GETTING BUTTERFLIES IN THE STOMACH 65
HANDS CLASPED IN ANTICIPATION 66
SCRATCHING THE HEAD FROM EMBARRASSMENT 67
CLASPING BOTH HANDS BEHIND THE BACK AND LOOKING OVER THE SHOULDER 68
WHISPERING IN SOMEONE‛S EAR 72
CONFESSING FEELINGS OF LOVE 74
SADNESS, DISAPPOINTMENT AND TURNING TO LOOK BACK 93
WATCHING FROM THE SHADOWS, INSANE LAUGHTER AND BACKED INTO A CORNER 94
NOW LET YOUR IMAGINATION SOAR! 95
HOW CAN I MAKE MY
CHARACTERS MORE DYNAMIC?
Since publishing The Manga Artist‛s Handbook: Drawing Basic Manga Characters, this is the question readers have most frequently asked. The focus of that guide was on the basics: proportion, framing, block- ing-in and the various poses manga artists need to master. The goal was to give beginning manga artists an understanding of balance and composition, by tracing the blocked-in drawings in their own style.
Now you manga maniacs want to stretch your skills, creating char-
acters with more animated expressions and more complex poses. As
with our other manual, the guiding principle here is the same, follow
the tips and learn the techniques all while applying and developing
your own style.
No matter what your character is doing, the entire body is in-
volved. Elation, dejection, fear, emotions are felt and expressed in
the entire body, and now you can capture these nuances and details
with realism and clarity. Expression is not reserved for the face
alone, so mastering motion and movement is essential to elevating
your personal style. Learn the ropes while adapting these tips and
techniques to your own vision and the story only you—and your char-
acters!—can tell.
Compelling and complex poses and eloquently expressive faces are
now as easy as 1, 2, 3. Trace the faces, fill in the bodies, then add
the details, the embellishments and finishing touches only you can
include when creating a manga universe all your own.
4
What Is Blocking-In?
Blocking-in means roughly sketching an outline or a form in order to fl esh out
a character‛s shape and pose. Professional