Until reading this book - a beginner's handbook on the basic building blocks of drawing your own manga - I had forgotten about Walter Foster. When just a kid, I remember that name being attached to a number of art and how-to books you could buy, for all ages, all of which (from what I could remember) were always pretty darn fairly thorough in approach to their subject matter. This one is pretty comprehensive and a great starting place, as well; there are tons of books on learning to draw, and the art of, this unique form of Japanese comics, but this slim volume literally starts from the beginning of how to draw shapes to materials to use when drawing, right up to the various body types, styles, facial expressions, inking and shading even the kind off trope-y characters that tend to inhabit the manga world. Full-color illustrations and step-by-step instructions make this a valuable tool for any age, and for manga fans like me who might just like the idea of "fiddling" with their own story or book, this is the ideal guide to start down that road. Even storytelling and scripting are touched on, making this an all-in-one that could keep a fan of this one-of-a-kind, fascinating style of animation and storytelling happy for hours. Loved it, and what a nice surprise to find Walter Foster books are still alive and well and helping creative types to exercise their skills and dreams.  4.5/5 stars

NOTE: I received a free ARC of this title from NetGalley and the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it, well explained and easy to follow.  But it was way too short, would have loved if it had shown more steps and be a little longer.

This book was really short, but even so, it was full of information. After you learn to draw faces and bodies in step by step projects, you get to learn about chibi, characters, expressions and how to find inspiration for your mangas.

I will start off by saying that I started reading Webtoons and I got on a manic high about how wanting to make one for myself. I went out and bought one of the best drawing tablets you can get and stocked up on as many books as possible to learn how to draw. I can't even draw a stick figure. So when I saw this pop up on netgalley, I decided it was just what I needed.

Where I still can't really draw all that well, that isn't what this book was. It was very helpful and taught a lot of what I am sure I would need to know if I knew the first thing about art. The steps were great and the finished products in the book were gorgeous.

Drawing: Manga is a new book in the Learn to Draw Step by Step series. Due out 3rd March 2020 from Quarto on their Walter Foster imprint, it's 40 pages and available in paperback format. This appears to be a reformat and re-release of material first released in 2010 with the same title by the same author.

A short general introduction briefly covers tools and materials. The intro is followed by a group of non-specific tutorials on shapes, shading, and composition. The following tutorial chapters are specific for different human subjects and include specific anatomy: heads, hair, facial features, etc, leading to some full body specific studies (ninja, hero, schoolgirl) followed by some narrative themes, drawing from life, telling a story with drawings and a little otaku DIY quiz for the younger set.

I like these tutorial booklets, they're inexpensive and full of useful info for artists looking for improvement in their own work.

Three and a half stars - for what it covers and for a very short tutorial guide, it does the job admirably well.

For me this is about a 3 star book, but I think in general it’s a 4, especially if this is for kids or artists who have an interest in manga but who have never read another book on the subject.  If you have read any other how to draw books this will feel a bit weak.  It’s covered mainly the basics.  There’s nothing new and exciting here, but again, for beginners who don’t know those things yet this would be an ideal starter book.

Great handy guide for new artists or those with some experience wanting to brush up on techniques or tackle new subjects.. I used it with some kids I work with who are keen artists and love watching manga and anime cartoon and after a few hours they had recreated their favourite characters and started drawing manga portraits of each other too. 
We loved that the tips are given by friendly little manga kids popping up throughout the pages!!
We used it with pencil and paper drawing but I think you could adapt the techniques for tablet and digital art too.
This would make an ideal gift for anyone into Japanese cartoons, especially teenagers, and anyone keen to get creative!

This book gave me a great place to start with Manga drawing. Easy to follow tips and tricks to develop your own style instead of just giving you specifically what to draw. I do wish there was more step by step of different characters (the book is VERY short) in order to really understand and practice but I felt like the techniques and inspiration provided is allowing me to try my own thing out a bit more.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review.

When it is snowy and cold outside (and my car is buried under 2ft of ❄️ ), superspeed readers like me can read 250+ pages/hour, so yes, I have read the book … and many more today. LOL

I requested and received a temporary digital Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley, the publisher and the author in exchange for an honest review.  

From the publisher, as I do not repeat the contents or story of books in reviews, I let them do it as they do it better than I do 😸.

With Drawing: Manga, develop drawing and storytelling skills to create your own manga book!

In Drawing: Manga, accomplished artist Jeannie Lee shares her artistic insights and techniques for creating captivating manga artwork and stories. From information on character and story development to an exploration of shading and colouring techniques, the book covers all you need to know to become a master of the manga. Each step-by-step project featuring specific characters simplifies and personalizes this drawing style, serving as both a lesson and an inspirational guide to prepare you for crafting your own manga world.

This comprehensive book first introduces manga fans to drawing basics, including art tools and materials, the basic shapes drawing method, shading and colouring techniques, composition and perspective, and more. Simple instructions show how to draw heads, hair, facial features, and full bodies. After learning to draw manga characters, the book then delves in-depth into character development and story creation.

Drawing: Manga provides you with the necessary knowledge to create your own manga book, from character creation to a completed work. Discover different methods for finding inspiration for character design and story ideas. Also included are simple techniques for scriptwriting and thumbnailing, pencilling and inking, producing special effects, and lettering. Then, with a little practice, you will be able to apply your newfound skills and draw your own complete manga book!

Designed for beginners, the How to Draw & Paint series offers easy-to-follow guides that introduce artists to basic tools and materials and include simple step-by-step lessons for a variety of projects suitable for the aspiring artist. Drawing: Manga allows artists to develop drawing and storytelling skills by demonstrating drawing, colouring, composition, and storytelling techniques to create a manga book.

Manga is so HOT right now - I have friends who are addicted to reading it and drawing it. This book is a little too hard for tweens to sue but talented teenagers on up would adore and love this book. I can see this flying off the shelf at our library - and I may even try to draw a few as the instructions would make this useless drawer become talented!

As always, I try to find a reason to not rate with stars as I love emojis (outside of their incessant use by "🙏-ed Social Influencer Millennials/#BachelorNation survivors/etc. " on Instagram and Twitter... Get a real job, people!) so let's give it 🎨🎨🎨🎨

My definition of “step-by-step” is different than the author’s.  While the breakdown of tools at the beginning of the book is good, the book as a whole is definitely for someone above the novice level.

The artwork in this book is incredibly stunning. I am fascinated by Manga  art and this book is very informative and detailed. I highly recommend this book as a valuable resource in creating Manga characters. I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This is a short 40 page book but has some great step by step instructions and tips on how to start out drawing Manga type drawings and how to create these into a comic book. 
This is a great little book and ideal for anyone starting out with this style of drawing.

Drawing Manga is a short but info-packed book. It covers everything needed to get you started drawing manga-style artwork, and I particularly enjoyed the fact that it included sections on creating panels to produce a full story, rather than sorely showing character illustration. This makes a good introductory guide, and I am giving it 4.5 stars. I only wish it had been longer.