How to Draw a Chibi

This article will mainly address manga/anime fans and enthusiasts of Japanese culture, but all the curious folks are welcome! 😊

WHAT IS A CHIBI?

Firstly, it should be known that "Chibi" is a Japanese word used to refer to a baby or a child. But it can also be used for adults to describe people of small stature. Often used in a humorous tone, it can also, depending on how it is pronounced and used, be demeaning/offensive, being somewhat equivalent to calling someone "runt" or "squirt."

The main features of a Chibi are its big head, large eyes, cute features, and small body. A Chibi will also emphasize the distinctive traits of the character being drawn so that it can be recognized at first glance.

The features are very simplified; it is rare for a Chibi to have a nose, or if it does, it is represented by a simple dot, or perhaps a shadow. The hands are rarely drawn with fingers, and the feet are simply cut in the shape of a "V" or "U."

Everything can be a Chibi. From characters to animals and objects.

Most of the time, the Chibi design is used for illustrations or merchandise of existing anime/video games, but some artists create their OC (original character) in Chibi.

A well-known example of Chibi merch, apart from illustrations, is Nendoroid figures.

If at first glance a Chibi seems simple to draw, that's not necessarily the case in reality.

Indeed, the Chibi style is part of the "Super Deformed" family, often abbreviated as "SD," which refers to the graphic styles that completely deform a character and modify the canonical proportions to the extreme.

But before you can distort the basic proportions, you must first master them.

I therefore advise you to tackle SD drawing (whether Chibi or other) only if you have a good mastery of basic anatomy.

As I mentioned before, Chibis all have the same characteristics: a big head, large eyes, and a small body. No matter your base character, whether it be male/female, young/old, the basic shape remains the same. So, how do you make your character recognizable? Focus on the small details that characterize them. You'll need to accurately portray their hairstyle, clothing, eye shape, and any additional little details (scars, dark circles, tattoos).

Now that I've stuffed your heads with the theory, we can move on to what you've been waiting for: the practical part!

DRAWING A CHIBI CHARACTER STEP BY STEP

If you are new to Chibi, I recommend creating an already existing character with distinctive features that will make it easily recognizable. You can choose a character from manga/anime, video games, comics, novels, TV series, or whatever you like. There are no restrictions, the only rule is to have fun!

For my part, I chose a character that I usually draw, Levi Ackerman from the manga/anime Attack on Titan.

(I'm ending the debate right now: Levi, Livai, Rivaille... You can spell it however you want, it's still the same pronunciation and the same character, so no comments on the spelling of the first name, that's not the topic. Thank you 😇)

 

THE PROPORTIONS OF THE CHIBI

Before starting your sketch, you must choose which proportion to apply to your Chibi.

Indeed, there are different types of Chibi. It is important to know that the base for your Chibi will be its head.

You have 3 kinds of proportions used:

- The classic, 2 heads

- 2.5 heads

- 3 heads

The result will vary depending on the proportions you choose. In this article, we are going to draw the "2 heads," but by following the same logic, you can draw the proportions you want.

Once I have defined the style of proportion I will use, I will make a quick sketch (not necessarily proportionate) of the pose I want to get an idea of how to create my drawing.

Once all that's in place, I can start my Chibi.

SKETCHING THE BASE OF THE DRAWING

If you're using traditional methods, be careful not to press too hard with your pencil; you should make light strokes so that they can be easily erased. And preferably use a blue pencil.

I'll start with the head, because as I mentioned above, the whole foundation of the Chibi is the head.

I will simply represent it with a circle.

Since I want to make a "2 heads" size Chibi, I'm going to transfer my measurement below to have my overall height.

Next, if you are working digitally, create a new layer and use a different colored brush. If you are working with traditional media, take a different coloured pencil, and once again, be careful not to press too hard.

Now that the character's size is defined, you will draw the head with the exact shape.

I continue by drawing the body movement.

I'm adding arms with simple shapes like cones.

I draw the legs while being careful to respect the final height of my Chibi.

As you can see, I've kept to simple shapes, without details.

I'm finishing the base of my Chibi by adding the ears and a dot for the nose.

ADDING DETAILS TO MY CHIBI DRAWING

Once I'm satisfied with my base, I'll start on my character's features. I begin with the face.
Levi has small, half-closed eyes, he often looks bored or even annoyed, and has bags under his eyes. Finally, he only smiles on rare occasions. I will therefore replicate these details on my Chibi.

If you are working with digital media, do not hesitate to mark your blue layer for more visibility. As the body of the Chibi is set, we no longer need the head marker.

Next, I will add everything that's left: the hairstyle, the clothes, and some accessories if necessary. But above all, make sure it stays simple, a Chibi is a condensed drawing, an overload of information would make the character unreadable.

Originally, Levi has straps everywhere, Exploration Corps patches on his jacket, his swords, and his three-dimensional gear. But to simplify my drawing, I left out these details, except for the straps, where I drew the main ones.

INKING AND COLORING THE DRAWING

Make sure you have a proper base, because we are going to move on to inking.

This stage is very important, as it defines the final design. Inking cannot be erased, so be sure of yourself and meticulous. Take your time. Especially if you are working with traditional tools, you don't have Ctrl+Z available...

Personally, I took advantage of the inking stage to make some modifications to my drawing (the movement of the hair, the eyes, the hands, and the cape). But I have the advantage of working digitally, so if I make a mistake, I can easily erase it. And I have years of experience working with traditional methods, so I am generally confident about my modifications.

If this is not the case for you, I really advise you to rework your foundation until it satisfies you.

Once you are sure, you can begin. To have a dynamic inking, you need to have different stroke thicknesses.

Look at my inking, some lines are thicker than others, which prevents it from being monotonous and repetitive.
Once you have finished your inking, you can erase your basic sketch.

If you have areas of pure black, take advantage of the inking stage to color them in.

Hang in there, you're almost done!

We are going to move on to the last step: color.

It's completely optional, you don't have to add color if you don't want to!

I won't dwell on it too much, as a Chibi has very simple colors! It has few details of shadows and lights (some even have none at all).

You will create your flat colors, making sure to use a darker shade in the shadowed areas. In my drawing, these are the insides of the cape and the jacket.

Once your flat colors are applied, you just have to add some shadows to certain areas, but note that this step is also not mandatory.

In my drawing, I added shadow to the hair, the forehead (for the shadow of the bangs), the eyes to underline his exhausted and blasé side, and a few on the clothes.

Once done, you have finished your Chibi!

I hope you are satisfied with your drawing!

Before letting you go, let's summarize what you should take away from this article:

- Before drawing SD, you need to know the basics of anatomy. You can't modify something that you don't understand or know. This goes for all types of subjects!!

- The head is the foundation of the Chibi. It is what will give you the exact proportions for drawing it. Do not neglect this step.

- A Chibi will inevitably be simplified, don't skimp on details, otherwise, you'll quickly lose your way.

- Make sure to really exaggerate the features so that your character can be recognized, because in the end, a Chibi is just a cute caricature.

- Final advice: have fun! Drawing is above all a pleasure, and what's better than drawing your favorite characters to relax?!

Feel free to post your drawings in the comments! We can discuss them together ;)

Illustrator and writer: Coralie