BASIC

LESSON 6
This is the wrap-up lesson in our six-week course. In addition to this lesson, you will receive
a critique of the artwork that you submitted earlier in the session. The critique will be sent
to you by email within four weeks, and you will also receive your diploma in that email.

This week Id like you to look at a sample of another students critique so you can learn not
only what to expect from your own critique, but how to look critically at others artwork and
what makes for more professional-looking manga.

-Koda Tadashi
Original Student Artwork

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Manga University is a registered trademark of Japanime Co. Ltd. Lessons are for personal use only
 BASIC
LESSON 6
Translation of Comments

First Impressions:
What interesting character. I wonder what kind of person he is - but from what I can see, he seems to
be energetic, friendly and fashionable! I like the design on his clothes, it is something different. You
did a good job drawing his whole body and even put his left hand in a certain pose! Well done!

However, there is some areas that you can focus on to improve on the drawing. I have labeled such
areas of potential improvements for you. Please refer to the comment section and the revised
drawing for further explanation!

Copyright 2005-2016 Japanime Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

Manga University is a registered trademark of Japanime Co. Ltd. Lessons are for personal use only
 BASIC
LESSON 6
Revised Drawing by Instructor Koda Tadashi

Revised Version:
The smaller panels indicates where you should focus on or adjustments made to the original drawing.
Please use the numbers to locate comments on the next page.

Copyright 2005-2016 Japanime Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

Manga University is a registered trademark of Japanime Co. Ltd. Lessons are for personal use only
 BASIC
LESSON 6
Translation of Comments

Areas of improvement:
1. Face shape:
Original drawing: Good job drawing his face! You gave him a nice, detailed expression. But to me,
the jawline seems a little wide.
Revised drawing: In my redrawing, I refined his jawline to make it more rounded, and I have
drawn him at an angle so that his face is facing the same direction as his body.

2. Posture and body:

Original drawing: You did a nice job drawing the body. For the most part he seems to be evenly
proportioned. But it seems that his body is leaning forward and it looks like he is about to fall over.
Revised drawing: In my drawing, I have corrected the posture, so he is now standing upright. I
have also added an extra head and a half (please refer to Lesson 3, in which we discuss head-
size measurements) to make him look even more proportional.

3. A resting hand:
Original drawing: You drew both hands! Your effort to do so is admirable!
Revised drawing: I have corrected the pose for his right hand. Since his right hand is resting by
his side, I have drawn it in a way that it looks like it is resting when hands are resting and not
using muscles, the fingers curve in towards the palm.

4. Direction of body and feet:

Original drawing: You also drew the feet! Feet are among the hardest for novice artists to draw is
one of the hardest part and many people tends to avoid it. They look quite good too!
Revised drawing: I have only made small corrections. I have adjusted the direction of the feet a
little so that they look natural - turning in the same direction as the body.

5. Overall comment:
Original drawing: I think that this is a very good drawing! You have attempted to draw all the body
parts and even put the character is a pose! For the most part, the drawing is well proportioned but it
needed some adjustments here and there. I would recommend that you focus on the face shape
and make sure to measure you character using heads, so that they will look more proportional in
the future!

Conclusion
Congratulations on completing the Manga University Basic Home Study Course, and submitting such
an intriguing illustration. We really enjoyed having you as a student, and we hope you continue to
study the weekly lessons and this critique whenever you feel need a bit of advice. We also
encourage you to sign up for our Advanced Course. You can do so here.

Now, go grab a sketchbook and keep on drawing!

Copyright 2005-2016 Japanime Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

Manga University is a registered trademark of Japanime Co. Ltd. Lessons are for personal use only
 BASIC
LESSON 6
Report card for Koda Tadashi
This report card has been created by the Manga University staff to
give you an at-a-glance review of your artwork. Explanations of each
category are on the next page. The grading scale is as follows:

Fantastic!
On par with the pros. You should be teaching others too!

Very Good
We can tell youve worked hard on this area but you still need a bit more practice with this technique.

Good
Youre trying some new things and thats great, but you have a ways to go before you master these areas.

Needs Improvement
This aspect of your illustration needs work. Go back to your sketchbook and work on the technique
before using it in a full illustration.

Needs
Good Very Good Fantastic!
Improvement

Anatomy and
Proportions
Perspective and
Depth
Scale

Atmosphere and
Clarity
Use of Color/
Shading

Finish

Report card explanation is on the following page.
Copyright 2005-2016 Japanime Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved
Manga University is a registered trademark of Japanime Co. Ltd. Lessons are for personal use only
 BASIC
LESSON 6
Report card explanation

Anatomy and proportions:

This category is about how your character's body looks. Does the character appear natural? Are their body
parts the right size for their bodies? Are they the right height and proportion for their age? Also, do you
use your character's body to convey something about their personality, or was the size just chosen at
random? Is your character posed in a natural way? If you have trouble in this area, remember to pose in
front of a mirror and use friends or models to understand proper anatomy while drawing.

Perspective and depth:

A good two-dimensional drawing will fool the viewer into thinking that it is three-dimensional. Does your
character look solid and three-dimensional? What about the environment they are in? Does your character
look like they are inside of some space or simply flat on the page? Even if you don't use a background, its
crucial to give your character some depth on the page by posing them in three-dimensional space.

Scale:
How ambitious is your drawing? Did you include a background or more than one character? Is the drawing
detailed or very simple? When you are creating a drawing to showcase your talent, make sure to bring
everything you can to the table.

Atmosphere and clarity:

What kind of atmosphere does your drawing express? Is the personality of your character clear? What
elements of your drawing do you use to explain what your artwork is about. When you only have one page
to show exactly who and what your character does, thinks and feels, you need to use every tool at your
disposal to do so. Remember that your character's poses, outfits, props and backgrounds can all play a part
in telling a one-page story.

Use of color and shading:

Is your drawing in color? Does it have shading and shadows or is it just a simple line drawing? Remember
that even if your drawing is not in color, you cant express depth very well without the use of shading,
shadows and highlighting. These techniques can be done with pen-hatching, markers, screen tones and
even digitally, but it doesnt matter what you use unless you can draw shadows right. If you get lost, use
photos and references to hone your skills!

Finish:
When you are presenting your artwork for critique, the most important area to pay attention to is how
finished your work looks. Dont submit a piece of work unless you yourself think that it is completed, and
dont leave areas unshaded or uncolored if the rest of the drawing is done. Dont forget to to erase leftover
lines from pencils or under-drawing, and if you are scanning your artwork, make sure that it is scanned
and processed properly before sending or reprinting.

Copyright 2005-2016 Japanime Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

Manga University is a registered trademark of Japanime Co. Ltd. Lessons are for personal use only