Mecha are one of the most exciting pop-icons to come from Japan in the last century. Incredibly modern yet equally retro, it’s possible to capture and represent all sorts of different styles and personalities with these oversized fighting machines. The basic premise for a mecha is that they are giant war machines ten times taller than an average man, usually piloted by a single person, although the size can vary. They are often equipped with oversized weapons, either designed to be held or concealed into the armour itself. Some mecha are capable of transformation (like the classic ’80s series Transformers). Others are capable of combining to form larger robots, such as those from Voltron or Power Rangers. They can be made to have rocket fists, flight capabilities, or anything else… Because giant robots are almost always humanoid in appearance, they’re often not as difficult to design as you might expect. It’s often worth building up the limbs as though it were an ordinary person, with a little consideration paid to whatever limitations the robot might have in terms of balance. Once your pose is decided you can build the mecha up from basic 3D shapes, which can later be elaborated upon. This tutorial will show how a mecha is sketched out and then inked, before colouring and placed into a scene.