yakiimo

Hey, no problem! I'd like to see you redraw this (not necessarily color it) with the critique in mind.

Sounds presumptuous, doesn't it? Well, we all want to get better at our art, right? The best advice I've ever gotten was this: Fill one page of a sketchbook every day. Both sides. It actually really works. I'll take a blank piece of paper and just draw. I won't have anything specific in mind. I'll just start to draw. Usually expressions or eyeballs or disembodied hands. I'll fill up the sketchbook, draw anything and everything to fill up every section of white I can possibly find! I started to see my mistakes and worked hard to overcome them. Or at least start the climb. There are two examples attached because they're too huge to post up this way. It'd make you have to scroll horizontal and I can't stand that. Anyway. I want to give all you aspiring artists out there the chance to post your sketches! People are always ready to post their completed works, but what about the steps in between? The sketch, the ink, the sketch that was tossed? Post those here and show everyone your progress! I'm sure there are others out there like you and willing to critique your work! Let's work together to help improve our art!

O! So shoujo! You know, I could never do the little white dot thing. I really like how you did that. How -did- you do that? The most glaring thing I can think of a suggestion for would be the eyes. Depending on how you're looking at a person, their eyes can change relative shape. I have this same problem, but it's really prevalent here just because of the color. Their eyes really pop and the color draws me to look at them. Girls, usually, have smaller hands than guys. But these girls' hands are perhaps too small. They look to be quite delicate young ladies, but their hands should be a little bigger. Put your hand over your face to judge the size. Grasp a stick roughly the same diameter as that parasol she's holding to judge your fingers and how you hold it. Though their eyes are well-colored, I can't tell where it is they're looking. Having pupils the same color but darker shade than the rest of the eye can create a startling effect. Here, it's hard to tell what it is the girls are looking at. The one with the purple eyes is looking at me. But the other one, it's like she's staring wistfully into space. Watch how hair falls. Though your hair is higher up than your skull, the blonde girl's hair is perhaps too high. It's hard to do head ornaments. I still can't draw hats for the life of me without a reference! Try to look up some Chinese headwear. Mostly women in ancient China, to get a feel for what it looks like you're trying to accomplish. With the girl with the purple hair, I'm not sure about the back (?) of her dress. If her hips are twisted that way, it would be uncomfortable for her shoulders to be how they are. The easiest way to draw some poses is to try them out yourself. Stand in front of a full-length mirror or set up a timer on your digital camera to take a snapshot of yourself. I've done this countless times for sitting references. Or holding a mug of coffee or cocoa. You're very good with the copics! I want a set, too! They're so expensive... Keep this up! Fill one sketchbook page a day.

First of all, I love Yuu Watase. :D Alice 19th is awesome! On to the art. You show a lot of attention to detail. I think the thing that stands out the most are the expressions. I can see that you're trying, but I don't get much emotion behind them. You capture the dynamics of body movement well, though the torso on C looks a little off from the arm. Too thin maybe? You've got a good grasp on style, but your lines are so harsh. Even with sweeping fabrics of your clothing there are a lot of sharp points and angles. Clothes flow, as does hair (though some anime defy that!). C, B, and V all three have clothes that should be moving, but I see a lot of hard angles. Again, your sense of the style is pretty good. In a lot of the pictures, most notably A, the hands are huge. I know in a lot of shoujo manga rampant with bishounen (mostly BL manga) the boys' hands can be rather large. But I think his hand is a bit too big. Hold your own hand up to your face to judge the general size. And look at mens' hands. Ask your dad if you can see his. I've done that before. For a suggestion on expressions, try looking up "expressions" on deviantart or some other art site. You can do full pages of nothing but expressions. Take your favorite manga and really try to understand the reasons behind the expressions. When Alice is betrayed by her sister, she cries. Think to when someone has betrayed you. If no one ever has, then it might be hard to relate. Don't just draw the expression, try to feel the emotion. Contort your face if you have to. That's what I do. Good luck with your drawing. I really like the coloring job you do!

I haven't shown my face yet, but ... what the heck. I don't have any recent photos, so you'll have to make do with these! Me on a normal day, with elf ears. [IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f113/keloki/kelf.jpg[/IMG] times two. [IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f113/keloki/kelf2.jpg[/IMG] Fun ones. Me as Harry Potter in Oct 2007. [IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f113/keloki/Copyofharry1.jpg[/IMG] Me as Gaara. Sort of. [IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f113/keloki/gaaraprofile.jpg[/IMG]

That's right! I've been in a great art slump lately, barely drawing anything but doodles, and I want out! With permission, I'm posting up a new thread where y'all can request a picture or pictures. For FREE. Unless you want the original mailed to you, I won't charge anything for it. :) If you do, then that's when the money starts exchanging. I do have some ... rules, I guess. 1) No explicit content. I don't do full-on nudity. Partial is okay, but if it gets too graphic I have the right to say no. I don't do nudes. 2) No explicit content! Again! But this one pertains to sex scenes. I don't draw those. I can draw kissing scenes (I looooove kissy face!) and hugging and sitting on laps, but no sex. So don't ask, please. 3) I -do- draw same-sex couples. Canon or not, I can draw them for you! Boys or girls. But again, nothing graphic. 4) I have the right to turn you down for whatever reason. Other than those above, I generally don't turn people down. ^^ 5) Usually, the picture will be a sketch, possibly inked. If you want it in color, it'll take longer to get it done. I can scan the sketch and color it at a later date, though. But in general, unless you want to pay for it, it'll be a sketch or an inked drawing. For examples of my artwork, you can go here: [url="http://keloki.deviantart.com"]Keloki's Deviantart[/url] [url="http://wild-coffee.deviantart.com"]Wild Coffee's Deviantart[/url] [url="http://taiyaki.sheezyart.com"]Taiyaki's Sheezyart[/url] [url="http://www.theotaku.com/portfolio/yakiimo"]Yakiimo's Otaku Portfolio[/url] [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/showthread.php?t=59356"]Art of the Sweet Potato Thread here on the Art Studio[/url] That's it! I can do colored pencil, ink, CG, and watercolor. I have oils but ... I never use them. But I can give it a shot if you really want! I'm pretty versatile and really want to draw new things. I can do fanart of your favorite shows, or something original. If it's original, please include a description as detailed as you can. The more I have of their personality, the better the picture will turn out. Thanks so much! -Yaki

Fantasy school drama. I'm actually working on it right now! It's got a heavy dose of shounen ai (boys' love). The two main characters are both boys! My favorite manga to read are school dramas. Mars, Fruits Basket, etc. Furuba has fantasy elements so it's my all-time favorite, but I can only dream of being half as good as Takaya-sensei!

No, that picture for Dark worked just fine! An artist's block is a-okay just as long as you trudge on through it. You'll break through the barrier and into the rough waters of creativity! Go motivational speaking! Keep them coming! I'm glad to see someone else doesn't always move beyond sketch. XD

Yes. In Junior High, I used to dream I was a Sailor Scout. No joke. ;D

Sailor Moon How could no one have mentioned [spoiler]Nephrite's[/spoiler] death?! Yeah, I know [spoiler]a lot of people died[/spoiler] but it was the saddest one! I mean ... [spoiler]chocolate parfait?! How can you not get torn up about chocolate parfait!?[/spoiler] Ronin Warriors [spoiler]The Ancient[/spoiler]. Then [spoiler]Anubis replaces him, but the Ancient was so much cooler.[/spoiler] Petite Princess Yucie [spoiler]ALL HER FRIENDS DIE[/spoiler] While fighting to become the next Princess, [spoiler]they all die so she can have her wish of having her boyfriend get better. I know they all come back to life, but I bawled my eyes out SO HARD when that happened![/spoiler] Lodoss Wars [spoiler]Gimli! Gimli from Lodoss Wars. He dies so nobly saving the Grey Witch.[/spoiler] Fruits Basket When [spoiler]Tohru's mother died. SAD. Poor Kyo. :( Sad sad. [/spoiler] I read the spoilers on Death Note and I have to say [spoiler]I'm glad L kicked the bucket, but sad that Light died.[/spoiler] Sure, I only got to volume 4 but I couldn't get into the story. Altogether, though, [spoiler]I didn't like L but I enjoyed Light, didn't like the cutesy loligoth girl, either.[/spoiler] Most of the sad deaths I know are manga, since I read more of that than I do watching anime. ^^'

That's okay, Boo. But you see what it does? It's gotten you to use Painter X again. ;D IT WORKS! I'll put your name up for Breathe Again for now. If you change your mind, just let me know and I'll remove it.

THIS IS AWESOME! I'm so excited! The pictures uploaded are so cool. I love the scarf on Rainbow! Stick people rox my sox on Misfortune. Please keep them coming! I'll pick one sometime soon! Take whichever theme you want. It's really meant to get AS running over everything it's going so wonderfully. But the main thing behind it? To inspire people to be creative and artistic. Sometimes it just takes drawing something you never would've imagined to get your creative juices flowing. That's the whole idea behind the themes. Keep it up, you guys!

[quote name='Boo'][size=1](the first is my favourite too, by the way) Oh, but being someone with big feet I just have to say that the third person has rather small feet to stand on.[/size][/QUOTE] bwaha, thanks. XD Yeah, I normally draw big feet, but that was the first time I tried smaller ones. I don't like it! Just to show y'all that I can do CG (sort of) here's some! This was my part of the 100-Theme Challenge back in the day. Teamwork was the theme! [IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f113/keloki/jim/41-teamwork-inkcopy.jpg[/IMG] Jim and Chance when they were children. Awww. Aren't they CUTE. I like how it came out, either way. And for you dancers out there... [IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f113/keloki/jim/Irish_Eyes_Are_Smiling.png[/IMG] And the last one. A pseudo fanart. JIMU YASHA Oh yes. I went there. ALL THE WAY THERE. Barefoot. Up the hills both ways in snow fifTEEN feet deep! Burlap sack as my dress. In the middle of winter. AT NIGHT. [IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f113/keloki/jim/12-27-06-Jimuyasha-color.jpg[/IMG] The coloring was real quick, so it's kind of craptastic. 8D Drawn in Dec '06! WOW. So old! Last one, I promise. MORE DANCIN'. [IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f113/keloki/jim/5-8-07-bigjim1.jpg[/IMG] That's it!

[quote name='han ki-tae']Since nobody liked my model I decided to post Ai. A nice and sassy girl I draw on my way to the dentist today.[/QUOTE] I'll give Ai a shot! I want to get this thread going again. What a great idea!! I have to go to the library, but I'll totally do it when I get home. Here she is! [IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f113/keloki/ai-for-ob.jpg[/IMG] And for my request, this is Jim! I won't say anything about him. Let's just see what you get from the picture. :D [IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f113/keloki/jim/12-17-06-jimblue.jpg[/IMG]

Hey there! This is Yakiimo, your friendly neighborhood roasted sweet potato! I'm here to try to get some drawings going! Drawings with themes! Drawings with ... themes! Ahem. Anyway. Remember that 100 Theme Challenge thing that started all those years ago? I know everyone does... Well, 100 would be way too much to start out with, so I've decided (with some help from a friendly moderator ([b]you know who you are[/b]) to split them up into eatable chunks. Twenty! What you do is this: [b]Pick your theme![/b] - is there one theme in the list you just really really want to draw? Pick it! Draw it! CG or paint or whatever it! It could be traditional (my favorite), CG! Even avatars and banners. But here's the catch. [b]It must be NEW!!![/b] You can't have drawn it before and decided it just fits the theme. Draw something new! Draw something you haven't drawn before! Is the theme "coffee"? That's not really on the list, but I'm using it as an example. If it's "coffee", don't just draw a cup of coffee. Draw Sasuke doing Coffee Jutsu! Draw Inu Yasha fighting a coffee demon! Draw Vash dipping his doughnuts in coffee! Draw an elf made out of coffee! It's [i]endless[/i] what you can do with this theme challenge thing! Fanart or original characters, it's all good! [b]Draw it![/b] I already talked about this so there you go. [b]Post it up within a week![/b] A week is enough time to get one picture, avatar, or whatever done. Really! One day to sketch, one day to ink, five days to color? [b]Keep to the Forum rules![/b] If it's against the rules of OB's AS, then don't post it. Not sure? Go back and read the rules again! The drawings can be full color, black and white, or just a sketch. The idea behind this is to ... [b]HAVE FUN! BE CREATIVE! MAKE NEW FRIENDS![/b] It's exciting! Give it a shot! Here's the first twenty! 1. Introduction 2. Love [I]3. Light - [URL="http://www.otakuboards.com/member.php?u=1954"]Lunox[/URL][/I] [i]4. Dark - [URL="http://www.otakuboards.com/member.php?u=12669"]Cat14[/URL][/i] 5. Seeking Solace 6. Break Away 7. Heaven [i]8. Innocence - [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/member.php?u=26592]Kakushigoto[/url][/i] 9. Drive [i]10. Breathe Again - [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/member.php?u=2223"]Boo[/url][/i] 11. Memory 12. Insanity [i]13. Misfortune - [URL="http://www.otakuboards.com/member.php?u=2223"]Boo[/URL][/i] 14. Smile [i]15. Silence - [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/member.php?u=5026"]Lrb[/url][/i] 16. Questioning [i]17. Blood - [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/member.php?u=12669"]Cat14[/url][/i] [I]18. Rainbow - [URL="http://www.otakuboards.com/member.php?u=119"]Sara[/URL][/I] 19. Gray 20. Fortitude As they're picked, I'll go back and edit the thread to stick it in italics and put the person's named next to it. This project can't begin without you! Please come on and participate! I don't want to pick the first one, so I'll leave it here. Thanks so much! [b]EDIT[/b] I forgot! Once you're done with your first one, feel free to do another. Just make sure you've uploaded the first one beforehand!

[quote name='Sara']I was born and raised in the Midwest, and I have never heard a green pepper called anything but a green pepper, or "mango" used to refer to anything but the tropical fruit or the related color.[/QUOTE] I wasn't born in the midwest, but I've lived here for almost 15 years. I've noticed it mainly in small towns in the older generation (we're talking 80 years old).

No one's mentioned much super-shoujo. :( [B]Petite Princess Yucie[/B] Short and adorable, but the ending is 'wtj'. [B]Princess Tutu[/B] I adored this. But again.. the ending made me groan in frustration. I more enjoy the magical girl or school drama shows than anything like Bleach or FMA. FMA depressed me. XD

When I trace things in ink, it gets a lot more solid. I tend to do lots of small, scratchy lines when I sketch because they're easier to erase when I do get it all done and ready for inking! If I draw too many long, flowing lines, I tend to draw darker and it's harder to erase. :( That and maybe I don't have much confidence. Most people want CG while I'm still in the era of colored pencils. Here's an example of an inked image: [IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f113/keloki/jim/iJim.jpg[/IMG] This was done during the iPod advertisement rage. Everyone was making their own, so I made one, too! The background is a bright neon blue, so I decided to just give you this one. XD Thank you for the comments. Hair is the most fun part for me to draw! That and expressions. I like to give a lot of movement in my drawings, a feeling of dynamic motion. But 'standing glory' pictures are okay, too! Great for concept art. Here's some doodles I did on my second break at work. I don't know who they are, but they were fun to doodle. Ballpoint pen. [IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f113/keloki/sheep.jpg[/IMG]

I've been playing [B]FFIV[/B] on the DS, several online MMORPGs (Flyff, Dofus, DoMO), HM:MM on the Cube, Earthbound on the SNES, Champions of Norrath on the PS2, FFVII: CC on the PSP. I'll take a break from storyline intensive games to play Cooking Mama on the DS.

Saying 'soda' instead of 'pop', 'jimmies' instead of 'sprinkles' is more a dialect than slang. Slang are sometimes nonsense words that somehow make sense in society. As for regional dialect, it varies for me. I say 'pop' and 'soda' and 'coke' and 'sodie pop' depending on how I'm feeling. Sprinkles are sprinkles but I'd know what a jimmie was. Also, 'dope' isn't so much a NY thing as an 80s thing. It was used rampantly back in the day alongside radical and such slang words as that. Y'all bleeds all over the US from north to south. It's here where I live and it was in Georgia. Another dialect difference is 'mango'. In the midwest states mostly they call the green pepper a mango. A sink is a zinc. Ain't is just generally accepted and not so much dialect as poor grammar. But I say it. I also drop my Gs. For slang, I say 'cool' and 'awesome' a lot. Not so much 'dope' or 'rad' or 'bogus' or 'bummer'. Those things were from my childhood days more than anything else! I don't use them so much anymore unless I'm doing it on purpose. But I do use 'like' a lot... Everyone did when I was growing up and it's a hard thing to get rid of. I also say "I know, right?" way too much. One more thing they say around here and in southern Indiana are more pronunciations than spellings. "Tired" becomes "tarred". "Boil" becomes "bowl". That sort of regional thing.

I've already gotten a couple of pages done, but that little piece of me wants to know if anyone would actually read this stuff but me. And even if not, it's all for fun anyway, right? In a world where elves learn alongside humans, centaurs work factory jobs and a team of goblins oversee the building of a new highway, there is very little room for oddities. There is a legend of a demon who possesses mortals. It takes on a host, gains its power, and destroys whole civilizations. In the year 2013 AD, the veil between the world of men and the world of Faery fell. Humans with the souls of the Others were transformed. Buildings were overtaken by hills and mountains; housing complexes became vast plains. Much of modern life was lost in the rolling green of another chance. In the years following, the world had to relive the Renaissance, the Victorian Age, the Industrial Revolution. Over 300 years after the tearing of the veil, the demon rose up from its prison deep within the earth. Many died, both human and Fae. Whole races were nearly wiped out of the earth. Just as men were on the threshold of technology, they were thrust backward once more by the demon. After nearly a year of war with the monster, a group comprised of many races gathered together to seal it away into a crystal. It was smooth and warm to the touch. They knew that should anyone ever willingly form a pact with the demon, disaster would soon follow. Another 300 years passed. 600 years after the Tearing, the demon was found again. The legend of it had spread all over the world. The desire by crime lords, corrupt barons and holy men sang sweet in the veins of men and Fae. It passed through many greedy hands, but none were so willing to make the pact to set the demon free. They all knew what would happen at the end. At last, on a winter's night, a young boy seeking revenge stumbled over the stone. A street urchin who had wronged him lay dead and frozen in the snow. Taking up the stone, he ran, never once looking back but always hearing footsteps. Over the next few months he held conversations with the stone, not knowing what was inside, only hearing the sweet promises it cooed into his ear. The boy's name was Jim. With a promise of revenge strong in his heart, he made the pact with the demon. It was too late that he learned about his eventual fate. The demon fed off of the life of others. It started with the harmless drinking of negative energy. Harmful anger and hate, spite and jealousy and depression were all taken from unsuspecting victims, leaving behind an euphoric state of glee. It was only after these victims came to enjoy the feeling, craving it more and more that they changed. Their hate overtook them, growing stronger without the knowledge of how to control it. The demon took and took until eventually the person died. But she died with a smile on her face. She was the only one to die. Jim didn't remember what happened after that. In the following 200 years, he never killed anyone else. We arrive at the present day, 800 years after the Tearing of the Veil, where Jim is once again alone. Once again he killed a young boy who longed only for death. He thought he was doing him a favor, but when the blackness came, he knew he had done wrong. When a young man stumbles upon Jim in the forest outside of his school, the boys' futures are changed forever. Can they stop the demon before it regains enough power to be resurrected? Will they be able to stop this and thus save Jim's life? Or will the demon be freed and all life be lost to its horrendous and destructive power? The story will have suspense, love, comedy. All the things that make a story great. But a story can't live without audience. Do you think you'd read it? I know it's kind of long, but it's mostly back story.

[quote name='Lunox'][font=trebuchet ms]... Anatomy differs with everybody, yes, but I don't think mangamaniack21's drawings of necks/shoulders is because she's trying to give a unique anatomy to each of her characters. ... [/font][/QUOTE] Clipped for ease. There are a couple of pictures that weren't too bad. Rockman (the first one) was all right. And the sixth image down from the first post at the top wasn't too bad. I agree that most of the necks are too thick, but try not to go to the other extreme and make them too thin. But when it comes to anime and manga, it's hard to find the 'happy medium' without studying real people. Look at xxxHolic. Dragonball. Two examples of the too-thin extreme and the super-muscled extreme. Finding the in-between will take practice, so don't give up!

[B]Artist seeking Writer[/B] Hey, everyone! I've been drawing anime and manga for YEARS and would like to draw someone's story. I'd prefer it to be original, no fan stuff. It's not that I don't like it, it's just I'd rather do something totally original. That's all. My stuff can be viewed several places: (please click the links to view them) *[URL="http://keloki.deviantart.com"]Keloki's DeviantArt[/URL] *[URL="http://wild-coffee.deviantart.com"]Wild Coffee's DeviantArt[/URL] (this one I made because I got tired of Keloki) *[URL="http://taiyaki.sheezyart.com"]Taiyaki's SheezyArt[/URL] And of course: *[URL="http://www.theotaku.com/portfolio/yakiimo"]Yakiimo's Portfolio[/URL] I do not have tones. I mainly do black and white and have Micron Pens for inking. I can do text in the computer but I do hand-drawn word bubbles. If you want super-duper tones, then that would be on the computer. But I have a [B]mouse[/B], not a tablet. If you want it toned on the computer, it would take a while. Just a heads-up. I cannot draw mecha. My boys end up looking like girls so I can do shounen-ai. But I will not do graphic sexual scenes between anyone. Straight or gay. Kissing between anyone (two boys, two girls, boy and girl) I can do. Making out is okay. Graphic sex is not okay. Thankee. I cannot draw realistic animals! XD I promise. Any other questions feel free to Private Message me or pop me an email. [email]keloki@gmail.com[/email] Thanks a lot! I'll check this every day. [B]Please do not reply here![/B]

[B][I][U]EDIT EDIT EDIT[/U][/I][/B] I want to draw your characters!!! Give me a description, a rough sketch, a finished picture, a blurb, anything! I'll draw them for nothing! NOTHING! Just a sketch, though. Might color it if I really really like it. GIMME! I want to draw draw draw! [B][I][U]END EDIT[/U][/I][/B] As a 'yakiimo' is basically just a roasted sweet potato, that's the name of the thread. Here's a few sketches, since my finished stuff can be viewed in my profile on the Otaku art page thing. There's a link under my OB name. Yar. This is one that's never been seen online before now! [IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f113/keloki/jimchancefair.png[/IMG] This is Jim (left) and Chance (right) and some cat demon thing that was, for a short time, Jim's little sidekick guy. He's since been taken out, I think. Not finalized on that yet! Jim and Chance (both boys) are part of an ongoing comic/novel called "Egg on Your Face". The full-color images will be on MyOtaku thing while sketches can appear here. Maybe some old color ones that I'm embarrassed to show to everyone, too. XD I draw these two in lots of styles. Case in point, part of the 100 Theme Challenge. Star. [IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f113/keloki/jim/stars.jpg[/IMG] And this one, one of my favorites. [IMG]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f113/keloki/jim/jim.jpg[/IMG] There's a lot more, but that's all I'll do right now. :) As for critiques, please feel free! I just want you to know that the bottom one is inked and colored, so I can't change anything. The top one is still sketch so I can tweak that one! I know Chance's right-as-you-look-at-it leg is wonky. X/ The middle one is MIA, so I don't know how I'll change it. Can't find it! Other than that, please feel free to tell me what I'm doing wrong (or right!) and I'll do my best to improve! Drawing is just a hobby of mine and I don't know if I'll ever make it into a career. I do have two pages of the comic done, but one page has a bad slang word in it. It's derogatory for a homosexual. It also means "bundle of sticks" or "cigarette" in British slang. I can white that out, though. Thanks again!

Everyone has touched on what it is you should improve, but very few have given specifics. Anatomy differs from one person to the next, so the length of the neck could actually be okay. But shoulders do tend to slope down more than up. The thing that drew my eye the most was the arm. Arms have joints just like many other parts of the body. When the arm leads into the elbow, it narrows then comes out to widen at the joint. Once past the elbow, it begins to slim until you reach the wrist. The most recurring issue I've seen are that your peoples' arms don't have any joints. You can find all sorts of anatomy guides at your library or online. Just do a search even in Deviant Art for a body tutorial. Also, hair flows. I know in anime it sticks out all sorts of weird ways, but you kind of do both. You have the anime look with the seperate hairs drawn inside. It's best to choose one or the other rather than combine them. I also see a lot of the same two expressions: half-smile and big open-mouthed smile. Try to find some expression tutorials and play around. One of the best things you can do is pick out your favorite manga and draw some pictures from it. Even professionals sometimes do this. Try different poses and be dynamic. No one likes a stagnant picture unless it's a bowl of fruit. I've found that the best way to get better is to fill one sketchbook page per day of drawings. And don't be afraid to try new things. Don't just stick to what you know.