Kensuke Okabayashi

Kensuke Okabayashi is an award-winning professional artist. His work can be seen in everything from comic books to graphic novels to advertising storyboards. Okabayashi has taught illustration courses at Mercer College of New Jersey.

Articles & Books From Kensuke Okabayashi

Manga For Dummies
Get started with the powerful visual language and storytelling medium that is manga Manga is a unique style of drawing. It's also a great way to make topics like history and politics appealing to a wide audience. Manga For Dummies teaches you the basics of drawing in the manga style. This step-by-step guide shows you how to apply the basic rules of manga figure drawing, whether you're a complete beginner or a professional artist.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-19-2022
Learning how to draw people is a process that starts with purchasing the right art supplies. Try a simple method for drawing a human head and if you make a figure drawing mistake, use some quick techniques to fix the problem. Drawing people in public settings is fun and relaxing, so consider this list of inspiration spots — just be sure to take the supplies you need with you.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 03-25-2022
The Japanese comics and cartoons known as manga bring a unique style to age-old art forms. Like the art forms that precede it, manga works within specific archetypes and genres. However, the manga conventions are a new twist, and if you’re exhibiting at one you need to know what to bring.Common manga archetypesThe type of Japanese comics or cartoons called manga has its archetypes — classic examples of the art — just like every other art form.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Manga cartoons and comics come in several different styles, geared toward different audiences that range from young children to older readers interested in topical issues. The following list describes each manga genre: Kodomo Manga: Comics for little kids Shōnen Manga: Comics for young teenage boys Shōjo Manga: Comics for young teenage girls Seinen Manga: Comics for young adult males Seijin Manga: Adult comics for males Redisu (Lady’s) Manga: Comics for young adult females Dōjinshi Manga: Comic publication that’s written by and for amateurs.
Article / Updated 11-12-2021
When you know how to draw a manga figure, you're ready to turn your attention to creating your own characters. A number of common archetypes appear often in manga. In this case, archetypes are basically sets of personalities and attributes assigned to a character. An archetype may include, for example, the color of the individual's hair and eyes and the type of body build the character has.
Article / Updated 11-12-2021
Following are the basic stages that a manga-ka (a manga artist) uses to create an original plot. The basic stages are widely embraced by the manga-ka community today, and they originate from classical Chinese poetry. Stage 1: Ki — Introduction of an idea Stage 1 basically sets up the context and scene so that the story can begin and the characters can begin to interact.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
The type of Japanese comics or cartoons called manga has its archetypes — classic examples of the art — just like every other art form. The archetypal characters and plots you encounter in manga generally fall into one of four categories: The Good Guys: The Androgynous Rookie (main lead): He’s the new kid on the block who’s full of energy and promise.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Once in a while step out of your art studio for a breath of fresh air. An occasional change of physical and psychological scenery is essential for figure drawing. Besides your figure drawing pad and tools, pack up the following supplies: Drawing backboard with clip Portfolio case Carrying case for your
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
You don’t have to feel overwhelmed when you walk into the art supplies store to buy your figure drawing materials. Remember to buy the supplies based on your budget and needs. (You can always buy more!) Arm yourself with this list of the basic supplies you need for figure drawing in a studio: Drawing pad (18
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Even the most experienced artists make mistakes in their work. Fortunately if you make a figure drawing mistake it doesn’t have to be completely removed to maintain the integrity of your drawing. Here are some clever techniques for fixing figure drawing bloopers: Use a kneaded eraser (the advantage is that you have no eraser dust).