Product Description

Set your inner superheroes and samurai free with the help of this awesome Manga Drawing Kit! Even if you've never drawn a stick figure, this kit gives you everything you need to draw Japanese-style comics. You get a fantastic starter set of tools and two pull-out instruction books that will guide you every step of the way as you become a manga-ke, a master of the art. The techniques offered in this book focus on the main stylistic features of manga, beginning with the basics of drawing faces, bodies, hair and clothing, and progressing on to more advanced subjects like drawing figures in motion. Once you've mastered the basics, the project book gives you a chance to develop your skills and illustrate specific anime characters. Manga Drawing Kit! is great for novices and experienced artists alike.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #157733 in Books
• Published on: 2005-11-09
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover

Customer Reviews

If you find it in a bargain bin, snatch it up!
I'm an illustrator. I'm a comic book artist. I don't draw manga/anime characters, save for an occasional doodle. I'll state straight off that I have nothing against it. In fact, I have much respect for it. My own personal style just doesn't go that way.

Now, while I was in the supermarket today, I perused through the cheap book bin, and I found the "Manga Drawing Kit". It was only $6.29, and it contained a 6" artist's figure, so I thought why not?

This turns out to be a great package.

There are "how-to" books on drawing manga out there, but most assume you have all the basics, and just go straight into "big eyes and speed lines." This book starts further back.

Bits of history, how manga came to be (do you know what "manga" actually means? Do you know who most likely coined the term?), to the basics of drawing (proportion, perspective, lighting, color theory, etc), to narrative art (panel flow, panel POV, mood, emotion, etc), and so on. Just about all of the basics are touched on.

Going on to the second book in the set (yes, it comes with TWO books), the "Projects Book", it focuses more on character design, illustrating emotion, and a step-by-step of how to make your own manga (though most of the same principals can be applied to western comics as well).

And, like I said, it comes with the artist's wooden figure, two black pens, an ink brush, white "magic" eraser, and a non-repro blue pencil.

And please, ignore the review above that gives this product 1 out of 5 stars. The reviewer states he's a kid, and proves it with his bad typing and spelling, and calling the book "a rip off." He probably expected it'd be nothing but big-boobed women and friggin' Pokémon. It's not.

It's an informative and instructional book, and if you happen to find one cheap, snatch it up. There are better books, no doubt, such as Scott McCloud's "Understanding Manga", but for a quick taste of all the basics, a bit of the history, and some neat gear to go with it, this book would be hard to beat.

[...]

Amazing art kit!
I am VERY impressed with this kit. It's a sturdy foldout kit with 2 beautifully-illustrated books and tools and a great poseable wood figure. Everything looks intriguing and attractive! A great way to learn Manga.

Worth every cent!
I found this Manga drawing kit at the local grocery store for 6 dollars and change. Heck the posable wooden figure is worth that alone. I have been looking for one of those for ever. It also comes with a nice blue pencil, for roughing out your manga,(easy to erase, after you've inked it in). Also 2 marker type pens, one for fine lines, and one for thicker, as well as a great eraser.

Now thats just the tools included. This kit, also includes two, very well writeen and informative books, that teach you manga history from the very beginnings to present day. Shows you what works and what doesn't. Perspective, lighting/shading, speed lines, even gets into story telling tecniques as well as panel layouts. It also has a great projects book, which I don't recommenddrawing on, because the pages are laminated...;not a very good surface for drawing at all. But you can easily switch this over to your prefered drawing tablet.

All in all, this kit is a steal at the price here on Amazon, let alone if you find it in a random store. Like I said I found it for just over $6 US, at the local grocery store. I'm sure if you check a couple art supply store you can find this kit at a great price as well. Again the posable wooden figurine alone pays for this package. It's made EXTREMELY well, and has helped me draw my own charcters as I now have a persoal model ;) It's so well made you can get this thing in any position you'd see in most manga, or mainstream US comics. I've found it to be invaluable, as well as the blue pencil. It comes in VERY handy. 5 stars from me! A great kit for aspiring Manga artists.