Cool Anime Art Tutorials
Tips and Tricks from Studying the Pros
To understand the art style I was using in my deep dive this month, I watched a lot of tutorial videos. Below are a few accounts I really liked. I chose some of my favorites, but I have watched multiple videos on each of these accounts that I think are great.
Mogoon Process via TPPO
If you want to learn more about the styles of some popular artists, this guy is one of the best to follow. He breaks down a different artist or style in each video to figure out how the artists get their distinctive look. The videos move pretty fast, so there is a lot of detail that could be elaborated on more, but for a high overview, he tries to simplify the steps of each process into organized lists which is very helpful.
The video above on the artist Mogoon was the first one I watched, and it is very similar to the process of the artist I wrote about in this month’s deep dive. The video might make this process appear simpler than it actually is, but regardless, it offers a good outline of each phase to follow.
Mint-tan Tutorial
For a different look, this girl goes step by step through her whole process to draw this character. You start to see a lot of similarities in the layering and lighting techniques from one video to another in these youtube tutorials, but it is interesting to see the subtle variations that make each artist’s work look unique. For example, this artist likes to paint out her line art to allow her to make more details while painting her colors. She does a good job of explaining all the steps without moving too quickly, so it is easy to follow.
Naoki Saito Tutorials
I just discovered Naoki Saito a couple weeks ago, and now I can’t get enough of him! He speaks all Japanese, but unlike some Japanese videos, he provides English subtitles in his newer videos. He is very thorough in his explanations, and his friendly, enthusiastic personality make him a pleasure to watch even while reading subtitles. I have especially enjoyed the videos like this one above where he takes drawings viewers sent him to help them improve the art. He makes quick work of each one pointing out subtle changes that help bring already decent drawings to the next level.
Useful Tips for Beginners Using Paper or Digital!
This is another Naiko Saito video that I found very interesting talking about creating force and rhythm in the gestures of your character poses. He explains in easy-to-understand terms why some poses carry more energy than others, and how to transform a dull pose into a dynamic one. This can be applied if you are drawing digitally or on paper, so give it a try!
Sterling Martin is an artist and designer living in Chicago, IL. His background includes drawing, writing, theatre, teaching, improv & sketch comedy, and whatever else he can get his hands on to be creative. You can find him on the internet at:
Instagram: @sterfest.art
Website: sterlingmartin.design
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