This tutorial shows how to draw Takoyaki in 9 steps. The examples focus on drawing in a manner that can be appropriate for anime and manga but can also apply to other styles.

Takoyaki drawing step by step
Takoyaki drawing step past step

Takoyaki is a food that is fairly common in anime. It can be found in many scenes ranging from events and festivals to characters just grabbing a quick bite to consume. By and large they are fried balls filled with octopus, covered with a mixed  sauce and topped with bonito flakes just they tin as well take other fillings and toppings.

While drawing Takoyaki may seem easy at first it's actually not as uncomplicated as it may at first look. Withal don't let that discourage you as this tutorial provides a very detailed visual breakdown along with an caption of the drawing process to assist.

Unless cartoon digitally you should first the tutorial in pencil and make low-cal lines as you will demand to erase parts of the drawing in some of the steps.

Step 1 – Draw the Takoyaki Container

Takoyaki container drawing
Takoyaki container drawing

Begin by drawing the container the Takoyaki will go into. In this case it volition exist a small-scale paper-thin one shaped in a way where it'southward sides go outwards towards the meridian (sort of like an upside down pyramid).

The drawing will be made in 3/four view and in two point perspective. As perspective is objects getting smaller as they go off into the altitude this means that the container will be drawn narrower as information technology goes towards the sides that are farther from the viewer.

For a detailed explanation of perspective drawing you can see:

Perspective Drawing Tutorial for Beginners and How it Relates to Anime

At this phase besides draw the container as though its' transparent so that all of it's sides are visible.

Step 2 – Outline the Takoyaki Balls

Takoyaki balls drawing
Takoyaki assurance drawing

There volition be six Takoyaki balls in total. Draw them to be slightly uneven in shape (not perfect circles) then that they look more natural.

Too attempt to size and position them then that they fit nicely into the container. If y'all don't get things right the first time simply erase that part of the cartoon and endeavour again.

Takoyaki balls drawing step by step
Takoyaki balls drawing step past step

Yous can see a step by step breakup of the placement in the case above.

Step 3 – Make clean up the Drawing

Takoyaki outline drawing
Takoyaki outline cartoon

Later you finish drawing the Takoyaki balls erase the parts of them that are hidden/covered by the sides of the container. You lot should take clean line drawing like to the above example one time done.

Step four – Describe the Sauce

Takoyaki sauce drawing
Takoyaki sauce cartoon

Covering the tops of the Takoyaki balls and running down the sides add the sauce (every bit shown in the example).

Takoyaki sauce drawing details
Takoyaki sauce cartoon details

Keep in heed that the sauce has some volume to it. So in add-on to outlining the parts that are running down the sides yous volition want to requite it some "padding" on top (shown in the above analogy). After erase the part of each ball'southward outline that is covered by the sauce.

Step 5 – Draw the Flakes

Takoyaki flakes drawing
Takoyaki flakes drawing

Sprinkled on peak of the Takoyaki add the flakes. When drawing these information technology may be helpful to think of them equally lilliputian paper rectangles that have been bent and twisted out of shape.

Try and spread them out somewhat randomly across Takoyaki merely with a similar amount on each ane so that the drawing looks nice and balanced.

Step 6 – Add the Sticks & Stop the Line Cartoon

Takoyaki line drawing
Takoyaki line drawing

Finally add some small sticks stuck into a couple of the balls to eat them with (similar to toothpicks).

Afterwards check that the cartoon looks good and trace over your lines to darken them.

Stride vii – Color Takoyaki

Takoyaki coloring
Takoyaki coloring

To color the Takoyaki brand the sauce a dark brownish with the balls a mix of orange, yellow and brown.

Color them in such a way as to create a gradient where the sauce/balls are lighter on the left and darker on the correct. Y'all can likewise colour the little sticks a light yellowish/chocolate-brown to show that they are wooden.

When coloring the sauce leave some tiny highlights close to it'due south bottom edges.

Takoyaki sauce highlights placement
Takoyaki sauce highlights placement

You lot tin see the areas yous will want to place the highlights in the close up example above shown in carmine.

At first you can go out the highlights white and color around them, then very lightly go over them with brown so that they are not as well vivid.

If coloring digitally add the highlights at the very end after adding the shadows.

Step 8 – Add Shading to the Container

Takoyaki container shading
Takoyaki container shading

The container will be white so y'all tin shade it with greys.

In this case the shading will be washed as though the low-cal is coming from around the upper forepart surface area of the drawing (also slightly to the left).

This means that the front of the container on the left will be the lightest and the right side will be darker. The inner sides of the container will be even darker as they will also have the Takoyaki blocking some of the lite. The bottom will be the darkest as again the Takoyaki volition generally block the light from reaching at that place.

Please keep in  mind that as this is a somewhat stylized/simplified drawing y'all don't need to be perfectly precise with the fashion you place the shadows. You just need to give a rough overall thought of them then that the drawing looks more than iii dimensional.

Step 9 – Add Shading to the Takoyaki

Takoyaki drawing
Takoyaki cartoon

Finally y'all can also add some shadows to the Takoyaki (in addition to the gradient done before). Create sparse strips of shading running along the lesser of the sauce equally well equally some shading along the lesser of the Takoyaki balls. Yous tin as well even add some very tiny shadows to some of the flakes depending on how large you draw them.

Takoyaki ball drawing
Takoyaki ball drawing

You tin meet a larger drawing of i of the Takoyaki balls above to brand information technology easier for  you to see the shadows.

Conclusion

Takoyaki is a fairly common food in both anime and manga which at showtime may seem like it's relatively simple to describe. However, a details drawing like the one in this example can actually be quite fourth dimension consuming. Don't let this discourage you lot though. If yous look at actual anime you may observe that a lot of the nice and close upwardly drawings of food are oft merely shown once from a single angle. After the characters start eating it the fine art tends to become much simpler in comparison. The reason for this is that drawing tasty looking food even in the simplified anime fashion can still be quite difficult and time consuming fifty-fifty for professionals. Then don't worry if information technology takes yous a while to end this tutorial.

For more tutorials on cartoon food commonly seen in anime and manga also try:

  • How to Depict Anime Mode Nutrient & Dejeuner Box
  • How to Draw Sushi Footstep past Pace
  • How to Draw a Processed Apple Stride past Step
  • How to Draw a Piece of Block Step past Pace
  • How to Draw a Rice Bowl Pace by Step