How to Take Manga Drawing Lessons

With advanced computer technology, it has never been easier for an aspiring artist to take drawing lessons. Many manga-ka, the Japanese term for manga artists, offer drawing tutorials in the manga style on their personal websites. Some such lessons are free of charge while others charge fees for more advanced help and critiques. College art departments may offer manga drawing lessons as another option.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pencils
• Pencil sharpener
• Library card
• Course fees
• Eraser
• Drawing table or similar workspace
• Paper

1. Evaluate your purpose for drawing lessons to determine what type of lessons you want to take. If you want to learn manga for your own enrichment and have limited time and resources, a free tutorial may be the route to take.

2. Check out books about manga drawing from your local public library. This can give you some background on the art, as well as some basic lessons in drawing manga characters.

3. Call your local college or university's art department or browse a course catalog to find out whether it offers manga classes. If you are thinking about becoming a serious manga artist and do not have a background in art, you may benefit from some art and art-history classes.

4. Go to a manga conference, such as MangaNEXT, to learn about opportunities for taking drawing classes.

5. Gather the materials you will need for your drawing lessons. You will need a table large enough to hold your supplies. Purchase pencils, paper, erasers and pencil sharpeners.

6. Begin your lessons in manga drawing with an open mind. Know that for some people, drawing does not come easily, and it may take time before you are satisfied with the way your art looks. Be open to constructive criticism from your teachers.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are interested in taking online drawing courses from a reputable manga artist, do some research before signing up. Read the "bio" sections of the websites offering lessons. Look up the artist's name to see whether you can find corroboration of his credentials and samples of his work.
• Don't waste money on supplies you may not need. Wait until you get a supply list from your instructor before buying your supplies. You may find that she requires a certain brand of inking pens or a special type of eraser. You may be unable to return supplies that you have bought ahead of time if they are the wrong ones.