In depth

Comic artist Rebekka Hearl demonstrates how to use Clip Studio Paint’s action line tools to illustrate a dynamic manga fight scene

Manga is a diverse medium that encompasses a wide range of styles and genres; it is complex and ever-evolving, pushed by the skills and imagination of the mangaka who continue to take the medium to new heights, exploring intense themes and analysing the human condition. But sometimes, you just want to see anime girls kicking the crap out of their enemies.

We’ll be looking at some fundamental drawing techniques, practised widely by mangaka and comic artists, that will help you to apply a sense of movement, force and impact to your manga artwork. Crucially, we will focus on how to apply this sense of movement to your character first. An overabundance of action lines is a classic stereotype in manga, and though they can be used to great effect, you should never rely on them as a crutch. Apply extra movement lines to the background if they are warranted, but consider beforehand: how much force do you want to show in this scene? Is the force enough to justify removing the environment entirely, in favour of action lines?