Anime art book teaches you to draw the subtle mannerisms that make women beautiful…and butts

Illustration reference covers feminine beauty in both subtle and not-so-subtle forms.

Few countries have as robust a community of budding illustrators as Japan does, and to help them improve their manga/anime-style artwork, Japanese publishers are standing by with all manner of reference books. In the past, we’ve looked at tomes that teach how to draw perfect panty shots and action necessities such as a schoolgirl leaping over a man while firing a pistol, but publisher MdN believes there’s plenty of charm and allure in even ordinary feminine poses.

So to help artists who wish to draw visually compelling female characters even without resorting to displays of lingerie or violence, MdN has released its newest art reference book, titled Pose Illustration Collection of Girls’ Mannerisms that are a Little Exciting ( Chotto Doki Doki Suru Onna no Ko no Shigusa wo Kaku Irasuto Pooze-shu in Japanese).

Over the course of its 160 pages, the book provides examples of everyday poses and movements that are sure to satisfy fans of cute girls. Time-tested poses such as a woman putting her hair up in a ponytail or having her wrists partially hidden in overly long sleeves are included, and there’re also plenty of fashion-related topics, such as how to achieve different emotional auras depending on how a character ties her scarf or takes off her coat.

In some cases, the source of appeal isn’t exactly subtle, like in the section on how to maximize the attractiveness of a character’s backside through picking her swimsuit type.

Other butt-related pointers are found in the comparison of bike-riding styles, although with the number of people who ride a bicycle as part of their commute to school or work in Japan, this is indeed something that anime artists will likely need to think about at some point or another.

Moving away from such derriere-dependent depictions, some other uniquely Japanese situations covered show women taking off their shoes in the raised entryway of a Japanese house and relaxing/dozing off with their legs tucked under a heated kotatsu table.

Workplace lessons are divided into various professions, including nurses and shopkeepers, with an example of proper bowing for customer service jobs.

And finally, it wouldn’t be a proper anime art reference book without delving into the best ways to show your heroine’s flowing hair and billowy skirt blowing in the wind (ideally during the anime’s opening credits, of course).

Pose Illustration Collection of Girls’ Mannerisms that are a Little Exciting is priced at 2,052 yen (US$19) for physical or Kindle version, and can be ordered here through Amazon Japan.

Source: MdN via IT Media
Images: Amazon Japan/サイドランチ

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