In this video, we’ll be going over the “layering” method that the drawingmangacharacters school teaches. Although the name might sound fancy or complicated, it’s not. It’s actually very simple and straightforward.

The layering method, as the name implies, involves drawing a picture in layers. You start with the simplest layer and keep adding layers on top of it until you are done. With each new layer, the picture gets a little more detailed and complete.

Take a character for example. If we were to draw him using conventional methods, we’d probably learn how to draw him already skinned, haired, and clothed. But this is a lot to take in for a beginner. They’d have to know about anatomy, foreshortening, perspective, and everything else all in one pass. Unless you’re Michelangelo, it’s not going to work.

Rather than the all-knowing approach, the layering method divides that complicated process into smaller steps.

For example, you’d first start with the primitive layer, which adds perspective, space, and dimensions. Then move onto the skeletal layer, muscle layer, and skin layer. Finally, you’ll move onto the more detailed layers like the hair, clothing, and accessories layers.

Since you’re tackling one small layer at a time and drawing everything from the ground up, your drawings should become easier to draw and more accurate. You won’t have to take in everything at once and you’ll also understand where each line, curve, and squiggle comes from.

Although this might look like a lot of stuff to do, it’s not once you get the hang of it. Once you do it few times, it becomes much, much faster and easier. You’ll start to remember where things go and what they look like. You might even start seeing them without even drawing them, at which point you can call yourself Michelangelo.

So, if this sounds like an approach you’d like to try or learn I’ll be happy to teach you! Let me show you that drawing good isn’t rocket science, but something that is fun and easy to do. Something that you are totally capable of doing as long as you put your mind to it and learn the basics. Thanks so much for your time and look forward to seeing you again.

Looking forward to seeing you and Thanks so much for watching!