Tips to Craft Your Manga From Scratch

You love drawing manga and anime characters, and now you’ve decided to take the next step—crafting your own manga comics. Great decision! But now, you’re feeling stuck because you think your drawing skills aren’t good enough, and you’re unsure how to create an engaging story.

You’ve searched the web and watched countless YouTube tutorials, but nothing quite worked. Lucky for you, we’ve got some practical tips to help you start your comics from scratch—and quickly!

Illustration of Kayla Ilunga by CindyMBK

How to create your first manga in no time

Believe it or not, you can become a manga artist in less than 24 hours, depending on how realistic you want your art to be.

More realistic styles will take longer to perfect, while simpler, cartoonish styles (think Peppa Pig) can be completed in a much shorter time. Despite Peppa Pig’s minimalistic design, the art style has its charm and is easily recognisable. As a beginner, it’s a good idea to start with a simpler art style so you don’t get bogged down by details.

A simple guide to help you start with your first comic

A simple guide to help you start your first manga comic

If you’re wondering where to start, try a doujinshi. For those new to the term, a doujinshi is a one-shot manga often created by early-stage artists. This format helps you practice key elements such as character development, storytelling, and page layout. Even successful manga creators like CLAMP worked on doujinshi before creating their first serialised works.

Start small: focus on short content

When crafting your first manga, focus on a short comic. A ten-page manga is an excellent place to start, as it forces you to streamline your story and keep your readers engaged. If you feel that ten pages isn’t enough, you can go for a slightly longer format—thirty pages at most.

Sketch from CindyMBK’s The Sinful Child [pt.1]

Here’s a quick four-step process to help you create an 18-page comic. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be able to work more efficiently.

1. Divide your page into three horizontal panels.
2. Split one of those panels into four smaller sections.
3. Add your text.
4. Draw characters, objects, furniture, and backgrounds.

A great tip to save time: leave the background for last. This method was used in the sketch above, where the page is divided into three horizontal sections.

Using grey tones: the silent art that enhances your manga

Grey tones can dramatically improve your manga’s aesthetic. Depending on your target audience, you may choose to include various effects like sparkles, stars, or hexagons. These elements are popular in Shoujo manga, especially in the Magical Girl genre. A great example is Sailor Moon, which is filled with such effects.

The Silent Art, learn how to use grey tones to make your manga more appealing to readers

On the other hand, Shounen and Seinen manga, which often target a more masculine audience, tend to use fewer of these effects. By understanding your audience, you can choose the right style and effects to enhance your story.

Ready to create your first manga? Start now!

Now that you’ve got all the tools and tips you need, it’s time to grab your pencil and start creating! Crafting a great manga requires discipline, consistency, and practice. While there’s no magic trick to becoming a world-famous manga artist, hard work and dedication will get you there.

Let us know in the comments how you plan to create your first manga, and share any other tips that have helped you on your journey!