Anime Samurai Warrior Holding A Katana

A samurai stands braced with both feet planted wide, holding a katana out and up in the right hand while the left rests near the hilt of a second sword tucked through the belt. The blade is long, slightly curved and drawn as a clean empty shape, so it can be left white to read as polished steel.

The armor is the reason to pick this sheet. A helmet sits low over the eyes with a tall two pronged crest rising from the brow and a neck guard flaring behind. Both shoulders carry stacked rectangular plates, the forearms are wrapped in banded guards, and rows of narrow lames run across the chest and down the skirt of the armor. Every one of those bands is a separate closed shape, which means you can alternate two related shades down a row and get the layered look real lacquered armor has without drawing anything extra.

Below the waist the leg wrappings continue the banding down to a pair of laced boots. The background is empty white, so nothing competes with the figure. Traditional lacing was often a single strong shade against darker plate, so try one accent repeated at the shoulders, the waist cord and the sword grip and leave the plates deeper and cooler.