Manga for the Beginner: Chibis

Manga for the Beginner

by Christopher Hart

The ultimate guide to creating chibis!

They populate manga with chunky bodies, oversized heads, and huge expressive eyes. They're schoolgirls and schoolboys, magical girls and mad scientists, fairies and fighter princesses, cyborgs and sci-fi secret agents, bikers and bad samurais, robots and rebel leaders. They've even got chubby pets and zany monster sidekicks! They're chibis!

Excruciatingly cute, highly stylized, and beloved in all manga genres (fantasy, magical girls, shounen, anthro, sci-fi-, and more), without them, manga would barely exist. And now you can learn, step by step, how to draw virtually every chibi out there, how to "chibify" ordinary manga characters—and how to invent your very own designs! Covering facial expressions, those iconic manga eyes, costumes, character interaction, and story settings, Manga for the Beginner Chibis has it all.

Genres: Manga, Art, Nonfiction, Drawing, How To, Crafts

192 pages, Paperback

Published March 23, 2010

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

I started drawing character designs and storyboards for a small animation studio in while in High School. Cartooning and animation was a magical experience to me. I try to bring that experience, as well as art tips, to my readers. Their enthusiasm also motivates me.

Early in my career, my cartoon work got noticed by Watson-Guptill, a premier publisher of art books. They asked me to do a book for them on drawing cartoons. It sold 200,000 copies, which is a healthy number. So we kept going. I discovered that I enjoyed the art of creating books, which has its own special requirements. I also worked as an author for Random House, Quarto and Soho Publishing. In total, I have had 8 million books sold, and have been translated into 20 languages.

My book, "The Master Guide to Drawing Anime: How to Draw Original Characters from Simple Templates" has sold over half a million copies to date and is still very actively in print. An earlier book of mine, "Manga Mania: How to Draw Japanese Comics:" reached the number one art book in the country, according to Bookscan.

I've also been a cover story on the industry trade magazine, "Publisher's Weekly." And if you've read this far into my Bio, then I'm more impressed with you than you are with me!

Thank you so very much for letting me offer some inspiration to you in your art adventures.

Christopher Hart

Reviews

[Meghan Dzurichko · Rating 3 out of 5]

This how-to-draw book is packed full of bubbly, colorful illustrations and step-by-step tutorials for students to practice drawing various chibi characters. It touches on animals, proportions, animation, backgrounds, and expressions, but doesn't go in depth inot any of these subjects. Still, it is a good book for beginners looking to gain a rounded basic knowledge of how to create and use chibis.

[Abby Epplett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This how-to and general information book is a great place to start learning about drawing chibis.

[Niya · Rating 5 out of 5]

God I loved this growing up

[Conan Tigard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really do love a good manga book. I have reads books by artists that I like, and some that I don't like. Boy, I'll tell you this . . . if the art isn't very good, I have a hard time enjoying the book. Everyone could use a little help with their drawing ability, well, except for Christopher Hart, it would seem. He has turned his artistic talent to teaching others to learn how to draw something he obviously loves. In this case, it is the cute, little chibi.

Of all of Christopher Hart's instructional books on drawing, I would have to say that Manga for the Beginner: Chibis is my favorite. How can you not want to learn how to draw one of these characters? The books is choked full of beautiful color drawing, informative lessons, and a plethora of characters. There is almost too much information in this book to take in all at once. With all of the different types of chibis in this book, an aspiring artist will find plenty to try and draw.

Christopher Hart is quite the artist. He is great at showing all of the things an aspiring manga artist will need to know. His writing is easy to following and extremely informative. He is the perfect manga teacher.

Overall, Manga for the Beginner: Chibis is another terrific instruction book by Christopher Hart. The book is informative and anyone who picks up a copy of this book and follows the lessons within, will learn how to drawn manga chibis very well. Of course, practice will be needed to polish their new-found skill. Chalk up another winner for Christopher Hart in Manga for the Beginner: Chibis. It is a great book.

[Eleanor Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was an easy to follow guide to drawing chibi. I would recommend using the Manga for Beginner book before starting this. It seems to expect you to have finished that first. It is mostly characters and animals.

[Mark]

It was humorous, and cute! ^.-

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed and I like how it is written. I felt like the author was cheering us on and encouraging us to try it for ourselves.

[Isabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

AMAZING!
This book gave me all the stats I needed for Drawing Chibis!

[Bernice Tsao · Rating 5 out of 5]

technically, i USED this book.

[Suzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Manga for the Beginner Chibis book in a charity shop for my autistic daughter when she was younger. She is now fourteen and still drawing to this day. (Art is her passion)