How to Draw Manga Volume 5 (How to Draw Manga (Graphic-Sha Numbered)) [Paperback]

Society for the Study of Shoujo Manga Te (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 136 pages
• Publisher: Graphic-Sha Publishing (August 5, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4889960813
• ISBN-13: 978-4889960815
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,077,585 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good, but be aware of the limitations, April 9, 2003

By 

Matthew Thorn "Matt Thorn" (Kyoto, Kyoto Japan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Draw Manga Volume 5 (How to Draw Manga (Graphic-Sha Numbered)) (Paperback)

This is basically a good introduction to most of the technical information needed in creating a shoujo ("girls'") manga, and most of the information can be applied to any kind of manga. Two things you need to keep in mind, though: 1) none of the art in this book is really professional-level quality, and 2) it is a direct translation from Japanese, and does not take into account the requirements for printing a book anywhere other than Japan. The book (like the whole "Society for the Study of" series) was created by enthusiastic amateurs, but the art is both out of date and sub-par. Look at current shoujo manga to get an idea of what current standards are like. An example of the poor qality of the art can be found on page 6, in the example of a face shown from below. Here the artist makes the mistakes almost all beginning manga artists make. Anyone can see that it is unnatural and ugly. If you are planning to have your work printed outside Japan, check with the printer about paper size, margins, the printability of screen tone (often called "zipatone" in English), lettering, etc. The final chapter ("How to Create Manga Manuscripts") is written for people planning to submit their work to a Japanese manga publisher. If you're going to have your own work printed, you'll have to do the lettering yourself, and this book doesn't tell you how to do that. The translation seems largely accurate, but is stiff and awkward in many places. It would have been nice if the publisher had consulted with artists accustomed to working in the English-speaking world and adjusted the content to better suit that audience. Nonetheless, if you've never drawn manga or comics before and are eager to try, this book is a very good place to begin. (By the way, I teach young apsiring cartoonists at the Department of Comic Art, Kyoto Seika University, Japan, which I hope qualifies me to make these judgements.)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Maginificent!, February 8, 2003

By 

Julia George (AL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Draw Manga Volume 5 (How to Draw Manga (Graphic-Sha Numbered)) (Paperback)

This book is the 5th volume in the original "How to Draw Manga" series. It's a great book, and it's not all just about drawing pretty girls. It also teaches you techniques about drawing backgrounds, seasons, manuscripts, line effects, perspective, and MUCH more. The artwork in the book appears to look based off of a style similar to Yuu Watase's, so if you've ever wanted to draw like her, there's one other reason to purchase this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice ref book, December 18, 2006

By 

Charsya Paul "Manga publisher/manga writer/ar... (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Draw Manga Volume 5 (How to Draw Manga (Graphic-Sha Numbered)) (Paperback)

I have to say, when I got this book I was very happy with it. This book demonstrates how to develope shoujo characters correctly by giving you examples of hair, eyes, and face structure. It also shows you how to correctly draw hair on the character head. Inside this book also touch on backgrounds, 1,2,& 3 point perspective, and tips on writing an interesting story. If you ask me, this book has its bases covered. If you are looking for a book that helps you with any of the things that I stated above, then this is a must buy! Another plus is that this book is kid friendly. It doesn't show any nudity at all! I think this book would be ideal for someone who is a beginner (someone who gets the concept of drawing manga slightly well.)