Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level: 8.

4
Flesch-Kincaid Reading Ease: 64.3
Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A17 - 10 Pages and 19 Illustrations
Levels: Beginner to Advanced

Draw Keiko, a
Manga Baby
Sketch accurate proportions and then use a 4B pencil,
fine tip marker, or a computer software program (such
as Photoshop) to outline a cartoon baby

Resources:
2.1.R2 Drawing with Feathered and Continuous Lines
2.1.R7 Sizing Up the Proportions of a Shape
ArtSpeak
2.1.R8 How to Render Contour Drawings
Anime: (pronounced AN-uh-
Activities: MAY) A style of animation
2.1.A12 Draw a Circle Freehand originating in Japan.
2.1.A14 Create Six Contour Drawings
Manga: (pronounced HANG-
ah) A Japanese word for
Supplies: drawing paper (or paper that is specifically designed for comic book that refers to a
drawing with markers if you plan to outline your drawing with markers), HB popular style of cartooning
pencil, 4B pencil (or fine tip black marker or a computer drawing program), that originated in Japan.
kneaded and vinyl erasers, pencil sharpener, sandpaper block, and a ruler Manga also refers to reprints
of Japanese comics that are
translated from Japanese into
This activity is divided into the following three sections: other languages (including
English).
Set up Proportional Guidelines
Grid: A precise arrangement
Sketch Facial Features, Ears, and Hair of a specific number of
squares of exact sizes
Outline a Manga Baby Named Keiko
proportionately drawn on
both a reference image and a
drawing surface.

Set up Proportional Guidelines

In this section, you outline a simple grid in which to sketch the proportions of a frontal
view of a young cartoon character.

ISBN: 978-1-927365-88-5
Copyright 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.
2 Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A17

Figure 1 1. Use a ruler and an HB pencil to

outline a square of any size you want
(Figure 1).
Keikos head will fit inside this square.
The bigger the square, the bigger your
completed drawing will be.
Keep your lines very light by pressing
very gently on the paper with your
pencil.

2. Measure and mark the halfway points

along the two vertical sides of the
square (Figure 2).

Figure 2

3. Use a ruler to draw a straight

line (marked line AB) through
these points.
The big square is now divided
into two identical rectangles.

Figure 3

4. Measure and mark the halfway

points along the two horizontal
sides of the square (Figure 3).

5. Use a ruler to draw a vertical

line that connects points C
and D.
The big square is now divided
into four small squares.

ISBN: 978-1-927365-88-5
Copyright 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.
 Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A17
3

6. Sketch a circle inside the big square

(Figure 4).
Use the sides of the big square and the two Tip!
lines (AB and CD) to help guide you toward
A couple of little tricks to help you
drawing a great-looking circle.
draw an excellent circle:
Rotate your paper and look
Figure 4 at your drawing from different
perspectives to give you insights
into problem areas.
Look at the reflection of your circle
in a mirror to help you to see
areas in need of fixing.

7. Lightly sketch two more

vertical lines slightly inside
the right and left sections of
the circle (Figure 5).
With the addition of these
two lines, your proportional
guidelines are complete.

Figure 5

As an Aside
Manga comic books are based on a
unique genre of cartooning and are
popular with artists of all ages.
The eyes of the characters generally
appear very large and are the most
expressive parts of the face.
The nose and mouth tend to be drawn
small and simple so as to further
emphasize the powerful expressions
of the eyes and the facial area around
the eyes.

ISBN: 978-1-927365-88-5
Copyright 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.
4 Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A17

ArtSpeak
Eyebrow: An arch-shaped group of hairs above the eye.
Eyelashes: Fine hairs that grow from the outer edges of the upper and lower eyelids.
Highlight: A small section of a drawing subject that is rendered with white or a very light value to identify
the brightest area where light bounces off its surface. Highlights are more pronounced on shiny or
glistening surfaces than on surfaces that are dull or matte.
Iris: The colored circular section of an eyeball surrounding the pupil.
Lower eyelid: The fold of skin that protects the lower section of the eyeball. The lower eyelid cannot
move without help from facial muscles around the eye.
Pupil of an eye: The dark circular shape within the iris that adjusts its size under different lighting
conditions.
Upper eyelid: A fold of skin that opens and closes automatically (blinking) to protect the eyeball.

Sketch Facial Features, Ears, and Hair

The various shapes and lines of the proportional guidelines help identify the placement of
every aspect of the babys face and head.

8. Erase the lines of the outer square (Figure 6).

9. Lightly sketch the ears below line AB inside the circular shape.

Figure 6
The entire lower section of the
face, including the ears, will fit into
the bottom half of the circle. Take
note that the upper edges of the
ears touch line AB.

10. Lightly sketch two ovals to

mark the positions of the irises
of the eyes (Figure 7).
The irises are very large and take
up a lot of space on the lower
section of the tiny face.
The bottom of each iris ends more
than halfway down between line
CD and the bottom of the chin.

ISBN: 978-1-927365-88-5
Copyright 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.
 Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A17
5

Also, note that the distance Figure 7

between the eyes is quite a bit
more than the width of an iris.

11. Add Keikos eyebrows above her

eyes.
The eyebrows are shaped like
commas with the wider ends
pointed toward the center section
of her forehead.

12. Sketch Keikos nose with a tiny

curved line that touches line CD
and is approximately halfway
between line AB and the bottom
of the chin.

13. Add another curved line close

to the bottom of the chin as the
mouth.
Figure 8

14. Sketch a small circular shape

in the upper left of each iris to
represent the highlights of the
eyes (Figure 8).

15. Add a partial oval shape inside

each iris to represent the pupils
of the eyes.
The outline of each pupil ends
at the point where it meets the
highlight. Also, observe that the
space between the outline of the
pupil and the outline of the iris is
the same distance all around.

16. Sketch in the various strands of

hair (bangs) resting on Keikos
forehead (Figure 9).
Observe the following before you begin to draw:
The lines are all curved even though her hair looks straight.
All sections of hair end in a sharp point.
The longest section of her bangs is in the middle and the lines curve toward the left.

ISBN: 978-1-927365-88-5
Copyright 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.
6 Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A17

Figure 9 17. Lightly sketch another line

on each side of her forehead
connecting the bangs of her
hair to the inside upper section
of each ear.

As an Aside
Manga magazines are hugely popular and
many of them have readerships of over
one million. Manga accounts for almost
one-quarter of all publishing profits in
Japan.
The magazines themselves are divided
based on the age of the intended
readership: manga for older readers often
feature sexual content, political content, or
graphic violence.

18. Sketch the strands of hair around the

perimeter of her head (Figure 10).
Examine the distances Figure 10
between the outer strands of
hair and the perimeter of her
head to help you accurately
draw the proportions.
The hair is higher than the top
of her forehead to allow space
for the upper section of her
head (often called the skull
or cranium), which would be
hidden under this hair.

As an Aside
The word manga has been used
for at least two centuries to describe
comical images. However, it wasnt
until the 1960s that todays distinctive
anime style developed and became
recognized internationally.

ISBN: 978-1-927365-88-5
Copyright 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.
 Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A17
7

19. Lightly sketch more strands Figure 11

of hair on the very top of
Keikos head (Figure 11).

20. Erase all remaining

guidelines and sections of
her skull and ears that are
behind her hair.

21. Redraw any sections that are

accidentally erased.

22. Use your kneaded eraser to

pat your entire drawing until
the lines are so light that you
can barely see them.

Outline a Manga Baby

Named Keiko
Finally, time to render all the fun
parts! The crisp neat lines of the
manga style will replace your
original sketch lines.
Your goal is to neatly outline
Keikos face and hair and then Tip!
draw the details of her face. Your
outline can be drawn with a 4B If you are working in pencil, you may need to re-
pencil or a very fine tip black sharpen your pencil several times as you work to
keep the lines thin and neat. Consider using a freshly
marker. sharpened 4B pencil and a sandpaper block to keep
the point very sharp. If you are planning to use a
You also have the option of
marker, take your time and slowly and carefully redraw
scanning your sketch into each line.
an imaging program such as
Photoshop and using a brush
or pencil tool to draw the final
outlines.
The following text instructions are
for an outline that is rendered with As an Aside
a fine-tip marker or a 4B pencil, Contemporary manga artists create a vast range
but they can easily be modified for of hand-drawn and computer-animated anime for
a digital outline within a computer advertising, as well as film, television, and video
program. games.

ISBN: 978-1-927365-88-5
Copyright 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.
8 Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A17

Figure 12

As an Aside
Anime is enjoyed by children
and adults alike, and it covers
many different genres: action,
adventure, romance, sports,
drama, comedy, science fiction,
fantasy, mystery, and even horror.

23. Outline each strand of

hair with neat, crisp lines
(Figure 12).
Observe how the final
rendering does not follow
the sketch exactly.

Figure 13

24. Outline the ears and the

perimeter of the face
(Figure 13).
The shape of the lower
section of the face has been
changed slightly so that it
is curved to look like a chin
and two chubby cheeks.

25. Outline Keikos irises,

pupils, highlights,
eyebrows, nose, and
mouth (Figure 14).
The proportions of the
faces of very young manga
and anime characters are
similar to those of human
infants.

ISBN: 978-1-927365-88-5
Copyright 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.
 Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A17
9

26. Draw two dark, thick, slightly curved lines along the upper sections of each iris to
indicate the edges of her upper eyelids (Figure 15).
Observe that these curved lines extend downward and beyond the width of the irises in
two directions: toward the center of her face and toward the outside edge of her face.

27. Add some curved lines to the outer edges of her eyes to represent eyelashes.
When you are drawing eyelashes, resist the temptation to draw too many. Less is more!

Figure 14 Figure 15

28. Fill in the pupils of the eyes (Figure 16).

29. Fill in the upper left section of each iris around the highlight (Figure 17).
This dark section makes the eyes look bright and shiny.

Figure 16 Figure 17

ISBN: 978-1-927365-88-5
Copyright 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.
10 Drawspace Curriculum 2.1.A17

Figure 18
30. Add three parallel diagonal lines
in the upper left section of each
iris (Figure 18).

31. Add a dark line along each lower

eyelid with a few tiny lashes on
the outer ends (Figure 19).
Pat yourself on the back for having
done a great job with your drawing!

Figure 19

As an Aside
In 1969, a group of
women known as the
Year 24 Group or the
Magnificent 24s became
the first well-known,
female manga artists.
The group created shjo
(or little female) manga
that was designed for
girls and young women.
Later, shjo developed
three major sub-genres:
romance, superheroes,
and ladies comics, the
latter of which are more
realistic stories aimed at
adult women.
The most well-known
shjo in English is Naoko
Takeuchis Pretty Soldier
Sailor Moon in which a
team of teenage girls
transform themselves
into superheroes

ISBN: 978-1-927365-88-5
Copyright 2012 Drawspace Publishing and Brenda Hoddinott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transferred, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including
electronic, digital, mechanical, recording, photographing, photocopying, or otherwise, without the purchase of a licence from drawspace.com or the prior written consent of Brenda Hoddinott and Drawspace Publishing.