Board Thread:Art and Stories/@comment-31322722-20190306225003/@comment-31322722-20190308235028

SirGawain8 wrote: Sussettey1 wrote: If you’re using sketch lines, it should be okay though... Oh ok I say that expecting you guys to use sketch lines.

In case you don’t... I’m referring to the well known technique...

For head shapes and stuff:

Draw a circle very lightly

Think about where the character is facing. If they’re facing left, draw a curved line that’s being pulled left. This line should go on to the end of the circle, with another extension that goes below the circle, the curve becoming less apparent as it goes on. If they’re tilting their head upwards, draw a curved horizontal line being pulled up. This should form a cross between the two lines, specifically where the lines are curved. The horizontal line should continue to the right side of the circle (in this example), the curve getting less apparent as it goes on.

Then there should be another line. Imagine this circle is actually a sphere, like a plastic ball or something, that has a line around it. If your character’s head is facing up and left, this line should appear somewhere. It’s another vertical line, but it intersects with the main vertical line at the top and bottom of the sphere. After you draw this line, make an oval (or a circle, depending on how your character is positioned) around the intersection between this line and the horizontal line, and flatten the lines in that oval. This helps with where to place ears.

Now that you have all of that done, go back to the main vertical line extension and think about where you want the chin to be. Remember that the horizontal line should be around the center of the eyes, when they are eventually drawn. When you’ve decided, make a tiny mark on the line, and draw from there. In this example, there should be a subtle indent in the face outline where the eyes will be, because our character is not looking straight at the camera. For guidelines on the eyes, draw two parallel lines (these mark the top and bottom of the eyes) that have ends matching up with the indent and (virtually— especially when drawing anime) where the ear is/will be (doesn’t really matter when you draw it). Use pictures for proportional reference if necessary. Now that you know where the eyes will be, draw the hairline, and a small mark for the place where the parting stops (the parting line doesn’t need to be drawn in anime, but this dot is important). When you’re drawing hair, you typically want to be able to trace most, if not every strand, to this dot. That doesn’t mean you have to draw a bunch of lines, but it does help. And front hair should match the indications of the hairline.

Think about how hair actually works in real life, use that for reference. But really, just move freely about it. It also helps if you notice details in cartoons that you really like.