“Even a sword must rest in its scabbard.”
This old samurai proverb may seem far removed from the world of manga, but it speaks volumes about a truth every mangaka comes to learn: rest is a crucial part of the creative process.
In this special Manga Monday x Tuesday How-To mashup, we’re diving into the sketchbooks of mangaka during a rare and precious window: their off-time — those brief moments between deadlines, after the last chapter of a serialization wraps, or when a volume is complete and the next pitch is still brewing.
But instead of dropping the pencil completely, many mangaka take this time to explore, experiment, and rekindle their creative joy — often using their sketchbooks as both sanctuary and springboard. Today, we’ll look at how you can use your own “mangaka downtime” to both recover and level up as an artist. We’ll even walk through a sketching exercise based on how pros unwind and keep their creativity alive.
The Myth of the Never-Stopping Mangaka
When we think of a professional mangaka, images of all-nighters, cluttered studios, ink-stained fingers, and stacks of storyboard paper often come to mind. While it’s true that manga production is grueling—some artists work 60–80 hours a week—the idea that they never rest is a myth. They do take breaks, but what they do during those breaks makes all the difference.
Rather than escape from art entirely, many mangaka use this time to return to the joy of drawing without deadlines, exploring new ideas that may have no place in their current work but serve as seeds for the future.
What Mangaka Do on Their Time Off
Here are a few things real-life mangaka have been known to do during holidays or creative breaks — and how you can incorporate these into your sketchbook practice.
1. Draw Without a Purpose
Without an editor breathing down their neck, some mangaka simply sketch whatever comes to mind. These freeform drawings can range from still-life studies to full-blown character designs that may never see the light of publication.
🔹Try this in your sketchbook:
Choose a random word or open a dictionary and sketch the first thing you see. Let go of your usual manga style — or exaggerate it beyond reason. Play.
2. Travel or Go on “Sketchcations”
Many artists take short trips during their time off — not always to escape, but to gather inspiration. Even local trips to a market or museum can yield ideas for backgrounds, clothing, and gestures.
🔹Try this in your sketchbook:
Take a small sketchbook with you on your next outing and sketch scenes from life in manga panels. Try exaggerating the poses or adding humorous dialogue bubbles to turn mundane moments into a slice-of-life comic.
3. Study Favorite Artists or Animators
Downtime is often a chance to return to the classics or study new trends. Mangaka like Takehiko Inoue (Vagabond) have spoken about going back to sketch from masters, while others binge anime or read novels for visual storytelling ideas.
🔹Try this in your sketchbook:
Redraw a panel from one of your favorite manga, but reinterpret it in your own style — or even in a different genre (what would a Sailor Moon scene look like in a horror style?).
4. Experiment with Mediums
Without the pressure of print deadlines, some artists switch tools. Watercolor, digital painting, charcoal — anything to break the routine and open new pathways.
🔹Try this in your sketchbook:
Pick a medium you rarely use and create a “character portrait” or scene using only that. You’ll notice how different tools make you think differently — that’s a good thing.
Tuesday How-To: 8 Pages of Sketchbooking — Mangaka Style
For our Tuesday How-To twist, let’s apply the “8 Pages of Sketchbooking” method to simulate a mangaka’s off-time creative ritual. Think of this as a structured break — one that rejuvenates rather than exhausts.
Page 1: Observation
Choose a still object or a location from your room. Draw it in manga style. This sharpens your background sense and forces your eyes to slow down — a big change from speed-drawing action scenes.
Page 2: Gesture Studies
Pull up a video (dance, sports, or slice-of-life anime) and pause at 10 different moments. Capture each pose in 30 seconds. These become the base of expressive characters later.
Page 3: Manga-Style Self-Portrait
Mangaka often playfully sketch themselves. Draw yourself in chibi form, action hero mode, or even as a villain. Bonus points for adding speech bubbles.
Page 4: Free Doodle Page
No rules. Just draw. This mirrors the way many mangaka return to drawing as play, not work. Fill it edge to edge with anything.
Page 5: “What If?” Fan Art
Take a favorite character and ask: what if they lived in your city? Or in the future? Reinterpret them with a new outfit, job, or environment.
Page 6: Environmental Panel
Draw a one-page panel set in a real location you’ve been to — a coffee shop, train station, etc. This exercises background building without the usual manga pressure.
Page 7: Original Character Snapshot
Design a new OC without any backstory. Just draw their face, give them a name, and describe one strange habit they have. This kind of low-stakes worldbuilding is pure creative fuel.
Page 8: Comic Strip Journal
Take a moment from your real life (today or this week) and turn it into a 3-panel comic. Add humor or drama for flair.
Why This Works: Rest Is Still Art
The brilliance of this kind of downtime sketching is that it blurs the line between rest and craft. Mangaka are storytellers at heart, and by returning to the roots of drawing — observation, imagination, play — they reconnect with what got them started in the first place.
You can too. Whether you’re an aspiring manga artist, a hobbyist, or someone simply looking to rediscover their love of drawing, following in the footsteps of mangaka during their holidays can renew your artistic fire.
Final Thoughts: Draw Like You’re On Vacation
Next time you hit a block, or finish a big project, or simply feel drained from life’s demands — give yourself a mangaka-style break. Don’t abandon your sketchbook. Instead, treat it like a retreat.
Draw as if no one’s watching. Draw what makes you laugh, or think, or just feel alive.
Because even during their time off, mangaka never stop being artists.
They just remember to draw like kids again.
And maybe that’s the greatest lesson of all.
Ready for your own creative retreat? Try today’s “8 Pages of Sketchbooking” and tag your favorite page with #SketchBookArtists so we can see how you relax like a mangaka.
Happy Sketching — and don’t forget to enjoy the breaks. They might just become your next breakthrough.
Let me know if you’d like this formatted for a blog post template or if you want sketches or diagrams to go along with each exercise!
