There is an interesting page about backgrounds on "Illustration Manga Drawing Guide". There is a lot of information on this page that is useful when drawing backgrounds, but among other things, there is information on how to think about "how to deal with the background", so I would like to introduce it to you.

The page introduced here seems to be an excerpt from the book "MAEDAX Background Moe" published by Ichijinsha. If you want more in-depth information, search for it and buy it yourself.

A collection of links to give you an idea of where to start

background

Some people who are not good at or have difficulty with backgrounds may not know where to start.

 

There are many different types of backgrounds, such as buildings, natural objects, interiors, and image backgrounds, so instead of "draw a background," try to decide on a theme, such as "draw this kind of interior," "draw a city," or "draw a window." Narrowing down your theme may open up a new perspective.

Behind the eaves

When drawing a house, it is quite difficult to draw the eaves. There are many hints on how to capture the eaves. If you read it once, you will find that the eaves of the house will catch your eye whenever you go out.

Electric pole

It introduces various things attached to utility poles, such as closures, transformers, and electric lights attached to utility poles.

Housing estate

The book introduces items that are key to making the housing complex look like a housing complex. The unique structure that is different from apartments and condominiums is also obvious at a glance.

external stage

How to draw stairs. How to draw stairs. How to draw stairs. Even if you use a 3D model, the ease of placing a person on it depends entirely on whether you can draw the stairs yourself. (If you can draw stairs yourself, it will be easier to place a person on the stairs of a 3D model. Seriously. If you don't think I'm kidding, try to learn how to draw stairs.

guardrail

Guardrails are very difficult items to draw, as they don't look like guardrails unless you draw them properly. The edge of a guardrail. Guard pipe. Guard wire. Twin guard fence. Just knowing the names will increase the resolution of the installed guardrails.

classroom

Although it is only one example, it also introduces the height of the ceiling and the size of the desk, and is surprisingly useful when considering the balance of a person.

high school

About the "high school-ness" of schools. Of course there are exceptions, but just looking at the schools in your neighborhood with this "theme" in mind can change the way you see them.

Shopping Street

Introducing items that are often found in shopping streets. Yes, in shopping streets lined with stores, the roads are curved! I did a lot of bending!

signal machine

Traffic lights are something we see all the time, but we don't observe them enough. It's interesting that low-cost, thin LED traffic lights have become available recently.

Swimming in the sea

I can't immediately think of beach items. When I draw summer for work, it's usually not summer yet. Even when I go to do research, there are no beach huts. This is important.

Festival food stalls

It's the same as a beach. When you want to draw a festival scene, the festival isn't happening. There are trends in food stalls, but if you can grasp the basic form of the stall, it's easy to apply it.

Bookshelf

When drawing the rooms of the main characters, the bookshelves really bring out their personalities, even if the books on the shelves have changed in the age of smartphones.

Japanese style rich house

It's not easy to interview a rich-looking house with a long history in Japan. There are no documents. You should always have access to "Japanese houses that you can enter."

Christmas tree

I'm sure there are many people who think, "I don't have a big Christmas tree in my house!" Of course, we don't have one either.

Roof tiles

Keraba (cricket wing), Minoko (minoko/minokou), Sleeve tile, Kake tile, Noshi tile, Kanmuri tile... it's easy to research if you know the names. Roof tiles tend to be omitted, but if you know them, you can get the feel even if you omit them. After all, it's difficult to climb up to the roof to do research.

garden

Parks are a great place for confessing love, chatting with friends, fighting, confessing secrets, and more. But even if you go and research real parks and write about them, there are more and more parks that don't look like parks. What makes a park a park?

Down stairs

Your Name.

Grave

Although there are some cemeteries that you can enter freely, it feels a little bad to intrude on them for research purposes.

Family restaurant

I remember when I first tried to write the background of a family restaurant, I was shocked to realize that I hadn't even considered it, and wondered, "What do the table legs look like?"

vending machine

I once drew the coin slot of a vending machine vertically.

Japanese-style room

These days, there aren't many houses with Japanese-style rooms. It's a good idea to at least check how the tatami mats are arranged.

Foliage plant

It's extremely useful to draw lots of ornamental plants and turn them into materials.

Mob

All artists should read the story about Mob's copypasta.

Pedestrian bridge

Just because you can draw stairs doesn't mean you can draw a footbridge. I'm very grateful for the variety of footbridge patterns (there are fewer and fewer footbridges these days).

wall

If you feel that the city backgrounds you draw are a bit dull, I recommend you take a look at this.

hot spring

It's pretty easy to relax when you realize that hot springs also have perspective. I'd like to try drawing a hot spring episode at least once.

Graduation Ceremony

I once had a student disappoint when I sewed the darker side of a red and white graduation curtain with a solid color. Yes, it turned completely black with a solid color.

Entrance Ceremony

My memories of the entrance ceremonies in my life are so stiff that I can't remember anything.

Store tent

A tent (rain cover) protruding from the wall is common in older shops. It is very valuable because there are few documents on its mechanism and patterns.

Entrance door

An impressive door. A must see.

The outdoor unit

Simply placing the outdoor unit on a balcony or wall will create a very realistic image.

Laundry

If you stare at the laundry while interviewing someone, the police may be called.

fence

I think fences are one of the most difficult subjects to draw when trying to draw them in close-up and in detail.

traffic signs

When drawing signs, I stumble more on the back than the front.

Modern Home

Modern homes feature windows.

Chair

If you understand the basics of chair variations, you can easily apply them to various designs.

Western-style room

Who was it that said it's easy to paint a Western-style room?

Japanese-style gate

Japanese-style gates are becoming increasingly rare, and only ostentatious ones that are cultural assets are available. Materials on ordinary houses are valuable.

rooftop

If you're wondering what to put on your roof, read this.

Window Glass

Not a window, but window "glass." Just looking at the various patterns of how to draw them can give you hints for when you draw your own.

mirror description

How to portray what is reflected in the mirror. Sometimes you may lie even after knowing the logic behind it.

Roof Shape

Just knowing the names of gables and hips will give you an opportunity to research. The roof is deep.

See the full list here

List of background moe articles

About the Perspective Ruler

If you know how to draw backgrounds but still find perspective rulers difficult, check out the contents of these links.

Linking Perspective Rulers and 3D Layers

I don't know how to set the perspective ruler or vanishing point in the first place! In that case, let's use the power of 3D layers. Once you rotate the camera in the 3D layer and set the angle, the perspective ruler setting is also finished.

Set the perspective ruler to match the sketch

Once you understand how vanishing points are placed on 3D layers, try setting the vanishing point again using a perspective ruler based on a sketch or photo. You may find that this helps you become a little more familiar with the vanishing point (this is my personal opinion and may not apply to everyone).