How to Draw a Sailor Fuku
Sketch out the girl and scene., Draw the shirt., Draw the skirt., Draw the collar., Draw the tie., Draw shoes and socks., Erase any extra lines. , Color in your drawing.
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Sketch out the girl and scene.
You should already have the sketch of the girl you want to be wearing the sailor fuku.
Keep in mind that if she's posing in a somewhat odd manner or if she's in motion
- for example, running
- the uniform isn't going to hang straight down.
Keep in mind the thickness of the uniform.
Japanese schools often have two sailor fukus
- the summer uniform and the winter uniform.
The summer uniform is much lighter and is usually worn with a short sleeved shirt, whereas the winter uniform is made of a thicker material and tends to be longer in skirt length and shirt sleeve length. -
Step 2: Draw the shirt.
The shirt of the sailor fuku often comes down to the hips and will usually have either long sleeves or short sleeves.
If you have difficulty drawing the shirt, break it up by shape
- the part of the shirt covering the torso is rectangular, as are the sleeves.
Depending on how the girl is posing, you may have to use other shapes to connect the sleeves to the torso of the shirt.
The material of the shirt is close to that of a formal blouse
- it won't cling to the girl's features. , The sailor fuku's skirts are usually knee-length or longer, and is often pleated with medium-sized knife pleats, which are easily drawn with simple rectangular pieces.
The heaviness of the material will affect how the skirt moves.
The summer skirt, for example, is lighter than the winter skirt and will move with the breeze easier.
The skirt is high-waisted and does not have an elastic waistband; it zips up the side, and it closes with a hook-and-eye loop.
If the skirt is oversized, the girl would have to wear a belt underneath her shirt. , Typically, the sailor collar is a piece of the uniform that goes over the neck of the shirt and hangs a few inches down between the shoulder blades, rarely lower.
The collar extends out to just before the shoulders.
It's quite wide.
The front of the collar can be created with triangular pieces and then be rounded out; the back of the collar is usually just rectangular.
Sailor collars are often depicted with stripes on them.
These stripes frequently wrap around the outer "ring" of the collar, and sometimes are on the center piece as well.
Some uniforms have "cuffs" on the shirt sleeves that are the same material as the collar.
These also tend to have stripes on them. , The tie for the sailor fuku is often less of a tie and more of a handkerchief, which creates the classic knot that's often seen in anime and manga.
The classic tie can be drawn with simple rectangular shapes or with teardrop shapes.
If you're more advanced at drawing, try out drawing the wrinkles in the tie near the knot. , The uniform's socks are usually knee-length.
The shoes are dependent on whether the student is indoors or outdoors, and are somewhat rectangular.
The outdoor shoes are typically a pair of black or dark brown loafers.
The indoor shoes are a pair of "slippers" that can vary in their looks.
The most common look for the indoor shoes are white canvas shoes with rubber soles.
They are kept in lockers or cubbies at the entrances of schools, and are not to be worn outside.
Make sure you don't draw your girl wearing her indoor shoes outside, or vice versa! ,, The sailor fuku is often depicted as either white and navy with a red tie, or black and white, depending on whether it's the summer or the winter uniform.
However, not all schools stick to this color scheme, and some schools have differently colored collars or shirts.
And if you want, color it however you wish! It doesn't have to be realistic. -
Step 3: Draw the skirt.
-
Step 4: Draw the collar.
-
Step 5: Draw the tie.
-
Step 6: Draw shoes and socks.
-
Step 7: Erase any extra lines.
-
Step 8: Color in your drawing.
Detailed Guide
You should already have the sketch of the girl you want to be wearing the sailor fuku.
Keep in mind that if she's posing in a somewhat odd manner or if she's in motion
- for example, running
- the uniform isn't going to hang straight down.
Keep in mind the thickness of the uniform.
Japanese schools often have two sailor fukus
- the summer uniform and the winter uniform.
The summer uniform is much lighter and is usually worn with a short sleeved shirt, whereas the winter uniform is made of a thicker material and tends to be longer in skirt length and shirt sleeve length.
The shirt of the sailor fuku often comes down to the hips and will usually have either long sleeves or short sleeves.
If you have difficulty drawing the shirt, break it up by shape
- the part of the shirt covering the torso is rectangular, as are the sleeves.
Depending on how the girl is posing, you may have to use other shapes to connect the sleeves to the torso of the shirt.
The material of the shirt is close to that of a formal blouse
- it won't cling to the girl's features. , The sailor fuku's skirts are usually knee-length or longer, and is often pleated with medium-sized knife pleats, which are easily drawn with simple rectangular pieces.
The heaviness of the material will affect how the skirt moves.
The summer skirt, for example, is lighter than the winter skirt and will move with the breeze easier.
The skirt is high-waisted and does not have an elastic waistband; it zips up the side, and it closes with a hook-and-eye loop.
If the skirt is oversized, the girl would have to wear a belt underneath her shirt. , Typically, the sailor collar is a piece of the uniform that goes over the neck of the shirt and hangs a few inches down between the shoulder blades, rarely lower.
The collar extends out to just before the shoulders.
It's quite wide.
The front of the collar can be created with triangular pieces and then be rounded out; the back of the collar is usually just rectangular.
Sailor collars are often depicted with stripes on them.
These stripes frequently wrap around the outer "ring" of the collar, and sometimes are on the center piece as well.
Some uniforms have "cuffs" on the shirt sleeves that are the same material as the collar.
These also tend to have stripes on them. , The tie for the sailor fuku is often less of a tie and more of a handkerchief, which creates the classic knot that's often seen in anime and manga.
The classic tie can be drawn with simple rectangular shapes or with teardrop shapes.
If you're more advanced at drawing, try out drawing the wrinkles in the tie near the knot. , The uniform's socks are usually knee-length.
The shoes are dependent on whether the student is indoors or outdoors, and are somewhat rectangular.
The outdoor shoes are typically a pair of black or dark brown loafers.
The indoor shoes are a pair of "slippers" that can vary in their looks.
The most common look for the indoor shoes are white canvas shoes with rubber soles.
They are kept in lockers or cubbies at the entrances of schools, and are not to be worn outside.
Make sure you don't draw your girl wearing her indoor shoes outside, or vice versa! ,, The sailor fuku is often depicted as either white and navy with a red tie, or black and white, depending on whether it's the summer or the winter uniform.
However, not all schools stick to this color scheme, and some schools have differently colored collars or shirts.
And if you want, color it however you wish! It doesn't have to be realistic.
About the Author
Raymond Palmer
Enthusiastic about teaching crafts techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: