My portfolio

[SlizerNet]

I started drawing manga style images a while ago. But being an excelent artist, I was quite frustrated when I couldn't pick it up straight away. But I've stuck with it, with the aid of a few books from howtodrawmanga.com. Anyway, Some of my work can be seen at slizer.com please tell me how I can improve etc.

[xup878]

Originally posted by SlizerNet
But being an excelent artist, I was quite frustrated when I couldn't pick it up straight away.

not lacking confidence

Try using flash to draw anime... anime is perfectly suited to the vector style and it makes cell shading a lot easier...

[SlizerNet]

Yeh i have been experimenting with flash. Its just that all my work so far is drawn with pencil and scanned in. So I have been using photoshop. Can anyone say whether its worth buying a graphics tablet? I tried a very small one once, and I didn't like it.

[CNO]

What sort of artwork do you normally do? The background looks like the most well-developed piece of the set.

My first observation is that it looks like you are trying too hard to draw in an "anime-style". In other words, the conventions are observable (big eyes, spiky hair, etc), but the characters themselves are very flat. The poses are not at all dynamic (watch the limp arms), and the proportions seem a bit off on some of the drawings.

I'd focus on practicing on hands (they're tough - I know), and use more guidelines on the characters heads to make sure that the facial features are properly aligned for the pose you are trying to represent. At least make sure the eyes are properly aligned and demonstrating a correct perspective on tilted heads. Also, look to develop a stronger character skeleton with all of the elements in place as loose shapes before even tossing in some of those "anime" elements.

Other than that, practice makes perfect - good to see you working at it and developing your style.

[SlizerNet]

I've never been very confident drawing human figures. So I am finding this abnormally difficult. The art work i normally do is in college, large scall paintings etc. Very different. Thanks for the advice!

[Olly K]

I noticed your last two you've used liens as shading.
I think you need to try and use cell shading more, the lines look too fussy.
Also I little thing with your hair, it looks a bit heavy and greasy, practice making it look lighter
In you first set n head sketches the second one down on the left is quite good (bar the eyes not being level).

Maybe the tuts here would prove useful to you:
www.howtodrawmanga.com

Keep practicing -however you spell it
-Olly