Can you learn to draw anime by copying pictures in the manga

My friend do not fret.That is one of the things u FIRST do when u draw either Anime or the real life painting/s. Drawing is basically '' copying'' the image of the thing/place/person u like/want to see. ''Capturing'' to be exact.

There r tons of How-to is in creating manga characters. I started out in watching Cartoons.then I tried to place what I see in paper. even if its not what u pictured..You just to have to Practice & Imagine.

Then when I get a little older, I started Focusing on Character Development: Putting Life to ur drawing!..

Next: I started to like creating backgrounds.Then place my Character in there..


After a while, my techniques developed to a more solid development. That is where I Made my own characters with diff. stories & backgrounds.



So that is basically the essentials in my drawing. I am not totally an expert but u can use this as Reference..

I was really $hit at drawing animes when i was about, 9/8. But now, i've got the hang of it. Not because i look at pictures (Well, i do now) But i watch the animes instead. Well, it certainly taught my a$$ how to draw. Or, i used to go to Howtodraw sites.

Heres one if u like.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=zDPRs4Eb7Bc

Copying from manga books/pictures is totally fine. As long as u SAY U COPIED IT from a manga/picture to someone.

Drawing art from other people is definitely a way to learn to draw. I been drawing for over a year now & i started drawing characters from anime series like DBZ, Naruto, Saint Seiya, etc. & it helped me alot on improving my skills.However, is always a good idea to get to know the basics first, such as basic anatomy proportions,perspective,etc. This is not consider copying at all more like admiration & that is the reason to draw from that. When u gain a certain level u can go ahead & make up ur own, with the personality u want & the way u want it to be. And this is not wasting time at all, more like practice.

darth & Light is kira have a point. & i agree with them, so there is no point in repeating that, but i'd recommend approaching the situationa like this:

these r some of the steps i think is the way to start (copy & pasted from one of my past to a similar quesiton~).

1. try it yourself: find an anime/manga that u enjoy & try drawing it
be sure to chose an author/artist that uses a style that u r comfortable with (start out with a simple manga that does not have much inking)

2. learn some techniques: look at the websites fellow answerers have given you, try to learn some new techniques.
i personally have a special way i like to draw, but i never hurts to learn new ways

3. practice the basics: try drawing a simple human (animals r kinda hard depending what style u r using)
do not try to do ur fav anime character just yet

4. piece it together: try drawing u fav animated characters. use sone of the new technique you've learned or just keep trying the author/artist is style

5. practice: i do not have to say much more here
after u have figured out how u like to draw, add color, backrounds, additional characters, & much more!

good luck & i hope i've helped lol
^_~

(a little tracing paper never hurts at the beginning! *smirks*)

a book i find is the best so far if u wanna get serious about drawing manga:
Draw ur own Manga
Haruno Nagatomo
also recommended by Tokyo Animation College

Yes, actually. You can.

By copying images in manga, u r familiarizing yourself with the structures & designs of manga-style art. That is how I learned. I am rather good at drawing manga-style, but I am nowhere near good enough for to even think of becoming a manga-ka.

If u want to take ur skills onto a whole other level, I suggest purchasing the ''How to draw manga'' series, & practicing. The books r somewhat expensive, but well worth it. You can also find some of them in libraries, I believe.

Also, if you're able to buy things online, I suggest shopping at ''Borders Marketplace''. They sell quite a few books from the series at prices that range from $3-10, when the original pricing is $20+.

Good luck!

If you just copy, you just learn the form of the picture, which is a good start (it may or may not help you). But later on, you should start drawing without copying. You can not continue copying forever.

It is not common for us to copy as a beginner, and yet not too rare, but heck, it is not gonna hurt yah.

I dont htink its a good idea, its harder to copy rather than create. my created versions of anime characters are always better than the ones i try to copy, plus your style might become very limited sinced you based all your drawing of other characters. learn by watching turituals, thats always a good way to learn

Partially, but you have to understand structure and formatting, so mere copying is not enough

Sure u can! It is totally fine to use pictures at first!
That is how I started drawing anime so I can get use to different styles of hair, eyes & things like that.Once u get use to drawing anime, u will be able to draw anime characters without having to look at pictures (of course if ur drawing a really detailed anime character, it is perfectly fine to use a reference!) Just keep practicing! :)

P.S. It will really help to draw guidelines for ur anime head/bodies to keep them in proportion, if u know what I mean.

Hope this helps & good luck! :D