So I've been learning to draw anime for YEARS now and I still can't....?

Question

Do really dramatic eyes or good hands and well it all still looks REALLY amature!

The thing is I don't watch anime (i hate the shows and they're on too late, anyway) and I'm self- taught. I used to have a friend who helped me with it but she moved and now I'm all alone.


Another problem I have is making the men I draw a little feminine...

Could ANY of you help me at all? Mabye a link to a step-by-step drawing process?

Answer 1

Immature probably means inaccurate.
You need to draw a lot to get better at drawing anything, not just anime. You're obviously motivated if you have been drawing anything for years. I wouldn't worry too much about talent--it's pretty hard to pin down exactly what that is. Some people are born with an ability to learn to draw more quickly than others. But once you get good, it doesn't matter really how long it took to get there. You're stilll good. Enough pep talk!
3 suggestions:
1. Draw every day several times a day, the more the better (within reason, that is don't neglect other important things). What to draw? Anything! Get a sketch book and fill it. Get another. The more frequently you draw the quicker you'll get better.
2. Learn how to draw better: Get this book, learn its principles, and do the exercises in it: http://www.amazon.com/Keys-Drawing-Bert-Dodson/dp/0891343377/sr=8-1/qid=1167068841/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4962494-0339242?ie=UTF8&s=books
3. Meanwhile, to immediately improve your anime drawings, get tracing paper, draw a grid over the anime you want to draw and trace the anime within grid. Draw another grid, the exact same size and the first one, on your paper, lightly. Now use the grid drawn over the anime drawing as a guide to drawing it on your paper. This means compare, for example, how far this line is away from that square in the grid to the other side of the square. IIs it half way or almost half way? Compare DISTANCES and ANGLES, all the way through the drawing. This is excellent practice, since when you draw correctly, you are always comparing DISTANCES and ANGLES. Go slow, take your time, get it right.

Also, here's a book on drawing anime, in case you don't have it:
http://www.amazon.com/Draw-Anime-Game-Characters-Vol/dp/4766111206/sr=8-1/qid=1167073903/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-4962494-0339242?ie=UTF8&s=books
Hope this was understandable and helps!

Answer 2

My dear, sometimes it's just talent.

I don't mean to put you down. But, when it comes to that kind of art - talent should come into play.

It's not like making a webpage - anyone can do it. But, if you want to pursue this as a career, I would recommend you take some art classes. A little bit of the basic drawing and color co-ordination technique will help you enliven your work.