“Do you struggle with drawing anime characters that look right? Are your proportions off, or do your eyes lack that expressive charm?”
How to Draw Anime and Manga is a comprehensive subscription-based online course designed for aspiring manga and anime illustrators. Whether you are a complete beginner or have some experience, this course serves as a detailed guide to mastering Japanese manga-style illustration.
The lessons cover professional techniques used by real illustrators in the industry, ensuring that students gain practical, high-quality skills. Additionally, enrolled students can receive unlimited personal feedback and advice from professionals in the comments section, helping them make rapid progress.
Table of Contents
Features
This course offers a structured learning experience, starting from basic techniques and progressing to advanced professional methods. Some of its standout features include:
Beginner to Advanced Mastery:
The course is designed to suit all skill levels, guiding students from foundational drawing techniques to advanced anime and manga artistry.
Textbook Format Bursting with Knowledge
- The lessons are structured like a textbook, offering deep insights into various art techniques used in the anime and manga industry.
Concise Lessons with Maximum Impact
- Lessons are short, to the point, and information-packed, making it easy for students to grasp concepts quickly and see visible improvements in a short time.
Self-Study Champion
- This course is ideal for independent learners who are self-motivated and disciplined, as assignments and self-paced learning are key components of progress.
Professional Techniques
- Students will learn both traditional and digital techniques, covering:
- Basic Drawing: Character faces, angles, and anatomy
- Advanced Skills: Posing, composition, perspective, and special effects
- Manga Creation: Sketching, paneling, digital coloring, and comic strip design
Pros & Cons
Pros:
✅ Comprehensive Learning: Covers everything from beginner to advanced techniques
✅ Real Industry Techniques: Learn from professional illustrators
✅ Personal Feedback: Unlimited guidance in the comments section
✅ Flexible Learning: Self-paced lessons for easy progress
✅ Digital & Traditional Art Focus: Includes both hand-drawn and digital methods
Cons:
❌ Requires Self-Discipline: No strict deadlines, so self-motivation is necessary
❌ Subscription-Based Cost: $47 per month, which may not be affordable for all
❌ No Live Classes: Learning is pre-recorded, so real-time interaction is limited
Personal Experience
As someone passionate about anime and manga illustration, I found this course extremely valuable. The structured lessons helped me go from sketching basic characters to creating well-composed, colored, and shaded illustrations.
The best part? The personal feedback from professionals really made a difference in my learning curve. The step-by-step approach ensures you don’t feel overwhelmed, even when tackling advanced techniques like background design, digital coloring, and comic strip composition.
If you’re serious about improving your anime and manga drawing skills, this course is worth considering.
Pricing
The How to Draw Anime and Manga course is available on a subscription basis for $47 per month. Considering the depth of knowledge and professional feedback, this price is reasonable for aspiring artists looking to enhance their skills in a structured and efficient way.
Alternatives
While How to Draw Anime and Manga is a fantastic course, there are other alternatives that aspiring artists might find useful. Some popular alternatives include:
If you prefer structured learning with personalized feedback, How to Draw Anime and Manga remains an excellent choice. However, if you’re on a budget or prefer different teaching styles, these alternatives are worth exploring.
These topics will further enhance your knowledge and help you develop a well-rounded skill set in anime and manga illustration.
How to Draw Anime and Manga is a comprehensive, structured course designed for both beginners and advanced learners. It covers everything from basic character sketches to professional-level techniques, all with personal feedback from industry professionals.
While the $47/month subscription model may not be ideal for everyone, the depth of knowledge, personalized guidance, and structured lessons make it a great investment for those serious about mastering anime and manga illustration.
If you’re passionate about drawing and want to level up your anime/manga skills, this course is one of the best options available. However, there are free and alternative courses for those looking for more flexibility.
Course Description
This standalone course includes a full series of character illustration lectures taken from our super popular subscription course “How To Draw Anime and Manga”.
From beginners who have never drawn a full character illustration before, to artists who are already confident in their drawing ability, the content in this course is suitable for all levels.
For the best results and progress, we suggest subscribing to our monthly course and studying at our recommended pace, but we have seen that some students like to work at their own pace, without having to wait for the next lessons to be released every month. We understand drawing anime character that each of our students has different needs, so we’ve created these Lesson Packs to allow for more freedom in your study routine!
All students who have purchased this course will also have access to the comments section in each lecture page, where they are free to post any questions they have about the lesson, or even post pictures of their own work. There our professional Japanese lecturers will answer your questions, and give you personal advice and feedback!
Course Contents
This course teaches the foundations of manga illustration, with a focus on drawing characters in anime style.
1. The basics of character illustration. We study all the basic techniques necessary to draw the human body and face in anime style. We’re going to learn how to get better at drawing anime characters!
2. Drawing individual facial features correctly, and using them to give characters a sense of presence and individuality.
3. The difference in technique for drawing male and female characters, and how to bring our characters to life with the use of different poses and clothing. Focus on keeping characters balanced and natural-looking.
Course Description
This standalone course includes a full series of advanced illustration lectures taken from our super popular subscription course “How To Draw Anime and Manga”. It includes lectures on colouring and background design, as well as lectures focusing on little-known techniques our lecturers have learnt from years of experience in the Japanese anime and manga industry. We recommend that you first complete “How to Draw Anime and Manga: Lesson Pack 1”, or at least have a certain level of confidence in your character drawing abilities before beginning this course.
For the best results and progress, we suggest subscribing to our monthly course and studying at our recommended pace, but we have received feedback from some of our students who would prefer to work at their own pace, without having to wait for the next lessons to be released every month. We understand that each of our students has different needs, so we’ve created these lesson sets to allow for more freedom in your study routine!
All students who have purchased this course will also have access to the comments section in each lecture page, where they are free to post any questions they have about the lesson, or even post pictures of their own work. There our professional Japanese lecturers will answer your questions, and give you personal advice and feedback
Course Contents
1. How to shade and colour in anime style. Where to draw shadows to give your work depth, how best to colour eyes to make them pop, and where to add gradient for an extra professional touch.
2. The most popular style of colouring in today’s anime industry – gradient colouring. Learn how to shade and colour using gradients, how to combine and layer different colours, and how to add realistic highlights.
3. Using backgrounds to give atmosphere to your work. Learn about how to draw different backgrounds, and use perspective to create realistic scenes.
4. Taking your work to the next level! We look back at some of the areas we studied in past lessons, and use some simple yet effective techniques to give our illustrations an extra professional touch. From drawing to colouring and composition, these lessons will introduce you to all kinds of techniques used by professional illustrators in Japan.
For a rundown of all individual lesson topics and content, please check the “course curriculum” below!
Course Description
This standalone course includes a full series of advanced illustration lectures taken from our super popular subscription course “How To Draw Anime and Manga”. The lesson pack includes lectures on modern character illustration, digital colouring, manga creation, and much more! As always, our lessons focus on little-known techniques our lecturers have learnt from years of experience in the Japanese anime and manga industry.
This is the 3rd in our standalone lesson pack series, and we recommend that you first complete both Pack 1 and Pack 2 before beginning this lesson pack.
For the best results and progress, we suggest subscribing to our monthly course and studying at our recommended pace, but we have seen that some students like to work at their own pace, without having to wait for the next lessons to be released every month. We understand that each of our students has different needs, so we’ve created these Lesson Packs to allow for more freedom in your study routine!
All students who have purchased this course will also have access to the comments section in each lecture page, where they are free to post any questions they have about the lesson, or even post pictures of their own work. There our professional Japanese lecturers will answer your questions, and give you personal advice and feedback!
Course Contents
1. In the Digital Colouring lessons, we’ll be using Clip Studio Paint Pro to study how to colour digitally on a computer or tablet! We’ve adapted the lessons to fit all different digital illustration software, so even if you don’t have Clip Studio, you’ll be able to follow along and learn super helpful tips for your software of choice!
2. We’ll be looking at how to draw faces and expressions using the most popular art styles and techniques in the industry today. As well as learning how to draw all kinds of anime classics – including school uniforms, maid outfits, and “chibi” characters!
3. Learning how to create beautiful backgrounds that help your characters stand out.
4. In our highly requested Manga Illustration mini course, we’ll be looking at the whole process that Japanese professionals go through when creating manga comics. From planning the story, all the way through to illustrating and printing your work.
5. How to take on and complete commissions. A big part of many pro illustrators’ careers is taking on and carrying out job requests. We’ll be going through the process step by step, so you’re ready to take on commissions of your own!
6. Taking your work to the next level! We look back at some of the areas we studied in past lessons, and use some simple yet effective techniques to give our illustrations an extra professional touch. From drawing to colouring and composition, these lessons will introduce you to all kinds of techniques used by professional illustrators in Japan.
This is a lesson set, so you will gain permanent access to all lessons with a single, one-off payment!
In this course, our pro manga-ka will correct real student artwork, providing valuable insights and techniques.
Watch the entire correction process as our manga artist explains the necessary adjustments and the techniques used. We stay faithful to each student’s unique style, offering a diverse range of manga art to study.
Our structured subscription course and lesson sets 1-3 follow a “textbook” style curriculum, while this 4th set of lessons offers a practical approach. See professional manga artists apply the techniques learned to illustrate and correct artwork. Gain insight into the working methods of professionals and learn where and how to make improvements in your own manga art.
Lesson sets 1-3 serve as a comprehensive textbook, teaching essential skills, while the 4th set offers a practical application of those skills by allowing you to observe professionals in action. Each lesson focuses on a different skill, allowing you to continuously develop new abilities.
Themes covered include: shading hair, drawing accurate clothes, colour schemes, balanced anatomy, natural composition, and facial expressions.
Unlock your potential and improve your anime and manga drawings with these valuable lessons!
Check out the before/after illustrations below, showcasing the incredible manga artwork featured in our lessons!
Is this lesson set for me?
If any of the following points resonate with you, then this course at Anime Art Academy might just be the perfect fit for your artistic aspirations:
Building Confidence: You’re not a beginner, but you still have doubts about your artistic abilities. This course is designed to help you bridge that gap and gain the confidence you need to take your art to the next level.
Unveiling Pro Techniques: You’re intrigued by the transformation that occurs when a good artwork is taken to new heights by a professional artist. This course will unveil the secrets behind those artistic enhancements, allowing you to witness firsthand how professionals elevate their work.
Perfecting the Finishing Touches: You have a solid foundation in drawing, but sometimes your finished pieces lack that certain something. You’re unsure what needs to be fixed or improved. In this course, you’ll uncover the nuances and techniques that can turn a good artwork into an outstanding masterpiece.
Pro Artists in Action: You want to see professional artists in action, actually drawing and demonstrating their expertise. This course offers you the opportunity to observe and learn from pro artists as they showcase advanced techniques such as clean linework, professional colouring, and other essential skills.
Mastering Anime Art: Your goal is to become proficient in drawing beautiful anime characters, and you want to learn the secrets to achieve that level of skill. This course will guide you on your journey, providing insights and techniques to help you sketch amazing anime characters and bring them to life.
What topics will we study in the course?
- Character depiction: how to make clothes and hair fit with personality
- How to make individual characters that stand in your scene
- Using a character’s silhouette to make them recognisable
- Light sources: working on colouring and using light sources for an effective finish
- How to make composition fit with the theme of a piece
- Drawing realistic clothing with effective use of references
- Creating a professional finish in a black and white piece
- Drawing and balancing the face
- How to draw the eye to the parts you want viewers to focus on
- Bringing out dimension in a close-up portrait
- Making art look like an “anime scene”
- Using dramatic angles to create dynamic scenes
For a rundown of all individual lesson topics and content, please check the “course curriculum” below!
Learn how to draw anime characters at your own pace!
This course grants lifetime access to the lessons , so you can take your time, and learn at your own pace.
There is no “sign up period” or “school term” that all students must stick to. Join whenever you want, and study whenever you have the time! Perfect for students who want complete freedom in their study schedule.
Once you have purchased this pack of lessons, there will be no further payments to be made. You can watch the lessons as many times as you want, and enjoy unlimited access to the comments section of the lectures to get advice from the teachers.
The Illustrator Mind is a deep dive into the mindset, creativity, and discipline that drive successful illustrators. This book explores the habits, thought processes, and artistic philosophies that shape an illustrator’s journey, helping artists unlock their full potential. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned illustrator, The Illustrator Mind will inspire you to refine your craft, overcome creative blocks, and develop a strong artistic vision.
