Manga style for the serious artist.

[Rivana]

If I were you, I'd think of it this way:

Treat Art Schools/Programs like any other curriculum. You don't really have a 'choice' on the matter. You go through College for training in your selected field but it doesn't mean that you will do what you like to do while you're at it.

Take for instance my major: Computer Science.

Reason I took it: I love video games. I wanted to be a video game programmer someday.


4 years, not a single time was I asked/told to code video games. I went through the flow learning various theories and programming languages that none of them I am going to use in the real field. I did them anyway because it taught me about discipline more than anything.

I graduated with flying colors, got a job blah blah.

Guess what, I am still not coding video games but that is fine because now that I think of it, I wouldn't want to delve into that field for coding. I actually would rather be a video game concept artist.

TL:DR- Don't let this get you down. Schools prepare you for the path you choose. Learn what you can, expand your horizons even though it's not something that you initially wanted. And you never know that later on you'll discover that you wanted something different after all.

Besides, nothing stops you from drawing manga in your sparetime (you'd probably find a unique personal style too because of the various techniques you learned from school). Just don't show it as school material.

Btw, I never took any art classes but either way, I hope my insights were somewhat helpful

[Asj]

I think of manga/anime as close to realism. Most semi-realistic stuff I see, I think of as an anime style.
I just don't like this new thing of "draw the worst thing possible" that I see on TV all the time now. The American shows that aired before all the anime was anime-ish. If the first known anime I'd seen didn't use the heart heads, I wouldn't have noticed it was different (I might've even watched anime before then and didn't realize it).
I'm not that great at drawing, but I like seeing interesting, realistic stuff (and want to learn to draw that way). I don't find old paintings interesting enough, so I like the anime style more. I think I'll always like it, even if people run it to the ground.

[xkrazydog]

I'm in my last year of art school too, and from the looks of it 99% of the artists that use to draw in a manga style all dropped it. Most turning into realism or Marvel and DC style. Which is kind of a bummer, i'm one of the last of my kind.
But i think many of us have the advantage that we GREW UP with this style and so it integrated with our art far more seamlessly than the artists of 8-10 years ago. Even though it was a huge Manga Boom way back then, it deflated quickly because these styles were contrived, forced, and looked fake. They didn't develop it as well as they use to. and No one said it wont ever go anywhere. My professor: Becky Cloonan is a prime example. Her earlier work was very manga influenced but it slowly evolved into something far better but keeps that manga aesthetic even if its anything but.

In the end, good art is good art despite the preference and there will always be a niche somewhere for it. You just have to keep at it, refine it, and move forward, as well as be open to incoming influences for it to be better. Manga style should also not be an excuse to skimp out on developing technical skills and experimentation.

[Vitotamito]

I love how people praise Marvel/DC style comics as being more mature than other forms of comics, when you can barely get through one without voluptuous women flaunting their stuff EVERYWHERE.



Really mature, America.

[xkrazydog]

I love how people praise Marvel/DC style comics as being more mature than other forms of comics, when you can barely get through one without voluptuous women flaunting their stuff EVERYWHERE.



Really mature, America.

Power girl. Nuff said.

[Vitotamito]

THANK YOU. Point doubly proven.

[Antitime]

lately I've been heading down an experimental route with my style. I would still call it manga-inspired, but I'm taking what my professors say into account and I'm actually somewhat pleased with where this is going. Thanks to everyone who encouraged me. I'm not dropping manga, but I'm letting my style take me where it wants to go.

[mossi-mo]

lately I've been heading down an experimental route with my style. I would still call it manga-inspired, but I'm taking what my professors say into account and I'm actually somewhat pleased with where this is going. Thanks to everyone who encouraged me. I'm not dropping manga, but I'm letting my style take me where it wants to go.

Way to go! I think a lot of artists are branching out of solid manga/solid western/comedy cartoon into a sorta, personalized, experimental-type style that doesn't fit into any of the current major styles. It's kinda a movement all its own. It could be called "indie" or something (*Puts on hipster glasses*). Of course there are influences of all sorts in the comics, but they wouldn't fit solidly into any of the major genres.

Anyhow, I'm glad you're stickin' to it. You're great as it is.

[Tohru-of-Marshmello]

lately I've been heading down an experimental route with my style. I would still call it manga-inspired, but I'm taking what my professors say into account and I'm actually somewhat pleased with where this is going. Thanks to everyone who encouraged me. I'm not dropping manga, but I'm letting my style take me where it wants to go.

*thumbs up* =]

[Abrahamian]

Experimentation with one's own 'style', I find, is quite fun

[Vitotamito]

lately I've been heading down an experimental route with my style. I would still call it manga-inspired, but I'm taking what my professors say into account and I'm actually somewhat pleased with where this is going. Thanks to everyone who encouraged me. I'm not dropping manga, but I'm letting my style take me where it wants to go.

Way to go! I think a lot of artists are branching out of solid manga/solid western/comedy cartoon into a sorta, personalized, experimental-type style that doesn't fit into any of the current major styles. It's kinda a movement all its own. It could be called "indie" or something (*Puts on hipster glasses*). Of course there are influences of all sorts in the comics, but they wouldn't fit solidly into any of the major genres.

Anyhow, I'm glad you're stickin' to it. You're great as it is.

Spoiler! :

I liked Antitime's art style BEFORE it sold out and went Western.

[Antitime]

psh.
I liked Antitime's style before she had a style.

Spoiler! :

[mossi-mo]

MAn, that's so underground and vintage or... something. Deep.

[Sorrows Neptune]

who obviously couldn't make a living at their art, that's why they teach

By that logic, than a teacher for brain surgery wouldn't be fit to perform brain surgery him/herself.

Okay, so art and brain surgery are two completely different things, but I doubt art teachers teach because their own artwork sucks.

[Thera Dratara]

Well, actually, there's a certain truth to what Wellman said. Most college and highschool level art teachers are generally artists who aren't very succesful.(Which doesn't actually mean they can't draw, it just means they aren't succesfull)

This generally leads to a huge quality difference between teachers. Some art teachers are fantastically inspiring people and they bring you to new hights. Others are batshit insane.

But though I'm not really doing art academy, I can kinda feel what antitime's saying here: It's like the first time anyone sees your pictures and they go like 'ah, so is this manga style?' or that one time I was doing some character designs for a game which were kinda anime-ish and they art-lead was going like 'yeah, these sorta okay' and I had to spend a half hour to convince him that it's infact, not an impossibility to ask me for something less generically cute.

It's kinda difficult because it's just plain rude to randomly explain the ins and outs of your style to a total stranger, yet at the same time saying 'yes, it's anime' or 'no it isn't' doesn't really fit it. In the end the best solution is just to say 'I draw pretty pictures, I aim to draw the pretiest pictures there were ever drawn, that's all there is to it' which is also sorta rude and makes it sound like you don't know even though you have been thinking about the subject longer then anyone who claims that they draw in any kind of style.