Anime & Illustration

This interactive seminar will introduce you to the world of Japanese anime and manga, two storytelling art forms that have seen an explosion in popularity among Western audiences. Develop your illustration and design skills as you learn from skilled instructors and guest artists steeped in Japanese animation techniques. Using Tokyo as your classroom, explore the “Anime Mecca” of Nakano, and shop at Nakano Broadway’s huge array of specialty shops and cafes. See works by Hiroshige and Hokusai at local museums and trace the evolution of Japanese art styles over three centuries. Visit the Suginami Animation Museum and study iconic creations ranging from Sailor Moon, Pokémon, and Ghost in the Shell to Princess Mononoke and the Evangelion series. Hone your own critical eye and artistic style with in-depth lessons from a professional artist. Discuss the evolution of manga—from its ancient aesthetic roots in illustrated scrolls to its contemporary incarnation that appeals to audiences of all ages—and investigate how manga presents and challenges Japanese cultural norms. To cap the program, curate an artistic retrospective of a particular artist or studio, create your own storyboard, or explore the “outsider” influence on this distinctly homegrown art form. There is a supplemental fee of $150 for this course.