New online course for budding anime and manga artists
Even with her job and other commitments, Miss Hosanna Petra Harsono finished a module in anime drawing in just over two months.
Miss Harsono, 25, who works as a project management officer in Singapore, attended all her classes online, thanks to the Anime Mosha Drawing course.
The course is officially launched at a Japanese anime and manga event, Chara Expo 2017, on Sept 9 at Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The programme focuses on anime and manga drawing and will lead to a certificate in Japanese Manga and Animation (Fundamentals). The course is developed by Singapore-based online learning portal ParentheXis in collaboration with a Japanese vocational college, ASO College Group.
A pilot, consisting of one module from the full certification programme, saw over 2,000 active learners from 14 countries.
"I found the course easy because you can do it at your own pace and set your own targets," said Miss Harsono, a Singapore Management University business graduate.
The full course costs US$375 (S$525) and no prior experience is required. It focuses on essential hand-drawing techniques taught through half-hour online video presentations, followed by assignments that are also submitted online.
Students are graded by expert manga and anime artists such as Mr Yujiro Yamada, 37, who has worked in the industry for more than 10 years.
Mr Yamada, or Yamada-sensei as he is called by his students, said: "Though we are seeing a rising popularity in manga and anime all over the world, there is a decrease in the number of new creators in the industry.
"I hope that Singaporean artists can develop their skills and make Singapore the hub for manga and anime in South-east Asia."
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