwork can look great, but most companies just churn out the same, basic, small to medium sized square or round design slapped in the centre with no consideration to flow, composition or just trying to do something a bit different.

Recently I designed a full-print shirt with one of my doodle-mech designs after stumbling upon a UK company who can process full-coverage 'dye sublimation' shirts at small quantities. Check out www.sublab.co.uk for more info. I designed the shirt to fit the provided template, then sent it back as a PSD Photoshop file. Wanted a dark purple tee with contrasting orange for a while, so here's my opportunity to get one :)

All-Over Shirt printing

There was no mention of shirt dimensions other than chest size on site at the time, so did a little research for "American apparel t-shirt" to get a fairly good idea of the size I'd need. Being 6'1" male, with a 40" chest and 35" waist, I went for a medium and it fit pretty well. Some sizes hinted at a large being more appropriate for me. Although I prefer a slightly tighter fit, so wonder if a 'small' (described as a 34-36" chest size) would have looked better on my frame? I wondered if it would be possible to find and supply your own shirts for printing to guarantee a better fit? If spending over £30 for a t-shirt, you'd hope for it to fit well as well as look good.

The design came out very nicely with colours nearly as vibrant as my RGB computer screen. Tonal contrast was lacking a touch in certain areas, which is worth taking into consideration when designing my next shirt. There wasn't enough contrast with the subtle greys on the inside neck logo, so would also look to make that darker for next time. Very fine lines don't show up so well- keeping things a little bigger and bolder is the way to go.

The biggest problem was the inevitable white creases around the seams and armpit areas. Patches, nooks and crannies where the print doesn't reach. I knew there would be a strong possibility of this happening and they looked pretty bad if the arms were raised. I manually filled these areas with a black Sharpie, which over time fades out to a grey tone. Took some effort but now looks A LOT better than it did upon arrival, and probably not noticeable unless pointed out. I'm hoping it'll hold up in the wash. I may need to try other permanent ink or fabric markers if not.

The Result

I like the idea of selling full front and back print shirt designs, but with my mark-up on top, I'm not sure people would be willing to pay £40-£50 for a single t-shirt? It may not be everyone's cup of tea, so for now I'll continue to create my own custom shirts from time to time for personal use and leave it at that. Many thanks to Sublab for providing the opportunity to try this. The shirt looks awesome!

Apologies for the poor photo quality of on my phone, but you get the idea :)

I Did a thing

Here's a little compilation of characters I'd created from my tutorial book 'Drawing Manga - Step by Step'.

It's a relatively short how to draw guide book I worked on years which and had been re-released more recently. The idea being to create a cast of characters, teaching how they can be drawn. For those still learning how to create a character artwork, this book offers initial guidance and step-by-step instruction.

I get nostalgic looking back at previous projects I'd worked on :)

Learning to draw (Manga and Anime)

Learning to draw anime and manga characters is both useful and fun for several reasons. Firstly, it provides a creative outlet for self-expression. Anime and manga styles allow artists to convey emotions, tell stories, and create unique worlds through distinctive character designs. This fosters a sense of accomplishment as artists bring their imagination to life on paper.

Moreover, mastering anime and manga drawing techniques enhances overall artistic skills. Artists learn proportions, anatomy, and dynamic poses, honing their abilities to capture movement and expression. This foundational knowledge is transferable to other art forms and styles, contributing to a well-rounded skill set.

The anime and manga community is vast and global, making it a shared cultural experience. Learning to draw in these styles allows artists to connect with a diverse audience, share their work online, and participate in a vibrant artistic community. Collaborating with fellow enthusiasts, attending conventions, or even creating fan art fosters a sense of camaraderie and belonging.

Additionally, drawing anime and manga characters is a gateway to understanding Japanese culture and storytelling. It provides insights into different artistic traditions, narrative structures, and character archetypes prevalent in Japanese media. This cultural exchange broadens perspectives and enriches the overall learning experience.

In essence, learning to draw anime and manga characters is a fulfilling and enjoyable journey that combines artistic growth, cultural exploration, and the opportunity to connect with a global community of fellow enthusiasts.

Some Creepy Monster Designs:

Some Random Sketch Requests:

Some more Random Sketch Requests:

Commission for Tegan

This was made as a gift for a Dad's daughter, Tegan. She's a fan of Japan, Dragon Ball Z and Card Captor Sakura, so it was cool to get a few references in there with her portrait.

I think this must be one of the few times I draw a seated pose, and I like the colours with this one. Looking back, my only regret is that the shoes should be closed-toe, but like with every picture, you do what you think is right at the time.

Commission for Jessica

This commission was drawn for a friend of Jessica. She needed to look like she meant business and went with a foreshortened perspective with this. I don't know what the dinosaur bone is about? I'm sure it has some significance.

I'm not a caricaturist by trade so adapting the art I do to look like someone specific but with a manga vibe is always a challenge. Is it possible to convert real people's features into a simplified and stylized manga form (such as Pokemon, Dragonball) while managing to retain a likeness?

Birthday cake

This anime style portrait illustration was created for a a young family's twin daughter's Birthday. Made with the intention of being printed on a birthday cake. I wonder how it looked in the end? Or how it tasted?