Description

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The ultimate guide for aspiring artists with a love of manga.

Presented in the style of a manga, this book takes readers through the complete creative and professional process of making manga, from spark of inspiration to publication.

Following How to Draw a Graphic Novel, Balthazar Pagani returns, joined by manga expert Asuka Ozumi, to demystify the process of creating manga, from the initial idea that morphs into a story to what it’s like to work in a professional manga studio.

Featuring the work of Italian manga illustrator Silvia Vanni and told from the point of view of two young manga fans, How to Be a Manga Artist delivers a blend of professional advice and practical tips to guide aspiring creators, including how to construct a compelling narrative, develop characters your readers will fall in love with, and the basics of printing, digital-file setup, and self-promotion.

How to Be a Manga Artist also includes a specially commissioned chapter by renowned Japanese illustrator Fumio Obata, who encourages readers to look beyond the aesthetics of manga and put themselves into the story, to develop a style that is entirely original and true to them. It also features biographies of famous manga artists, definitions of key Japanese terms, and a list of must-read cult classics.

About the Author

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Balthazar Pagani is the founder of WeAreBeside based in Milan. He produced the Graphic Lives series of graphic novels and is the author of How to Draw a Graphic Novel.

Asuka Ozumi is a Japanese translator, editorial consultant, and an expert on manga, based in Italy. She is a lecturer at the University of Turin.

Silvia Vanni is a comic artist and illustrator based in Italy. She is one of the very few European illustrators commissioned to draw manga for Japanese publishers.

Fumio Obata is a Japanese graphic novelist and illustrator based in London. He is the author of Just So Happens.