A Little While Ago
I bought a book to help me understand better how to draw in Manga style
It’s called The Monster Book of Manga (girls)
and it pretty much shows all the main Manga archetypes and how to draw them (note: beginners can’t use this)
I decided to try out the first archetype today : The Japanese schoolgirl.
Admittedly, I’m happy to be drawing but also frustrated that none of the drawing books I have been able to find ever show you how to draw black people. Basically, as things are right now, ALL the manga and comics books out there on manga style pretty much just assume that everyone in the world is white or Japanese. It is so annoying because there literally is no instruction out there on how to draw Africans (except of course, for stereotypes).
Anyway.
With all my drawing exercises, I’ve been trying to perfect drawing Nigerians by adjusting the instructions slightly (e.g. making the noses wider, making the lips bigger, the hair natural, etc)
so this is what I did with this Japanese school girl. I turned her into a Nigerian school girl.
And then I started thinking: The Japanese schoolgirl in manga is seen as a national sex symbol, so why not try it out with a Nigerian school girl.
Inking the pencil work
The Monster Book of Manga
As you can see.. the original was a Japanese school girl, which I’m modifying to create a Nigerian schoolgirl
Hair all done
I gave her braids because Nigerian girls have to have their hair braided for school.
In most schools they are not allowed to wear it loose.
(Note: That’s her natural hair… all of it – yay to propaganda!! ^_^)
P.S. Drawing braids is cruel and unusual punishment. It takes so long… T-T
So I changed the satchel to a backpack (or school bag as we call them in Nigeria) since most Nigerian school girls don’t run around with satchels. They all have backpacks instead.
Drawing all the little lines for the check uniform would have been a nightmare so I did them in pencil but didn’t ink.
To anyone who went to school in Nigeria the check daywear uniform is instantly recognizable and used throughout the country as secondary school daywear so I thought it would be a good choice for my archetypal Nigerian school girl since that uniform really is rather iconic
All cleaned up (except for the uniform which I’m not cleaning to preserve the ‘check’)
Signature added. Yay!! I also gave her sandals instead of loafers like the Japanese girl has because Nigerian girls wear sandals to school not shoes.
The hard part… colouring and shading with Copics (^_^)
School sandals coloured
Yellow is one of my favourite colours.
Haha!! If you went to Loyola and were in Xavier House, you had to wear yellow check!!
School bag coloured
Copic Porn ^_^
Now to erase the paper and add a background
All done!!
And there it is..
My interpretation of the Nigerian Secondary School Girl as a Sex Symbol
Nice.
The yellow check is a nice touch too
LOLz at sex symbol, but it’s awesome!
wow..that was amazing! you’re amazingly talented…i have to say, i’m floored.
Maybe you should create the instruction books for drawing African, or blacks(whatever…you get):D
you are really talented..How are you holding up?
I just love how you’re getting better at this everyday babes. This is mind blowing. It’s been a while since I drew anything and you’re starting to challenge me now.
I love the drawing, i like how u made her Nigerian instead. Great Job!
This is a really good drawing babes…
If school doesn’t work out…you’ve got a really good thing going for you
Really really impressed
Your drawing is amazing!!! You should do an African comic book, that would be awesome!!!
totally love it!!!
WOW!
totally impressed.
You are so talented. 😀
Keep it up dearest.
This is amazing! Is there anything you can’t do?
amazing. really, really good. the beads at the end are an ingenious touch. bravo.
Wow! SUgabelly I’m impressed! Your creativity is starkingly obvious – the idea of turning a white manga chick into a naija.
I’m curious….since when have u been into drawing?
that was really nice…
really awesome drawing! i luuuurv it!
Could I buy that picture? Seriously. I’ll check back to see your answer.
Gosh! You’re so talented! This is great!
Awww. this is really cool Sugabelly! that curve of hips..on point.
LOVE this. what a talent!
What a talent…impressed..totallly love it
THANK YOU! Seriously, there is such a lack of cute anime girls of color. Well, of brown color…cuz I guess Japanese is technically of-color? Ha, anyway! This is awesome
You’re welcome Bunny!! I’m glad you like my art.
Japanese people are people of colour but unfortunately they seem to have bought into the White is Superior mentality wholesale because almost all their anime characters look white.
It’s beautiful. I love it.