Since I've been a reader of manga as of the late 90's, it's a no brainer that after awhile, any manga fan would wonder how Japanese folks in Japan create their work and what tools they use. Lately, I've been reading a popular manga series called Bakuman. This series was an interesting approach in the world of manga.
It's a fun way to learn about the process of how a manga creator gets their series published in manga magazines. Not only do you learn about the process but you also learn what tools they use to create their work. From what I learned after reading Bakuman, they use pens, screen tones, markers, and rulers. Sometimes, a mangaka artist will use digital programs to create their work. Most of the art supplies listed here can be bought online on amazon or amazon.co.jp, as well as pretty much any art store in Japan. So make sure you make a trip over to an art supply store when you visit Japan and stock up!
Anyway, now let's get on with the list of tools that mangaka use to create their work!
1. Pencils (えんぴつ)
Of course, nothing can be done on paper without the most important tool, pencils! You can use whatever you're comfortable using of course. Generally, I prefer to draw using led pencils with 0.5 or 0.7 thickness.
2. Copic Markers (コピック)
Copic markers are great for coloring in your artwork. Lots of professional mangaka use these markers to color in their work. The only downside is, it can be a bit on the pricey side to buy and replace these markers outside of Japan. Copic also has outline pens.
2. Manga Paper (漫画原稿用紙)
The most common types of paper mangaka use are Deleter, Inc, and Maxon. You can buy them in different thickness sizes. Most pros tend to use thicker paper but it's all totally up to your preference. If you prefer drawing digitally, you can download some manga paper here! By the way, in Japanese, manga paper is called 漫画原稿用紙 (まんがげんこうようし) Manga Genkou Youshi.
3. G-Pens (G-ぺん)
There are many different strokes that can be used in G-Pens. It's entirely up to you as the artist which one you'd prefer to use. If you want to learn more about G-pen strokes, you can read up on it here. On the package it reads, Gぺん 漫画用 (まんがよう) G-Pen For Manga.
4. Erasers (けいしごむ)
Just like with pencils, you can pretty much use any kind of eraser as long as it doesn't smudge the paper too much. Personally, I use Korean erasers that bought back when I was in middle school. I still have them 16 years later and they're still going strong. They also erase my pencil markings really well.
5. Screen Tones (スクリーントーン)
There are many, many different types of screen tones that are available to buy. Screen Tones can be a bit expensive to purchase. I strongly recommend scanning them before use.
And that's basically the gist of what tools mangaka in Japan use to create their work. I decided to keep the list short since this is a basic beginners guide to creating manga. Keep in mind that each artist is different in what kind of tools they prefer to use to create their work. So have fun trying out these new ways to create your work! If you want, I'd love to see some sample work of yours in the comments below using the tools shown here. :)
Anyway, thank you all for reading and I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead!
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