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Manga Art School |
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Develop Your Style with the Help of 5 Manga Pros |
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by Narasu Rebbapragada |
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You instinctively know when you're reading something by your favorite mangaka. It just feels like him or her. But did you ever wonder why? Yup, we did too, so we selected five artists with notably distinct styles and highlighted the elements of their art and technique that make their work decidedly theirs. Just look at Clamp's genre-spanning breadth of designs, the fanciful art of Matsuri Hino, Ai Yazawa's cinematic stories, the ultra-feminine flourishes of Arina Tanemura, and the heady brooding of Kaori Yuki's dramas. There's something to learn—and admire—from each of these masters. So get ready to get schooled and hopefully draw inspiration for your own artwork as well.
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Matsuri Hino: A Romance of Details
Former bookshop worker Matsuri Hino rose to manga fame quickly (in just nine months!), gaining popularity with her first series, Kono Yume ga Sametara (When This Dream Is Over). The subsequent success of her romantic dramas Captive Hearts and MeruPuri paved the way for her runaway hit Vampire Knight, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Hino likes cuffs, ribbons, ties, high collars, black clothes, and white lines—and these clothing details help set the stage for her stories. In her pirate-themed series Wanted, the swashbuckling wide-legged pants, sashes, and ornate captain's coats whisk you away to the 17th century. In Vampire Knight, Hino goes gothic, dressing Kaname in highly tailored suits and Yuki in a classic (yet sexy) schoolgirl uniform. Lots of manga include suits and schoolgirl outfits, but Hino's choice of details—straight lines and crisp, contrasting colors—supports the gravity of Vampire Knight's story, especially in frames where little else is shown.
Hino is able to fill scenes between Zero, Yuki, and Kaname with drama and tension with careful placement of the characters within each panel. She is a master at switching up their angles and forcing the perspective of the reader to feel and experience what her characters do.
Hino says that she might have been an architect if she hadn't become a mangaka, and that inclination shows in the incredibly designed buildings throughout her stories. One look at the exterior shots of the Kogami mansion in Captive Hearts and the libraries and gothic arches in Vampire Knight, and it's clear that Hino-sensei has done her research. The same detailed attention goes into objects like grandfather clocks, antique-styled couches, and four-post beds with lush, heavy fabrics. They add realism to her fantastical tales and draw the reader into the story even more.
Matsuri Hino offers up drama and romance that come from beautifully depicted characters, artfully angled perspectives, and detailed objects. Combined with dramatic storylines, the effect is theatrical and very sensory as well.
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"Manga Art School" has been edited for shojobeat.com;
the complete article appears in the April 2009 issue of Shojo Beat Magazine. |
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Want more articles like this PLUS six of the most addictive shojo manga from Japan delivered to your doorstep every month—before
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