Notes on drawing human figures
Learning how to draw a body with the proper proportions is probably a good place to start. Granted, anime bodies don't always have the same proportions as real bodies, but you have to start somewhere. Life-drawing classes are probably the most obvious way to do this, but not everyone has access to them (or the patience to sit through them- they're boring as dirt). There are several good books on the subject that you can use for a starting point. Most art-supply stores or college bookstores will have them.
But just in case you're as lazy as I am and don't want to go to the bookstore, here are some basics:
A common tendency when drawing a figure, especially an animated figure, is to draw from the outside in, i.e. to start with the outlines and work from there. However, you'll find that it's much easier to get a good result if you work from the inside out. Start with a framework, and add the outlines to it.
One of the framework systems I was taught has the body's three major masses- the head, ribcage and pelvis- represented by boxes. The body is about 7 times the height of the head, with the midpoint about where the legs meet the hips. Like one my teachers kept telling us, "Heads are small, legs are long." Except in anime, where heads are big and legs are longER :). The spine curves in the S-shape, with the pelvis tilted forward and the ribcage tilted backward. Arms come to just below the midpoint, with the wrists lining up with the midpoint almost exactly.
Personally, I could never quite "see" the boxes when drawing real people, so I liked to start with sort of a sketched skeleton instead. Trying to figure out the position of the boxes can get somewhat unwieldy when drawing from life, but it's extremely helpful when drawing from your head.
And now some notes on drawing heads. A head is like a sphere, with the lower jaw hanging down from it. Eyes and ears are at the same level, and the midline. Remember, foreheads are ALWAYS bigger than you think they are.
It's much easier to draw the head before the hair than vice versa.
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