Title: You Can Draw Manga Chibi Characters, Critters & Scenes
Author: Samantha Whitten & Jeannie Lee
Genre: Art
Publisher: Walter Foster Jr
Publication: 3/3/2020
Read: March 2020
Format: Digital ARC
Pages: 96
Rating: 4 Caffeinated Stars

Goodreads Summary:

You Can Draw Manga Chibi Characters, Critters & Scenes shows how to draw in the chibi style using simple steps and easy-to-find art tools. Also included are tips and techniques for designing your own chibi creations!

You can draw more than 50 chibi characters, animals, props, and much more, with the easy, step-by-step art projects in You Can Draw Manga Chibi Characters, Critters & Scenes. Learn to draw characters of all ages, clothes and props, fantasy critters, and more. Also included are tips and techniques encouraging you to design your own chibi creations once you are comfortable with the art style. No complicated tools are needed; you can create your own chibi art using just a pencil, pen, markers, and paper.

The book opens with helpful sections on tools and materials, essential drawing techniques, color basics, and an examination of chibi faces and bodies. The step-by-step projects that follow will show you how to draw chibis of all kinds in different poses. Included throughout the book are templates to scan or photocopy and practice on over and over again. In between drawing projects and templates, you will take a closer look at different chibis, their clothes and other props, and how to draw these characters in action. Use these pages to modify the templates to create your own characters. Tips and techniquesfor drawing chibi characters abound in You Can Draw Manga Chibi Characters, Critters & Scenes.

Written and illustrated by Samantha Whitten and Jeannie Lee, You Can Draw Manga Chibi Characters, Critters & Scenes is perfect for beginning and intermediate artists, lovers of manga and anime, and more. You will love creating your own chibi characters, critters, and scenes!

My Thoughts:

As some of you know, I’ve wanted to learn how to for quite some time. It’s always been that crazy dream of mine, but I never got off my butt to do it. This year, I’ve decided to do something that scares me, which means I’m going to try to learn how to draw. I’m not good, but with the help of some books, I’m slowing getting better.

When I saw this book offered up on Netgalley, I knew I needed to take a chance on it. I’ve wanted to learn how to draw, and the Chibi style is one of my favorites. I LOVE anything chibi, so I figured this one would be great to help me explore if this is a style I would enjoy drawing in.

The book itself is outlined well, but I do wish it had more instructions. The body instructions were helpful, but I would have loved to have more detailed instructions on drawing the outfits & expressions. I felt like there was a disservice to readers by showing the types of outfits & not how to draw the outfit. The same can be said with the eyes. I found that I struggled a lot with drawing the eyes. A detailed how-to would have been extremely helpful. At times I became frustrated and essentially gave up at points.

I’m glad I ultimately sucked it up and pushed through my perfectionism. This book would be suitable for beginners. The how-to section on the body was great, I wish there were better instructions on outfits & expressions.

Want to give this book a shot? Here are the buy links!

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads