Welcome back, SketchBookers! Yesterday we played with sparks—raw ideas that lit the creative fuse. Today, we zoom in on one of the most exciting parts of manga-making: giving life to the characters who will carry your story.
This is Page 3: Character Casting, and just like in a film or stage play, you’re picking the stars of your show. The personalities, designs, and backstories you define here will guide the tone and emotional depth of everything you create.
🧑🎨 What is Character Casting?
It’s more than designing a cool outfit or coming up with a quirky habit. Character casting is about:
- Deciding who your characters really are
- Understanding what they want, what they fear, and what makes them human (or… not human)
- Developing visual and narrative consistency that helps readers emotionally invest
In short, this is where your manga cast goes from silhouettes and ideas to full-on personalities.
🎨 How-To: Cast Your Characters
1. Choose Your Protagonist (or Main Duo/Trio)
Select the character you sketched yesterday or another one tugging at your imagination. This is your anchor.
2. Sketch and Repeat
Draw their head from multiple angles. Try full body. Try casual poses. Capture them in a moment of emotion. Let their body language speak as loudly as their dialogue.
3. Build the Core Profile
Use this basic casting sheet in your sketchbook: It's like a dossier!
- Name:
- Age:
- Role in the Story:
- Personality in 3 Words:
- Greatest Strength / Greatest Flaw:
- Secret Wish or Regret:
- Signature Item / Outfit Element:
- Character Symbol or Motif: (optional, but fun for themes!)
4. Create a “Relationship Web”
How do they relate to other characters? Who challenges them? Who protects them? Draw lines between faces in your sketchbook—it helps to see connections visually.
5. Add a Backstory Snapshot
Don't write a novel (yet)—just a paragraph or bullet points about:
- Where they’re from
- What shaped them before your story begins
- One past moment that still affects them now
✏️ Keep it Loose (and Fun)
You don’t have to “finalize” your character today. In fact, the best designs evolve with the story. What matters most right now is getting to know them like a real person. Trust that their voice will grow clearer the more you draw them.
⚡ Bonus WIP Exercise: Character-in-Action
Yesterday we challenged you to draw a 2” x 2” panel of your character. Today, expand that idea into a mini-scene:
Draw a 3-panel comic strip where your character:
- Encounters a small obstacle (even something silly!)
- Reacts in a unique way (use body language & expression)
- Resolves it—or doesn’t—with a twist
This could be anything from dropping noodles on their crush to botching a spell during gym class. Keep it them. You’re discovering their quirks in motion.
🚀 Teaser for Tomorrow: 3D Thursday
We’ve now cast your leads—but what world are they about to shape or get shaped by? Tomorrow, we enter the Layout Lab with Page 4 of the 8 Pages of Sketchbooking. You’ll begin planning the world and the manga pages your story will unfold on.
Want to share your casting sheet? Tag @SketchBookArtists and use #8PagesOfManga to join the showcase!
Let’s build stories worth sketching.
See you on the next page 🖤
Would you like this turned into a visual PDF companion with character sheet templates or thumbnails? I can build that out next!
