One of the main ways that anime art differs from typical Western comic book art or traditional animation is in the eyes of the anime characters. Anime eyes are much larger than other illustrated eyes. This is used to convey a range of emotions.
Draw two large ovals to create a set of anime eyes. These ovals should slightly narrow on the inside edge and wider on the outside edge. Create the iris and pupil with two circles, one inside the other, in each eye. Add the eyebrows with curved lines above the eye. Add eyelashes for a female character with a thick band and several short curved points sticking out of the outside edge. Create shine with two small white ovals inside the pupils.
The bodies of anime characters tend to be drawn in traditional pulp-art style. The heads of anime characters, however, have exaggerated areas. Anime characters have narrow chins, small mouths and noses and often wild, highly stylized hair.
Create an anime head by using a large oval as the starting shape. Add a "V" shape on the bottom for the chin. Draw a cross shape over the head to mark out the facial details. Add the eyes--as you have learned in Section 1--on the horizontal guideline of the face. Create the nose with a sideways "V" shape and the mouth with a small line. Elf ears can be added with large triangle shapes on the side of the head, and regular ears can be created with curved lines. Draw the hair with large curved triangular spikes coming out of the head. Create a calmer section of hair by using a curved line around the outside of the head.
Technology is present in much of anime. People in anime have cybernetic limbs, and robots appear as central themes in anime. You can create anime style-technology by focusing on the minute details.
To draw cybernetic limbs you need only draw the limbs as normal and add mechanical details. One way to do this is to separate each muscle with hard, bold lines. The limb should be painted a different color than the rest of the body. Dark and light gray work well to convey the color of a cybernetic arm. Cybernetic lenses on the eyes can also be used. Create these lenses by drawing a small circle inside another circle on a band of metal. These can be colored red, green or blue to give the impression of being powered electrically. This technique can also be used to create high-tech goggles.