How to Create a Chibi
- 1). Review your reference picture of a chibi character. You can find a reference picture by following the link in the resource section below. Note the distinct features that are found in chibi drawings such as large heads, small bodies and simplified hands. Sketch these features quickly with a pencil. Do not try to create a finished picture; focus on getting comfortable drawing chibi anime. Practice until you feel comfortable creating a chibi character.
- 2). Sketch the rough draft of your chibi character. Draw a circle to map out his head and extend a line from the bottom of the circle for the spine. Create the body of your character by drawing a rectangle along the spine. Check the proportions of the body and make sure it is equal in size to the head. Map the arms and legs of your character by drawing two lines extending from the sides of the body, and two lines extending from the bottom of the body.
- 3). Pencil the details of the character's face. Start by drawing the eyes of your chibi character. Make the eyes large, drawing them in the lower half of the head. Space the eyes so their ends nearly touch the sides of the head. Sketch the shape of the character's hair over the eyes. Allow the bangs to cover the top half of the circle. Draw the character's mouth small and allow it to nearly touch the bottom of the circle. Do not draw a nose onto your character. Create a jawline by adding a slight angle to the bottom sides of your character's face.
- 4). Follow your rough draft to draw the organic outline of the character's arms, legs, and body. Allow the length of the arms and legs to be equal to the character's torso. Draw the chibi character's hands small and simple, using points to create the fingers and thumbs. Sketch the bottom of the character's legs as stumps to create the feet. Draw clothing over your character's body. Do not draw the clothing in detail; keep it as simple as possible for a chibi look.
- 5). Erase the markings of your rough draft. Add specific detail to the clothing of your character that will distinguish the character's personality, such as specific logos or uniforms. Avoid drawing folds into the character's clothing. Review your picture and correct any mistakes you find.
- 6). Ink your drawing by tracing over your lines with a black pen. Shade in the eyes and darker portions of your character's clothing using a cross hatching method with your pencil. Erase all your pencil markings to complete your picture.
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