Sapir's Sketchbook (Manga and Anatomy)

There are papers designed just for markers. They are sometimes called Layout paper (if I remember correctly) They are kind of a semi translucent paper that's not very thick but the marker ink sits more on top of, allowing you to blend and manipulate the colors with either blending markers or solvent on a rag or cotton ball. They come in pads but have never seen them in a sketch book form.

In school we would lay in blocks of color and used colored pencils for detailing.

I also don't know much about Manga but maybe this can help: www.mangatutorials.com/2010/all-about-manga-paper/

Not a comment on marker pens or paper (I dunno about that) but I was just having a general browse on YouTube for art videos and stumbled across Mark Crilley's channel. Judging by the number of views he has you may have heard of him already but if not then he has some great manga tutorials (as well as normal pencil sketches.) The videos with narration are particularly useful.

Edit: Added the link.

Thanks everyone. Actually I know about these websites and I have Mark's book "Mastering Manga".

The only thing that will make me improve is to practice and fix my errors. That's why I need you guys!
I can't see my errors, I need a trained artist to point them and help me..
So I made a new piece and I'm not satisfied with the head shape and the body shape..
Please critique me so I can fix it before I ink it!
Thank you very much!

Yeah, I thought you'd know about that channel.
Well I'm not a trained artist and not much good at manga so I can only offer rather generic advice. And that advice is this…
With manga (or any cartoon style really but especially manga) it's easy to focus just on lines and dominant features like eyes as that's how the final image is expressed, but while developing the image it's important to remember that those lines are still describing a three dimensional form.
For this particular image that critque would be that some of the lines are a little too straight and angular. A bit more curve to describe the cheek and softening the sharp angle at the elbow might help. Another slight curve in the hand would imply the shape of the unseen palm.
Also think about the position of the nose. Even though manga noses are subtle and suggestive their position can make an enormous difference; moving it slightly closer to the more distant eye in this three quarter pose would suggest a better shape to the face. Having it so central between the eyes makes the face look very flat.

Thanks for the critique! I also got some in dA saying that the eyes are too big and the hand is too small..
Well I decided to pause with this drawing for now and go back to the fundamentals to strengthen my skills.
So I've chose (using a fair cube, I swear ) to start with hands.

I saw once a video on ctrlPaint that says "Find your weakness and draw it 100 times" and that's exactly what I'm about to do.
Just 87 to go!

Good start on the hand studies. I Think it's important when drawing something stylised like manga to still have a good grasp on realistic anatomy and so on, so these studies are definatley useful! (*tries to forget that she ought to do such studies too*)

Thank you Charlotte. A little question. What if I'm drawing a lot of hands (2 min per hand) and I don't use any technique to construct the hands but just draws what I see, am I still improving?
Will I still be able to draw hands from imagination after, let's say.. a month?

From experience I can say that is a nightmare to practice with just one drawing method, or with just one stylised way of constructing something.

I learned to draw "the marvel way" from various comic books and what not. The result was that I totally lost sight of how a real body is constructed.

Even now I really struggle with skulls because I have a practised, ingrained (and inaccurate) method that is very hard to shake. So what Charlotte says is not just helpful, it is vital!!! Take as much time as you can to change your drawing methods and styles.

I have also learned that drawing from reference is always good practice. Never feel that you are above using it!

Being able to draw from imagination is a cool skill, but I don't know any GOOD artist who won't use reference.

I'm no expert on the topic Sapir, but I'd say if you draw hands from reference, you'll add something to both your visual and your motor (hand movement) memory every time. The more you do it, the more you learn and the easier it will be to remember. But if you don't draw at all during that month you mention, you'll probably still need a bit of "warming up" before you get going again.