Lesson 01

BASIC

LESSON 1 Hello, and welcome to the first lesson of the Manga University Home Study Course!

Instructor:

We start this the course with a special message from one of our instructors, Chihiro Hattori, whose published works include the best-selling series “Manga University Presents ... Kanji de Manga” and the award-winning “Manga Cookbook.”

Message from Chihiro Hattori: Hi there! I'm excited to be involved in the Manga University Home Study Course! Throughout this course, we will be learning all sorts of things about creating and drawing manga characters. Even if you’ve never picked up a manga pen in your life, by the time you finish this fun course, you will be able to draw characters with confidence. And if you already have some drawing skills, your work is only going to get better and better! The important thing to remember is that drawing manga is supposed to be fun. So, if you find yourself struggling at times, don't give up. Draw what you enjoy, and enjoy what you draw. My fellow instructors and I can’t wait to see everyone's drawings and offer our advice to you! Sincerely, Chihiro Hattori

Copyright © 2005-2016 Japanime Japanime Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved Manga University University is a registered registered trademark trademark of Japanime Japanime Co. Ltd. Ltd. Lessons are for personal personal use only

BASIC

LESSON 1 Manga Tools !

Getting Started:

This week’s lesson is about familiarizing yourself with the tools you will need to begin drawing manga — and don’t worry, you won’t need a bunch of fancy markers and pens!

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Your tools:

Plain paper 2. Sketchbook 3. Pencil 4. Eraser 1.

Pencil, eraser and paper — that’s all you need to begin your journey toward manga stardom! It’s also recommended that you always carry a small notebook or sketchbook wherever you go. You never know when you might be inspired to draw what you observe! One thing to remember about drawing manga (and almost any artistic process) is that it takes time and preparation. Be patient and keep practicing!

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You should make sure that:

1. Your pencil if sharp (you can also use a mechanical pencil too!) 2. Your eraser is clean! (if it is dirty or smudges, rub it on another surface to clean it before use.) 3. You are working on a smooth surface! If you are working on bumpy or soft surface, it will effect your drawing. I’m sure you’re excited to begin creating and drawing your own manga characters, and we’ll get to that soon, but first let’s start with the origin of manga!

Copyright © 2005-2016 Japanime Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved Manga University is a registered trademark of Japanime Co. Ltd. Lessons are for personal use only

BASIC

LESSON 1 A Brief History of Manga Before you begin, let’s have a look what “manga-style” is and where it comes from! !

Introduction:

Like all comics and cartoons, manga is a drawing style based on abstraction. What that means is even though a human manga character might not look fully realistic, you can still tell that it’s a person because of visual cues the artists uses to make it look familiar. (Of course, the same could be said about stick figures!) What makes manga special is that it uses a very recognizable style of abstraction — specific ways to create figures, backgrounds, lines and tones. There is also plenty of room for artistic variation in character design, proportions, realism and the level of detail used in a drawing. We will go over these Osamu Tezuka is considered to be the techniques throughout godfather of manga. the course, and before you know it, you’ll be well on your way to creating your own manga characters and stories. !

A (Very) Brief History:

Modern manga was developed in Japan during the 1940s and 1950s, when artists known as “mangaka” began to create comics and cartoons for entertainment and advertising

purposes. While it is said that pioneering mangaka such as Osamu Tezuka (creator of “Astro Boy”) and Machiko Hasegawa (“Sazae-san”) were inspired by the style and flair of American comics such as E.C. Segar’s legendary “Popeye” and Carl Barks’s “Scrooge McDuck,” there are also clear inspirations from traditional forms of Japanese art as well. For an enlightening look at the work habits of Tezuka, check out this 45-minute documentary on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yULt_h3E_Ag

And the next time you visit an art museum, try to find some Japanese “ukiyo-e” woodblock prints — think of them as handmade posters from 17th-century Japan. Even though these prints are hundreds of years old, you can see examples of outlining and shading techniques that are still used by artists today to create the vibrant manga images and characters that have taken the world by storm. Of course, just because manga comes from Japan doesn’t mean that it has to stay here; the art of manga is an open invitation to anyone in the world who has a story to tell, including you! So grab that pen and let’s get started!


BASIC

LESSON 1 Let’s Get Drawing!

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Drawing Your First Character:

Now that you know a bit more about manga and are growing familiar with your shiny new manga pen, let’s get down to some actual drawing! I’m sure you’re excited to begin creating and drawing your own manga characters, and we’ll get to that soon. But the best way to begin is actually by examining characters that have already been created by others — in particular, those drawn by professionals artists. We won’t get into anything fancy for this lesson; you’ll learn the proper way to study characters in the next lesson. For now, though, we’d like you to look at the character to the right and try to draw it by yourself. Do this in whatever way comes natural to you. While you’re working on your own version, think about what you pay attention to most when you are drawing, so you can compare your technique and progress from lesson to lesson. Good luck, and have fun!


BASIC

LESSON 1 Pop Quiz! Who is the so called “godfather of manga” credited with creating the series “Tetsuwan Atom,” known in the United States as “Astro Boy”? Here’s a hint: His picture is on the right. Is it:

A

B

C

D

Machiko Hasegawa

Chihiro Hattori

Osamu Tezuka

E.C. Segar

(Find the answer written upside-down at the bottom of this page.)

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See you during the next lesson!


Lesson 01

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