Brainstorm Outfit Designs

• 1). Review your anime reference picture. Observe the outfits created with the anime drawing style. Take note of where the outfits are simplified, such as the folds, cloth texture and shading.
  
  
• 2). Draw several basic outlines of your anime character. Quickly sketch different outfit designs onto each outline. Do not try to create a finished picture. Focus on developing a draft of the outfit you can reference later. Explore different clothing genres. Exaggerate clothing features such as creating long ties, large armor pieces and futuristic cloth patterns.
  
  
• 3). Sketch the front, side and back profile of your clothing designs. Focus on becoming comfortable drawing your outfits over a human figure. Continue to create different outfit designs until you pick one you'd like your character to wear.
  
  

Dress Up Your Anime Character

• 1). Pencil the outline of your character's body. Map out his head using a circle and create the spine by drawing a line extending from the base of the head. Make the torso and hips of your character by drawing two lines along the spine. Develop the pose of the arms and legs by drawing two lines extending from the torso, and two lines extending from the hips. Follow this draft to create the organic shape of the character's body, arms and legs.
  
  
• 2). Sketch the basic shape of your outfit over the character's outline. Follow the form of the body to give the clothing a natural flow. Draw the largest pieces of clothing first such as dresses, shirts and pants. Sketch the character's minor pieces of clothing next, such as footwear, bracelets, necklaces, capes and scarfs. Erase any part of the character's body which is now clothed.
  
  
• 3). Draw the inner details of the clothing. Give the outfit an anime feel by simplifying the clothing design whenever possible. Follow your drafts made previously and draw your outfit's primary details such as logos, pants pockets, zippers, buckles and color patterns. Add folds along your character's clothing for a natural look. Don't draw too many folds into the clothing.
  
  
• 4). Erase any smudges and extra markings found in your drawing. Sketch the nose, mouth and eyes of your character. Draw the eyes of your character large and round. Draw the basic outline of your character's hair following the form of her head. Add extra accessories to your character such as weapons, bags, hair ribbons and ornaments.
  
  
• 5). Ink your drawing by tracing over your lines with a black pen. Work slowly and correct any mistakes found before inking. Add shading to the darker portions of your character's outfit using a cross hatching method with your pen. Erase all your pencil markings to complete your picture.