Manga Muscles An Artist's Guide to Drawing Powerful Male Bodies [With Over 500 color and B&W illustrations]

A must-have guide to drawing muscular physiques – from professional manga illustrators!

Manga Muscles teaches you how to draw powerful male bodies in dynamic styles – from athletic to bodybuilder to fantasy superhero – in hundreds of different situations and from all possible angles. Plus, you'll learn to adjust the physical attributes of each character so they don't all look the same, and how to drape clothes on their bodies in a realistic way.

Every body type you'll want to draw is described in great detail here:

• Super-Fit Lean: 'Spiderman' physiques for strong and agile characters
• Athletic Muscular: Beefy 'Special Forces' physiques with harnessed strength and balance
• Bodybuilder Ripped: Competitive heavyweight 'Mr. Universe' physiques with high-definition musculature
• Fantasy Superhero: over-the-top 'The Hulk' physiques that push the limits of anatomy

The authors – professional illustrators with deep anatomical knowledge – break down the skeletal and muscular systems to show how structure and posture work together to create bold, expressive figures. With over 500 detailed illustrations and tips on how to emphasise key muscle groups, vary character designs, and suggest different moods through physical form, this book offers both technical guidance and artistic inspiration.

This is an essential reference for artists drawing strong, dynamic characters in manga and beyond!

Authors: Syu Itadori, Ueno Atsushi, KiKi, GomTang, Tojo Washi, and Gom Tang

Paperback Published 1 November 2025 144 pages