The background drawing problem — solved
Drawing perspective backgrounds in manga is one of the most time-consuming parts of traditional production. Constructing a perspective grid from scratch — locating the vanishing point, drawing the guide lines, then inking over them — breaks the flow of a session and takes significantly longer than the final inked result will suggest. The Pers Navi template set solves this by providing pre-printed guide lines at B4 scale, which is the standard size of professional manga manuscript paper. Place the template on a lightbox, lay your manuscript paper on top, and the perspective lines show through as a guide to ink over directly. The two templates cover one-point and two-point perspective separately; overlaid, they create a three-point perspective guide.
Professional tool, almost unavailable in UK retail
IC Comic tools are distributed primarily in Japan and the US through JetPens. UK manga artists who know about the Pers Navi have been importing it individually — often waiting weeks and paying import duty on a small purchase. Inkwell is one of the very few UK stockists.
Honest Note:
Who is it For?
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUSTIONS (FAQ)
Do I need a lightbox to use the Pers Navi?
Yes. The templates are transparent and designed to sit under your manuscript paper on a lightbox. Without a lightbox the guide lines won't show through the paper. A basic LED lightbox (A3 size to accommodate B4 paper) is sufficient.
The instruction booklet is in Japanese — can I still use this?
Yes. The diagrams in the booklet are clear enough to follow without reading Japanese, and perspective drawing principles are straightforward once you understand which template covers which point system. The one-point template is for linear motion depth; the two-point is for architectural corners and three-quarter views; the combined overlay is for dramatic angles.
Can this be used with A4 manuscript paper?
The templates are B4 JIS size. A4 is smaller than B4, so A4 paper will fit within the template area and can be used with it, though you will not be using the full template area.