The Detailed Guide to Creating Manga

From initial concept to final art, a comprehensive process for aspiring mangaka.

Part 1: Conception and Pre-Production

The foundation of any good manga is a compelling story and memorable characters. This stage is about pure creativity and meticulous planning.

1. Developing Your Concept and Story

Before writing, determine your genre, which sets the expectation, and your theme, which provides the central message.

Determine Your Genre and Theme:

Genre
The type of story (e.g., Shonen for action/adventure, Shojo for romance/drama, Seinen for adult themes).
Theme
The central idea or message (e.g., the power of friendship, overcoming grief).

Create a Story Outline:

Outline the entire story using a classic three-act structure:

2. Character Design and Profiling

Flesh out detailed profiles for every major character to make them consistent and relatable.

A detailed profile should cover Appearance, Personality (traits, fears, flaws), Backstory/History, and their core Motivation and Goal.

Visual Design: Sketch multiple versions of your characters. Practice drawing various, expressive eyes and expressions, which are signatures of the manga style, to convey a wide range of emotions.

3. Setting and World-Building

Decide the location and gather visual references to ensure consistency.

For complex or fantasy worlds, it's beneficial to Sketch a Map. Always collect **references** for locations, buildings, and objects that will serve as backgrounds in your panels.

Part 2: Scripting and Layout

This stage converts your abstract ideas into a tangible blueprint for the visual execution. You'll need to put in some serious work here, because everything starts with an idea. Without a clear idea, it's almost impossible to come up with a script for your future manga. Check out some references for inspiration, and try using a story generator to develop your idea in more detail. Don't be afraid to experiment with different plotlines for your idea.

4. Writing the Script

The script is a detailed, panel-by-panel breakdown of the story, serving as the final text document before drawing.

5. Storyboarding (Name/Nemu)

The **Storyboard** (or **Nemu**) is the rough draft of your visual story. It focuses on composition and pacing, not final art quality.

Panel Layout and Pacing:

Reading Direction
Traditional manga reads right-to-left. Choose one direction and be consistent throughout your work.
Panel Flow
Vary panel shapes (jagged for action, standard for dialogue). The layout must logically guide the reader's eye from one panel to the next in sequence.
Dialogue Placement
Roughly place the text to ensure speech bubbles fit without obstructing critical visuals.

Part 3: Drawing the Manuscript

The artistic execution, transforming your blueprint into the final black and white manga pages.

6. Penciling (Rough Draft)

Using a light blue pencil (or a light digital brush), sketch the final art over your panel layouts. Focus on accuracy in anatomy, perspective, and **composition**.

7. Inking (Line Art)

Ink over your sketches using pens or digital brushes. This is where the page gets its polished, final look.

Crucially, use **varying line weights**: thicker lines for characters and foreground objects (to make them pop) and thinner lines for backgrounds (to create depth and atmosphere).

8. Toning and Shading

Since manga is black and white, **Screentones** are used to create grayscale effects, textures, and shading.

9. Lettering (Text and SFX)

Add the final text and sound effects.

Speech Bubbles
Choose clear, legible fonts. Use varying bubble shapes (spiky for shouting, wobbly for sickness) to reflect the emotional tone.
Sound Effects (SFX)
Prominent, stylized **onomatopoeia** (*BAM*, *WHOOSH*) must be placed to integrate with and emphasize the action.

Part 4: Finalization and Distribution

The last steps to ensure your manga is print-ready or digitally formatted for readers.

10. Review and Formatting

11. Publishing and Sharing

Decide how you will share your work with the world.