College...

[ICE-rocks]

Hello.

Didn't know exactly where to post this so, please don't get mad

anyway, I was thinking. in about 2 years I'm going to college but... we'll I want to become a really good Anime/Manga artist and hopefully publish my Ideas on Zondervan (since they started making christian Manga) But. does anyone know of a spacific college that has an art class only about how to draw anime/manga. or am I out of luck here in the us.

thanks.
Ice-rocks(fire rocks to)

[Puguni]

Actually, I think an art class that specifically studies anatomy and the human figure will be more beneficial to you now. I don't know how good you are, but you can never be too careful about anatomy.

You don't know how many times I've been turned off by an anime/manga just because the exaggerations of the anatomy is so mind numbingly terrible.

Besides, with a good sense of realism under your belt, you can emulate the artists you admire and formulate your own style in the process. Meanwhile, you just have to keep practicing over and over.

Also, a good class on making inanimate objects or backgrounds is great too. You can't have awesome looking anime characters with a crappy background in manga. It takes away from the experience. Some mangakas have lackeys to help make backgrounds, but since you are in America, you're going to have to learn it all by yourself.

You'd be surprised at how the basics will help you get better at drawing manga/anime.

But if you're dead set on having a manga/anime class, you should buy a Japanese language book. They have rigorous courses in Japan for aspiring mangakas.

[ChristianKitsune]

If i were you I would be sure that this is what God really wants you to do.. too many times I see so many people who say, "I WANNA BE A CHRISTIAN MANGA KAAAA!!" And sometimes God's idea for you is very different. You might want to continue to pray about it just to make sure. Like you said, you still have two years until college, I suggest practicing as much anatomy as you can, getting deeper in God's word, and LISTENing to Him. You never know he might have something else in mind...

For, me, I feel it's possible, because God has opened the doors a bit. But things could still change, so for now I am taking art classes, and gaining basic knowledge I know I will need to prepare myself for such a career. I still have one more year of community college left before I move on. ^^;

Also when writing Christian Manga, I think it's important that the upcoming christian authors find more original stories to give to our audience. Stories that will reach both Christian and non Christians alike..:3

To answer your question, however, I believe there is one Art school on the east Coast called SCAD, I can't remember what it stands for but it's out of Atlanta Georgia. I believe there are two of these schools in the country, but I believe they are all on the east coast and very expensive.

[ICE-rocks]

Your both right about anatomy. thats the one thing I'm having trouble with (taking a character and moving it in another way without making it look sloppy.)
Backrounds I'm afraid to even try to draw them. we'll have to learn someday.

and yeah I want to try and reach non chrristians also (the story I have in mind might do the trick) I just feel like God wants me to make this. everything that I've been trying to do (or have done) has fallen into place perfectly.

We'll thank you both. I'll check out the one college... hope its not to expensive.

Ice-rocks.

[Radical Dreamer]

To answer your question, however, I believe there is one Art school on the east Coast called SCAD, I can't remember what it stands for but it's out of Atlanta Georgia. I believe there are two of these schools in the country, but I believe they are all on the east coast and very expensive.

Yeah, SCAD's (Savannah College of Art and Design) an incredibly good art school that I've looked into. It's got wonderful art majors and minors that range from illustration to animation to graphic design, etc. The downside? It's SUUUPER expensive, so if you want to look into transferring there, ICE-rocks, look at scholarships, loans, financial aid, scholarships, and scholarships. XDD It would be my first choice for a college if it didn't cost so much. XD

[Lady Macbeth]

I would be hard pressed to suggest a college that has courses only in anime and manga, as the style and techniques you're looking to draw from originated in Japan.

If that is the direction you're looking to go, however, I recommend a solid foundation in studio art and then completing a graphic design major. You'll find that animation and comic book art are two separate creatures, even though the beginning stages of each are similar - basic design, storyboarding, etc. That's why it's rare to find, even in Japan, anime series that are drawn by the artist of the original manga. More often, the basic premise and general designs are co-opted by a studio of artists for the animation.

The studio art portion of my major (Art Therapy) requires the following courses (which are standard for many studio art based majors):

3 Credits Art History/Criticism/Appreciation (There's a wide variety of courses that apply to this section; Black Art, Ancient to Medieval, Renaissance, Modern, etc.)
3 Credits Aesthetic Experience (These are generally "Art 101" courses that let you dabble in a lot of things.)
9 Credits Art Foundation (2-D Design, 3-D Design and one (1) of your choice from Drawing, Art History Survey: Renaissance to Modern Art, Modern Art, Art Seminar
9 Credits Studio Art (Development of a 'portfolio' showing proficiency in painting, drawing, and 3-D media is required for most majors.)

Most art students also have to put together both a Sophomore and Senior Review and a Senior Exhibition, in addition to their portfolio review.

If you take a studio class like Drawing, normally there's less emphasis on comic-style drawing and more emphasis on drawing from life and from still life. Our class alternates between three clothed models and a nude model, and I'm a nude model for a different Drawing class. Especially at the lower level courses (100-200-300), emphasis is placed on developing technique, learning use of space, light and dark, etc. There's also usually an attempt to integrate learning other materials - moving away from strictly pencils or ink pens and also using charcoal, various pastels, washes, etc.

Once you have the foundation down, then you can look at fine-tuning your own art for using in comics and possibly look at a graphic design or animation major, whichever seems to interest you more.

I hope that gives you some ideas for what to look at when exploring colleges!

[Dante]

Ok, so I know an art-major at ASU, we met way back when I was studying color at the Community College Level (I have an Associates in Applied Science in Computer Animation besides my B.S. degree in Physics). What I've noticed about ASU is that... they happen to be on the excessive side in their course load. You do nothing but the said subject everyday for four years with absolutely nothing else... draw draw draw draw... It would drive me crazy in physics and animation, my friend has gotten five tons of "draw draw draw" jammed down his throat, and I've gotten five tons of "physics physics physics" shoved down mine... I didn't really like this, mind you, as all the work didn't give me enough time to absorb what I wanted to really learn out of the classes.

I disagree with Puguni, anatomy wouldn't be what I would encourage you to study. No, I would encourage you to study grammar and spelling a bit more. On the other hand, if you’re in the mood to draw, I also wouldn’t suggest pulling out an orange, a pear and a vase to torment yourself with still-lifes… Other then simply being a great form of basic practice with the pencil, they are hardly ever memorable, and some of the most boring things in the universe to draw. (You may actually kill your love of drawing with them)

Instead, my advice would be to avoid all those hefty college payments for now and grab all the free tutorials you can and observe as many beautiful art pieces as well, to begin to feel out exactly what acts as a “hookâ€

[Etoh*the*Greato]

You can develop the anime style yourself, but if you want any career at all in graphic design you're going to need a really solid foundation in drawing in general. Just seek a normal art degree. Grapbic Design, drawing, etc. That will be far more valuable to your practice than something that specializes specifically in Anime and Manga.

[Puguni]

I disagree with Puguni, anatomy wouldn't be what I would encourage you to study. No, I would encourage you to study grammar and spelling a bit more. On the other hand, if you’re in the mood to draw, I also wouldn’t suggest pulling out an orange, a pear and a vase to torment yourself with still-lifes… Other then simply being a great form of basic practice with the pencil, they are hardly ever memorable, and some of the most boring things in the universe to draw. (You may actually kill your love of drawing with them)

Yes, because having great grammar is much better than nearly anatomically correct art. You don't write speeches in manga]Wow![/B] Their art may be utter crap and unrealistic, but at least the grammar and spelling are spot on, eh?

People don't realize that making a manga isn't all about the characters. You have to learn to make trees and bushes and oranges and pears and vases. Can you imagine your favorite anime having great looking characters but everything around them is poorly drawn?

"What," a reader may ask if the above were the case, "Is that thing that Naruto holding? Is it a diseased dog, or a mangled piece of fruit?" You get confused easily and it takes away from the experience.

Grammar and spelling are important, but face it, we've all been learning that since day one. Anatomy is much much harder to hone.

[Radical Dreamer]

Yes, because having great grammar is much better than nearly anatomically correct art. You don't write speeches in manga]Wow![/B] Their art may be utter crap and unrealistic, but at least the grammar and spelling are spot on, eh?

People don't realize that making a manga isn't all about the characters. You have to learn to make trees and bushes and oranges and pears and vases. Can you imagine your favorite anime having great looking characters but everything around them is poorly drawn?

"What," a reader may ask if the above were the case, "Is that thing that Naruto holding? Is it a diseased dog, or a mangled piece of fruit?" You get confused easily and it takes away from the experience.

Grammar and spelling are important, but face it, we've all been learning that since day one. Anatomy is much much harder to hone.

QFT. As much as I love correct spelling and grammar, and as important as I think it is in a good manga (who wants to read something where the bubble words all use internet slang? Scary.), I'd definitely say that, in regards to manga, the art is very important. There are cases where I've simply put a manga back on the bookstore shelf because the art is just too atrocious and hard to follow. If you're writing a novel, yes, your grammar and spelling needs to be spotless, since the story is all contained in those words. But in manga, words and pictures share the storyline, so it's important to be equally adept in making both of them.

And unless you're going to have a studio help you with backgrounds and screentones, then it's definitely important to know how to draw inanimate objects, just as it's important to know how to draw people. Heck, even if you're not gonna have assistants, it's still important to know how to go about drawing more than just people. XD I admit that I really hate still-lifes, but they're a necessary factor when it comes to drawing things correctly. *nodnod*

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Thus, as an artist, you’re best hope of a job is either in teaching students at some level (if your lucky you can get tenure at a college) or you will likely work outside of art or (once again with luck and only if you’re really good) as a graphic designer to sell products for companies.

Very very very true. My sister majored in Fine Arts at MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art, arguably one of the best Art schools in the nation. It's ranked in the top four), only to end up working as a loan officer. She's currently an intern at a private school to teach elementary-grade education.

So yeah, her degree basically did nothing for her economic-wise.

[Dante]

My comment on spelling and grammar had less to do with art and more to do with what would better suit him in life. In other words, I was saying: It would serve you better in life to improve your grammar abilities at this point more than it would to increase your artistic talent. Artists are not exempt from English classes in college, thus the point made on grammar. Mind you, in manga it might actually serve him better to have bad grammar, consider what it did for Zero Wing (Just teasing).

Concerning still life drawings, they are there to give you experience with shadows, the way cloth naturally folds, ect. However, other than an exercise, they are hardly exciting and I can’t say I took a great deal away from doing them. In my art class we had a finite selection of incredibly dull things available for drawing, various animal skulls, green glass vases, mechanical gadgets and God only knows how many shoes of every style. These were set on a table, the lights were turned off, we took up our oversized pad of paper, and some spot-lights were placed on them to create interesting shadows… mind you, the most interesting thing about the piece was merely the shadows…

We worked with charcoal and other various media, but mechanical pencils were forbidden as my teachers loathed them! Today I only use mechanical pencils and my computer… Other art supplies can tend to be rather expensive and once again, I can’t really say they add much in the technological art studio. Overall, there is a certain truth in the fact that any artist should not only be able to draw humans but any number of things. However, you are far more versatile in my opinion if you can draw a world from your imagination rather than from reality. Both of course make use of the same standard hand-eye coordination and skills, however, the one takes it’s source from reality, and the other takes it’s source from the mind. Which is a more interesting Manga, one in which Naruto is holding a mangled piece of fruit or a diseased dog, or one in which he is holding something unfamiliar to our reality, a strange geometry that simply holds the essence of a fruit (but is entirely foreign to our knowledge) or a new species of animal all together? Reality exists, but artists are far more than rendering copy machines, we are masters of the right side of the brain, and the forge-masters of creativity. Reality is the banal world we are trying to escape from in a manga, not what we are trying to return to. In the end, unless your drawings can take the viewer to a world they’ve never been to before, don’t bother asking them if they want to go.

Pascal

[ICE-rocks]

... (falls out of chair after reading) so... in the end your all saying what exactly?

1. I should have good grammar in my comics
2. college may or may not be a good thing
3. I should be my own boss and start my own company (which me and my friends think we should do)

so stop me if I am wrong. I just need a balance between grammar and art.
I didn't think Making a Manga series would be this complicated.

[Dante]

No, you can't just go and start your own company. I mean, it's fun to dream of those things as a kid, but it never ends up working and can break up good friendships over really silly silly disputes. I'm thinking more along the lines of "draw because you want to, but don't expect any income from it because the world doesn't appreciate artists these days." Also, in reguards to 2, college is great thing, but don't gain yourself a massive debt just to learn how to draw, you should consider other degrees that are more likely to produce a career at the end instead of art (not a lot in the artist job market, and media design is a high pressure enviroment). Finally, as a general statement of life, don't play other people's games, like in chess, you must play your own game and make them play yours. Finally, nothing is simple and all is complicated... that's just the playing field we live in.

[Lady Macbeth]

Which is why I always recommend Liberal Arts colleges to students rather than a focused college or a trade school of any sort. No one knows when they're 18 what they want to do for the rest of their life. Of those who think they do, half will end up getting a degree, working a year in the field, and then realize that they hate it.

Liberal Arts colleges start you out with your "core requirements" from a broad range of topics - everything from Phy. Ed. to Anthropology. English 101 and 102 are a staple, as is some sort of basic Math that takes the student through at least Algebra. At least one 100-level Physical Science course and a 100-level Communicating Arts (usually Speech) course are also often required as "core requirements." These "core requirements" are in place to not only make sure the student has basic skills to function in the workplace, but to also offer a sampling of a wide variety of disciplines. They help the students narrow down what they enjoy studying and what they don't to help them make better selections in choosing a major.

The only good thing that came out of my degree from Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College was my husband - I met him while I was going to school there. I got my degree in Computer Information Systems that ended up being virtually worthless and they pushed me out the door in exactly two years. I've gotten a much richer educational experience and a lot more skills for the work place from the University of Wisconsin.