Have you noticed that you cannot switch on a single animation channel in existence without catching a snippet of at least one anime cartoon series? That is how popular this form of animation is. Interestingly, this style of animation (that we are so familiar with today) was developed only about forty years ago. However, the earliest anime clip in existence can, in fact, be traced back to the year 1917, when a two-minute clip was created in Japan―the birthplace of anime. While for the longest span of time the use of anime was limited to animating cartoons, today, the use is widespread in mediums such as video games and movies. No longer is anime considered a simple form of animation. It is now well worthy of being titled an art form with styles varying according to the preference of the animator or the artist. In today's times, it is very easy to learn to draw anime characters, more so because it is simple to create one's own anime character online with the help of the numerous dedicated websites. While there are limitations to these websites because of the fixed number of modifications that you can make to the anime character, the fact remains that these websites can be the perfect start to fuel your new found interest in anime art. In the following sections of this Buzzle article, we will provide you with a few details of what it takes to create your own anime character, as well as a list of dedicated websites that help you with this task. Before learning how to draw your own anime character, there are some very important things that every aspiring anime artist should keep in mind, especially if one is insistent about creating the anime character from scratch. While it is possible to first draw a rough sketch of the anime character you want to create, most tutorials that give you instructions for making anime characters will tell you how it is much easier to do so online. There are several dedicated websites that provide varied types of templates that can give someone new to anime art an insight into what the look of a character should be like. Also, it allows you the opportunity to share your creation with many other enthusiasts who can critique your work for you and help you improve upon your creation. It will help immensely to use these websites to practice creating your own anime character online for free. After creating the character, and once you have perfected your basics of anime art, you can move on to creating your characters from scratch with the help of different graphic design software. You could also create your own website to display the different anime characters that you have designed. There are several website hosting services that allow you to create websites that host computer animations. If you get a positive feedback, you could also offer to give out drawing lessons and tips on making anime characters. Other ways to share your creations is to put up your work on websites like Facebook or MySpace. While you can always create these characters for your own enjoyment, you can get more feedback by joining anime groups, uploading your drawings, and sharing them with others. The following is a list of some websites that help in creating anime characters online. ► Avatar ► Anime Character Maker ► Create Anime Character ► Weeworld Now that you know the basics of creating your own anime character online, you can use these tips and tricks to create a whole anime series. You never know when your idea may work and how popular your art may become.