"Manga" is a term for someone who makes manga, namely Japanese comics. He draws characters and scenes in comics, and creates storylines. If you want to be a mangaka, you have to seek experience as an artist. Most mangaka start their career by creating their own comics, then submitting them to manga publishers and magazines.
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Method 1 of 3: Seeking Experience
Step 1. Take the appropriate major in high school
While still in school, start building artistic skills by majoring in art. Drawing and painting can help you develop your manga drawing skills. Even general art classes have the potential to help you develop your skills.
In addition, take literature classes and writing classes. As a mangaka, you will write the storyline as well. So make sure you take the time to focus on learning how to develop a story
Step 2. Find other people with similar interests
Working with other people who have similar goals can make you more excited. In addition, you can learn new skills from other people. Look for people who are interested in manga at school or in your neighborhood. You can also join an art club to help improve your skills.
- If you can't join any club, try creating your own. Others with similar interests will surely join in.
- Look for a manga class or group at your local library or through your nearest parks and recreation department.
Step 3. Consider majoring in art
Consider seeking an arts degree. Even if you don't need a degree to become a manga artist, formal education can help you acquire the professional skills you need. A bachelor's degree in fine arts is a good choice because it can help develop artistic skills. However, you can also take a more specific major. There are many universities in the United States that have comic art majors. If you want to study in Japan, you can look for a bachelor's or master's degree in manga art.
In addition, consider double majoring in literature or writing. Developing writing skills will be very useful for composing stories
Step 4. Practice drawing skills
Formal schooling improves skills, but you can also practice on your own. Just like learning an instrument, practicing your drawing skills over time can make you more proficient. Start by drawing your favorite characters or create your own comic characters and panels.
In fact, comic artists recommend that you practice every day. Make sure you spend at least an hour each day to hone your drawing skills
Step 5. Use free resources
You don't need formal education to learn from professionals. You can find many free learning resources. You can find free online classes on websites like YouTube, Coursera, and Princeton to develop your drawing skills. You can also look for study resources at your local library. Take advantage of existing resources to develop your skills.
- Don't just buy books about drawing. Look for books on how to write comic books, as well as books on writing techniques.
- If the book you want isn't in your local library, most libraries can loan you books from other libraries.
- If you want to be a mangaka, you must have an interest in the genre. Make sure you read as much manga as you can to find out what works are published. Don't just read your favorite manga over and over again. Also pay attention to manga that don't usually interest you to find out what does. Plus, diving into different genres will help you find your own style.
Method 2 of 3: Creating Your Own Manga
Step 1. Gather ideas to create a plot
Even if the storyline in the manga is visualized, you still need a plot to direct the story. Think of stories you enjoy reading, then imagine your own version of the story. Manga has a variety of stories, ranging from horror to romance. So, let your imagination fly away. The key is to think about your story all the time. If you're only looking for story ideas as you sit down and write, you're not giving your creativity enough time to build a good story.
- Try to write one idea down on a piece of paper. Develop the idea by linking it to other ideas you find.
- Another way to develop creativity is to write freely. Start imagining a word and a picture, then write something down until you find an idea you like. After that, start developing the idea.
- Choose an idea that you like. Making manga takes hard work. If you don't pick an idea you like, you'll have a hard time motivating yourself to work on it.
Step 2. Develop the story plot
Once you have a story idea, you need to develop it further because manga usually has more specific details than a typical novel. You need to create an overview of the story from start to finish.
- Start by determining the main points of the main plot. What is the essence of the story? What important events occurred? Be sure to include background in the story. Think about the background you want to create, and the impact it will have on the story. For example, an urban setting is very different from a rural setting to tell a story.
- Determine the storyline by scene so you can imagine the picture of the main scene.
Step 3. Create your character
When creating a character, you need to think about his role in the story (his personality) and his physical appearance. In order to keep the appearance consistent throughout the story, you must have a special sheet to describe both things.
- For a physical look, you can simply draw the character on a model sheet or turnaround sheet. Basically, you need to draw the character from different angles, define clothing, hairstyles, and body proportions so that they look the same throughout the manga. You can also create 3D models with other media, such as clay.
- To describe the personality and characteristics of the characters, write down the characteristics of each character, such as their characteristics, life principles, religion, favorite food, favorite color, etc. Don't forget other things like ugly traits. Nobody is perfect and your character should reflect that. Also, think about other things like self-motivation.
- Draw pictures for all of your characters, but make sure the main character stands out the most.
Step 4. Develop a style
Developing a style can only be achieved through lots of drawing and using creativity to figure out the style you like. However, it is very important to choose something that you can do. You certainly do not want to wear a style that is difficult to wear in the long run. Wear the style you like the most and is easiest to draw.
- This does not mean the image has to look simple. Just make sure you can draw fluently during story creation or when launching a story series.
- Explore different styles. After viewing other people's work, you can determine which ones you like and which ones you don't like. This can help you figure out your favorite drawing style. Try not to just copy someone's style one hundred percent. You have to make something unique from a certain aspect.
Step 5. Create your manga
Work scene by scene to create manga. Start by sketching out the scene and point of view as the character engages in dialogue; remember, you only need to make a rough sketch to see the result. After that, draw the whole scene, but use a pencil to change the result. Then, use ink and dye. Most manga is not colored to save the budget. So, you can use only black and white ink if you want. In fact, most publishers prefer manga in black and white. You can decide how to make your own manga because most mangaka nowadays make it in digital format.
- If you prefer to work in digital format, use a special application for drawing manga. This software is specially designed to create comics so that they are easier to use.
- Don't forget to make the text easy to read. If the written text is unreadable, people will not read your manga.
Method 3 of 3: Getting Your Work Published
Step 1. Prepare your work for submission to publishers
When looking for a publisher, pay attention to what kind of work they print, then choose a publisher that matches your manga style and theme. Be sure to follow the guidelines provided in detail, including the age rating of the reader. For example, most publishers are more interested in publishing manga with a PG or PG13 rating.
- Most publishers only want a copy of your manga, not the original sheet. You can make these copies with quality copiers and laser printers.
- Pay attention to the size format specified by the publisher before sending a copy of the work.
- Most publishers only accept works that meet basic requirements, such as having good image proportions. If your skills aren't there yet, you may need to practice more.
Step 2. Submit a copy of the manga to the publisher
One simple way to find publisher or magazine contacts is through the back pages of your favorite manga. You can call the publisher and schedule an appointment to submit the work. This is a common procedure that many mangaka go through early in their careers. You can also search for publishers online.
- You need to prepare the work as well as possible before it is shown. Your work may not be published, but the publisher will usually provide suggestions for improving it. If you are lucky, you will be asked to work for the publisher.
- If you can't come in person, you can mail a copy of the manga.
Step 3. Enter the competition
Some people become mangaka by participating in competitions held by publishers. Most contests focus on Japanese-language manga, but some also accept works in other languages. Sometimes, publishers recruit mangaka through these contests.
Morning Manga and Comic Zenon are sponsors of the foreign language manga creation competition. Visit their website to find out more
Step 4. Consider publishing your own manga
Publishing independently is growing in popularity in the comics writing and creation industry, especially in the digital world where you can do a lot with your personal computer. You can use this method to market your manga. Sometimes, you too can be hired by publishers who see your work on the internet.
- If you're independent publishing, you can create a digital book or manga series online via a blog. You can publish digital books through websites such as Ebooks Direct or Amazon. You can publish a free blog through a variety of websites, such as Blogger or Tumblr.
- If you take this step, you will need to do independent marketing through social media by submitting your work and encouraging others to read and follow you.
