A fun tip to draw weapons and manga action scenes.

By Rick Feathers

This is a tip especially fun for the guys drawing shounen, which is anime and manga intended for the guys. Cool weapons are a must for any action scene and the more bizarre or unique they are the better. Coming up with that special weapon is just a matter of being creative and I will share with you a tip on how to do just that, it’s called role playing.

A fun way to role play and be creative is to go camping. That’s right, get away from your room, mall or wherever you hang out and go someplace new and refreshing.

But first you need to be prepared. Gather up all your camping gear or borrow a tent from a friend. Go to your local department store and buy a few disposable cameras, they are fairly inexpensive. Also buy a notebook of plain paper-tablet. This is mainly for you to take notes and for rough sketching your manga ideas. Remember to bring extra pencils or ink pens. The camera is to take pictures of the event to help bring back memories later.

This is very important. Do not bring your portable game system. You want to be creative by letting your mind be open to new adventures.

Invite a few of your friends who enjoy anime as much as you do. Just tell everyone that this is a manga adventure and everything they will be doing will come from their imagination. This is also a man’s adventure so get your dad or other adults involved with your role playing if they want to of course.

The location of the camping trip may vary because of your location and place you live. Try to find a location in the woods near a creek, small lake or pond. The main point is to find someplace new and adventurous.

Now that you are settled at the camp site and your tent is all set up. The fun can begin. Think of a manga character you want to be and the kind of weapon you would like to have. Now begin to look around your surroundings and look for that manga weapon by using your imagination.

For example, if your weapon is a sword, cut a tree branch or pick up a fallen stick to use as the sword. At this point you and all your friends are planning out each others character and weapons. Rocks and pine cones can be grenades, small sticks can be pistols. You get the picture.

Here is a key point to remember. With all the fun you are having you may forget about your notebook and camera. This is very important, make notes and quick sketches of what your manga character is and the type of weapon you have. Also use the camera to take pictures of action poses you wish to remember later. These will be your manga action scenes.

Your camp site becomes your base of operation and your mission is to find and destroy an enemy creature on the loose. Be creative, think of villains who live in the woods, think of plants and tree bark to be valuable trade material to harvest. Use the manga stories you already know as a point of reference and go from there.

Also take time to sketch out the local plant life and other things that surround you. Let your imagination run wide open and make notes of every idea that pops into your mind. Jot down every thing, even if it’s only a sentence or word.

During the night when your sitting around the camp fire. Ask the adults to share stories about their pass and the adventures they had. Like warriors, use the time to share victories in battle and take notes.

Trust me, when you return home you will have a new vision and plenty of ideas into the world of anime and drawing new manga’s. Have fun!