Anime - Invent Your Own Characters!

Create your own Anime-style cartoon character! The brilliance of Crayola Color Explosion™ is perfect for making your own comic books.

1. Anime (a-nee-may) is the Japanese word for cartoon and animation. In Japan, this word is used for all styles, but many other countries use this word for the most popular Japanese style. Look at examples of comic books or television shows such as Dragon Ball Z and Yu-Gi-Oh!. Decide what qualities you want your cartoon character to have. Typical styles include very large eyes with a very small, simple nose line and mouth line.

2. Experiment with facial features. Use white paper and Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils to practice making eyes. They are almost always made of a shape like a backwards letter "j". A very tall "j" makes the person look like they’re asking a question. A very short, wide "j" makes the person look friendly. You can always erase if you change your mind.

3. Notice the angle of the eyebrows. If they point down at the center, the person looks angry. If they point up at the center, the person looks either puzzled or friendly. A very simple, small nose line (a backwards "L") and a simple curve for a mouth (sometimes a little off to one side) complete the face.

4. Most anime hair is small, thick spikes. Many characters have a little hair that comes down onto their face, and some even use curly spikes. Put together a look that you like.

5. Draw your colorful character. Recreate your favorite sketches on Crayola Color Explosion Paper with a Color-Reveal Marker. The bright colors really pop on the black! Show your characters having all kinds of adventures!

Adult supervision is required for any arts & crafts project. Observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure appropriate use of arts and crafts materials. Some craft items, particularly beads and buttons, are potential choking hazards for young children. Avoid use of such small parts with children younger than 3 years. Craft items such as scissors, push pins and chenille sticks may have sharp points or edges. Avoid use of materials with sharp points by children younger than 4 years. Read all manufacturers' safety warnings before using arts and craft supplies.

Color Explosion™ Black—Wash hands well with soap and water after use.

Crafts

crayola supplies

• Erasable Colored Pencils
• Neon Color Explosion®
• Color Explosion™ Rainbow

household supplies

• white paper

"The scouts really enjoyed this project. It helped them earn the art portion of their badge."
Andrew M., pack leader.

"Our girls make their own comic books. They created characters for all of their friends."
Kathy A., parent of 7- and 10-year-olds.

Manga is a word that literally means “whimsical pictures” such as a comic or cartoon. Today in Japan, animation is considered “moving manga” whereas in Europe and North America animation is considered a “drawn movie.” Anime is considered to be part of manga.