ShiroiAkuma Feb 2, 2014

My first question would be: What do you think to know actually of drawing?
Do you know the differences between females and males?
Because to know something you need to study it. Study something to know the why.

The cross you mentioned has nothing to do with knowing it's just a guideline to make something easier. Because just because you know the cross it won't help you to draw a human face. Knowing means so many things: Proportions, value, reflected light, source point, median, golden ration, rule of thirds, sub surface scattering, rim light.....

These kind of books offers much knowledge you should think of while drawing. So you can learn faster. They don't tell you must use the cross to set the viewing direction, I have a book which shows even 3 different ways to draw poses. Another one shows you another kind of doing the same but with a different technique, at least you must choose which technique is most comfortable for you.

They even make you aware of something like this:
Female poses are directed inwards, while male poses are directed outwards. If you understand this sentence, things get easier.

Eyebrows are not only to represent emotions they also be used to display consanguinities.
And thousand more things.

Of course you can try to develop this on your own.
But then it's not even sure, if things like this come to your mind and then your drawings miss a certain extra. Or you might know them, but can't explain other the why. It's like Mark Crilley and "Then I made it just a bit curved.... then I would...." to be honest he is an excellent drawer, but he is terrible at explaining the why. And he might know it, even if it is just subconscious. Sycra is a very good example, because he also teaches the why.

Good books are amazing at explaining the why. Or at least make you aware of certain things.

But you are right you don't need books, to learn something but it's like you would reinvent the wheel. Not directly for drawing, because you see something that already exist and you learn automatically, every time when you see a illustration. So it's a lie that you never learned from anywhere else. You could say something like that if you were completely isolated from all influences and then should develop your own style. Today there are so many influences around us through ads, magazines, shows, illustrations so that we pick automatically something we like and then it slips automatically into our style.

ShiroiAkuma Feb 2, 2014 (Updated Feb 2, 2014)

You made my day. That is actually very funny.
PS: Edited title. But now it does still not make any sense.

ShiroiAkuma Feb 11, 2014 (Updated Feb 11, 2014)

No not all of them. But some of them.
Nein kein Japanisch gelernt, kann nur ein wenig. Einige Übersetzungen habe ich durch Recherche erreicht, andere kannte ich bereits. Ich kenne mich mehr bei Worten aus die mich interessieren. Vielleicht noch ein paar Zahlen oder Grußformeln. Der VHS (Volkshochschul)-Kurs Japanisch ist leider schon wieder vorbei.

Meistens nutze ich Japanisch nur wenn ich gewisse Dinge zensieren will. Wenn ich mit Japanern oder Chinesen schreibe (z.B. auf Pixiv/Twitter) dann nehme ich einen Übersetzer, schreibe dann aber auch hin das ich einen benutze und schreibe selbigen übersetzen Text unübersetzt und in Englisch dazu.

Ich habe nur die How to Draw Manga Reihe, How to Draw Maids & Miko (sehr gut für Kleidung), Manga Anatomy from DLSite (ist allerdings auf Japanisch).

Wenn ich dir eines Empfehlen dürfte: Ausdrucksstarke Skizzen im Manga damit sollten Anfänger anfangen.

Yeah Sycra, TheJettyJetShow are really good explaing why things are as they are. Sadly Even Crilleys Book is not good for explainig the why. I don't have problems with this kind anymore, but beginners still need to learn foundations and he don't explain anyones, but that's why they are called Mastering Manga. So he is more for advanced people.