General

@uncleden95 No, I never use Skype, plus I hate any sort of voice chatting (if that's what you were talking about)
I do have a Facebook though so I don't know if that works for you, or if you even want to
Also, I will be drawing not so much this school year, since it is my junior year & my workload has already been unbearable
I will just be drawing time to time & will probably resume drawing in a serious manner this upcoming summer
Sorry to disappoint

@lilzara For the most part, it makes sense what you are saying & I see what you're trying to tell me (I think)
I think I'll be continuing to use reference pictures then to help me, since almost everyone has been telling me they are a positive thing to have
So thank you for your input

You can ignore this, since I'm also someone too stubborn to use references, and just glance over tutorials soIkindadon'treallyknowwhatI'mtalkingabouthahahaOTL. But I feel like just learning from tutorials, like how to draw hands, how to draw (insert feature), even how proportions work and everything, without actually studying photographs/real people is akin to learning the functions of transistors, capacitors, resistors, etc and then having to build a functional circuitboard without using a completed one as a reference. You can learn how to draw hands and guns, but you'll have to use photo references to really know the proper stance and where limbs ought to be placed. The way I "learned" was simply drawing what I liked, without any study, then having very, very honest friends (and not friends) "rip" it apart with somewhat? constructive criticism. It's a very long and frustrating road, and even now I'm still unable to consistently draw anything correctly, despite having spent the last four-ish years trying to draw (anime/manga) people.

I feel like if you do use references and such, the rate of improvement is much better/faster, as long as you dedicate a lot of time and effort to it. And it's better to use photo references for anatomy and cloth/folds, while leaving drawn (anime/manga) references for style.

I don't know if that made any sense at all. It's all just theoretical thinking on my part, but I'd advise against doing what I did and shunning references completely.

Good luck, though! practice practice practice P:

@cyberdudelol : I'm interested in seeing how all this turns out. Do you have skype or anything? I'm not free atm but I would be willing to help you after November. I've been looking for a companion anyways ^^

@lostreality: It's all good
Thanks, appreciate the compliment ~

@cyberdudelol oh must've read it wrong sorry I thought it said it [i]was[/i] free hand, it is good nonetheless ^^

@Doutei I'm well aware that Anime & Manga aren't actually an art style
I just want to learn to draw in the style that anime & manga artists do (with more detail of course)
Thanks for the anatomy link by the way
@uncleden95 Thanks for the tip!
Good to know someone out there feels the same & has advice for me
@lostreality I said it wasn't a free-hand drawing, so I thought it was implied that I looked at other images to draw it.
@Satellite I don't care to become an actual manga artist or anything of that sort. I just want to do this as a passionate hobby in my free time.
I'm pretty sure that I wont go into an art profession, unless I somehow become extraordinarily amazing at art.
@Wanton Yeah, that's why I don't want to use reference images. I want to learn from books & tutorials so I can do my own drawings.
I honestly would draw very frequently if I could, but I have almost no time (except sometimes on the weekends) to do so.
Junior year is super stressful, especially with 4 APs
@Doutei [other post] Thanks for clearing that up!

[quote=Satellite]Sorry to break down your dreams but in order to become a proper "mangaka", you would technically need to be Japanese, because "manga" stands for Japanese comics. Secondly, it's a LOT of work with a tight schedule. Thirdly, majority of the mangakas get paid really bad. Most of the mangas never end up as animes which is pretty much where the most profit comes from AFAIK. If you're expecting to get rich, choose another job, these are the cold facts. I wanted to become a mangaka when I was 13 but I quickly realized it's definitely not for me.

Although I've recently been planning to make my own indie game, which many of my friends and family also consider just daydreaming...so I probably shouldn't talk here. I just suggest you research more into it, instead of painting a fantasy in your mind. But if after research, you still want to become one, then of course you should listen to your heart. You never win if you never try I guess.[/quote]

sorry to burst [b]your [/b]bubble, but there are a ton of Korean artists who are mangaka, who publish their work in japanese magazines,
Most notable one is Area D. Race has nothing to do with the profession.
It's like saying you can't be president cause you're black.

Also, depending on the magazine artists have the freedom to either do a :
monthly release, weekly release , quarter release or yearly release.
All depends on which one they want to go into.
Sometimes a oneshot can be planned months ahead.
Maybe a bit more research on your part before telling people off to do so.

Then again, the guy just want's to draw things that you see in manga/anime, not typically be a comic artist.
Reading OP.

try avoiding copying anime characters because thats something very easy to do. Make your own characters. Find your own style. I guess for a beginner, its a good start to try and copy already existing anime images, but keep in mind that just because you're able to copy an image, doesn't mean you're good at drawing. I've come across some anime fans who copy anime images and it looks good, but they are unable to draw their own stuff.
BTW, being a manga artist is hard in the north american industry. I find that north american anime artists are not very popular since people find them not "true" mangakas since they are not from japan. You're going to know how to sketch properly, draw perspective, figure drawing, etc. You'll actually be using a lot of things that drawing and illustration artists use. Also, don't draw 3 times a month. You have to draw more than that in order to get better. Draw almost everyday.

Sorry to break down your dreams but in order to become a proper "mangaka", you would technically need to be Japanese, because "manga" stands for Japanese comics. Secondly, it's a LOT of work with a tight schedule. Thirdly, majority of the mangakas get paid really bad. Most of the mangas never end up as animes which is pretty much where the most profit comes from AFAIK. If you're expecting to get rich, choose another job, these are the cold facts. I wanted to become a mangaka when I was 13 but I quickly realized it's definitely not for me.

Although I've recently been planning to make my own indie game, which many of my friends and family also consider just daydreaming...so I probably shouldn't talk here. I just suggest you research more into it, instead of painting a fantasy in your mind. But if after research, you still want to become one, then of course you should listen to your heart. You never win if you never try I guess.

@cyberdudelol: I thought you said you didn't have reference pictures for that one

[quote=cyberdudelol]@rabbithole So by doing drawings with references I'll be able to pick up on anatomy & clothing techniques? Hmm interesting :O

@Flexography Well, what I meant to say was that I didn't want to always use references pictures when I draw because I'm pretty much drawing exactly the same thing. I feel like if I do that, I wouldn't pick up on any anatomy/clothing techniques that I could use so I would be able to draw manga/anime from scratch. That was my primary concern.[/quote]

naw. by using references, you will definitely learn as you draw. what i do is when i see any drawing or image, even while reading manga or watching anime, that looks like it'd be useful for reference someday i immediately screenshot it with the Snipping Tool and save it. as a result i have a gigantic reference database for myself so i can just search up on my computer something i'm having difficulty on like "side profile face" and i'll have tons of images to pick from to help me draw it. don't be worried about being too dependent on this, you'll be able to draw freely over time for sure with enough practice. the references are just there to help you learn.

to push this further, occasionally copying art styles you admire is actually great for improving your artistic flexibility, learning new techniques and stuff. i've been doing this constantly and it seems to have helped me find my own style.

I know exactly how you feel! I never ever use reference and yes it does feel like cheating. I feel more proud if I didn't use any reference. Instead of using references, you should watch anime or read manga. Examine the details in them, exercise your memory and you will begin to build a good foundation for yourself. Seeing that you already have experience, I predict that you should be able to draw things freely in about 3 years. Just keep working hard and you'll get there.

Bringing back the 2010/11 topic: Manga is not a style neither is Anime.

What ur aiming to become is an illustrator with a style that assimilates japanese cartoon styles into your own.
Unless you are making a comic, you can't be called a Manga artist, in japanese it's termed as Mangaka as @xkillo32 has stated.
Seeing that you've never heard of the word before, it's best you start learning it.

Anime is not a style either, its short for animation but refers to Japanese animation.
an anime-artist closest definition refers to how animations/illustrations are created with cell shading.
So unless you plan to digitally line&color your works, that title is far from your hands.

Overall, better to just say you want to become an artist.
More specifically, just google the following:

How to draw clothes
How to draw folds
How to shade with pencil
How to draw anime / manga faces
How to draw anime / manga eyes

Search deviantart for specific tutorials done by famous and more recent artists.
Youtube videos with Mark Criley for pencil 'manga character drawings'

All those 'How-to-draw-Manga' books that stores sell are bad.
Authors for those books are just westerners who just reproduce the styles and steps from 1990's anime shows.
Hardly a quarter of such books teach about paneling and inking.
Best to save your money and order some illustration books or drawing tools.

For anatomy/bodies/poses, try Posemaniacs.com

Honest tips:
>Observe [real life/books/shows], reproduce [trace/imitate] and create [original pieces] + Practice.

[quote=cyberdudelol]@xkillo32 I've never heard that term before ever[/quote]

Mangaka is basically 'manga artist' in Japanese. It's one of those words which are Japanese but people use it in English (eg. sushi, tsunami)

@Meatbuns Oh thanks This should probably help me a little
@enoch129 Alright, thanks man. But I'll probably never post anything on Basil, maybe Deviantart when I don't get lazy
@xkillo32 I've never heard that term before ever

manga artist=mangaka

Deviantart has like a whole database of information on tips and tutorials! Have fun and hope to see progress!

[url=http://foervraengd.deviantart.com/art/UNDERSTANDING-ANATOMY-part-I-220251993]Have fun learning [/url]

@rabbithole So by doing drawings with references I'll be able to pick up on anatomy & clothing techniques? Hmm interesting :O

@Flexography Well, what I meant to say was that I didn't want to always use references pictures when I draw because I'm pretty much drawing exactly the same thing. I feel like if I do that, I wouldn't pick up on any anatomy/clothing techniques that I could use so I would be able to draw manga/anime from scratch. That was my primary concern.

As someone who drew on and off for 10 years, don't consider it cheating. It's very common for artists to have reference images, especially as inspirations. Just don't plagiarize them. It will solidify your anatomical poses and after a while, anatomy becomes second nature.

But even the manga artist for Sailor Moon constantly flips through fashion magazines or famous art pieces for her work. So don't feel like it's cheating.

@SirSoar : Using images for references seems like total cheating to me because it's not even your original work
So you can't really understand the shading & clothing textures if you just reference all the time

@lostreality : If you have reference pictures it really isn't that hard
I feel like a complete cheater

@CodeXLC : Will these books help me draw using a pencils, colored pencils, & pens?
I'm not really into digital art...
Book 2 seems to be mostly about digital art

wow.... just wow o.o

i bough this (theres a 2nd book)
http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Manga-Mark-Crilley-drawing/dp/1440309310/

and a little bit of advanced
http://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Guide-Creating-Manga-Art/dp/0956817165

Dayumm Kurumi lookin' fine <3
You should check out any inspirations you have and study how they draw/paint. And there's nothing wrong with looking at an image for references.