How to Draw Japan

About this book

> 100 SUBJECTS. 6 STEPS EACH. 600 STEP-BY-STEP DRAWINGS. THE ANCHORS NEVER MOVE — THE FIGURE DRESSES ITSELF. > > A furisode whose sleeves fall like waterfalls. A miko’s vermilion hakama. A fisherman’s yukata, a carpenter’s pockets, a graduate’s ribbon, a baby’s knitted cardigan, a winter coat built like a warm house. > > Faces and hair only take a character so far — the moment your figure has to DO anything, it needs clothes, and Japanese clothes are built differently: collars that cross left over right, a sash instead of buttons, hakama that fall like water. This book fixes that the honest way: one fixed blueprint — centre line, ground line, head-top point and half-width locked from Step 1 to Step 6 — while every figure is dressed from ten master silhouettes (kimono, yukata, hakama, jinbei, happi coat, work clothes, blazer, one-piece, coat, child), its wrapping structure, the feature that gives the outfit its name (obi bow, fan, apron, towel, lantern, tie, umbrella), and its detail. Nothing moves between steps — so the figure you start is the figure you finish. > > Inside: 20 kimono, formal & everyday · 20 yukata & summer clothes · 20 festival & working clothes · 20 everyday modern clothes · 20 seasons, ages & weather. Every subject is named in English, Japanese and romaji — this book is also a walk through the words of Japanese dress. > > And after every subject: a practice page. Trace the faint design, then draw your own version in the empty frame. 100 subjects, 100 practice pages. > > Every figure in this book is a generic person — no real person is drawn, and no real school, company or team uniform, crest or logo appears anywhere — so every outfit you invent with this system is completely yours. All you need is a pencil and an eraser.