Saturday, May 5, 2018

Mikan School - Serious Art

Written by Shiggins

Well, this was a surprise!

As you all know from my reviews in the past, I'm not afraid to be blunt. It's one of the benefits of being Scottish. So when I was asked to take a look at this business, I didn't know how to take it at first. However, I quickly realised that they wanted me to be honest and blunt about what I thought of them of them. So I logged in, gave it a look, and now I can tell you all about Mikan School, what it is they do and how I felt going into it.

Link here: https://www.mikanschool.org



So the first question you have to ask is; What even is Mikan School? Because schools are scary and such! 

To put it simply, Mikan School is a collection of tutorials and instructions for artists who wish to expand their knowledge and learn to go further. If you want to learn how to make anime-style flames, or paint beautiful ruffles and laces for a dress in your manga project, Mikan School has a video for it. The range of videos devoted to teaching just one area of the manga and anime art world is impressive and quite stunning.


In fact, I was almost overwhelmed when I first took a look. I have always appreciated beautiful art, and it is impossible for me to deny the skill on display here. I found myself mesmerised by the tutorial, as I watched the artist work away with seeming ease. If you are having trouble picturing that, think of the silence and awe one gets from watching a live guitarist play a soft and pleasant song.

Of course, there are several artists at work here and that is nothing but a positive. Only a fool ignores diversity, and a wide variety of styles and materials is exactly what a website like this needs. I was surprised by just how many different types and connections Mikan School has, including the artist Ayasugi, whom you may know as the one behind Crosskiss and several other shoujos.


The big question you have to ask yourself however is this; Is Mikan School for me?

What's important to understand about Mikan School is that it isn't just a simple "buy them all and get them all at once" class, and all the content on this website is original. Over the next year and beyond, Mikan School has promised dozens of content that range from the brutally complex to the comfortingly simple. At the moment, Mikan School is filled with impressive art but it is not for everyone.

No, Mikan School is for those who wish to finally find someone who can test them and keep them moving forward. If you've never touched a pencil before, I suggest buying a simple "How To" book at your nearby shop to get a handle on the basics, or wait a while as I have been told that basic introductions are in the cards and may or may not be presented by a well-known Japanese artist... But I can't say anymore.

I personally find it reassuring to know how many plans for the future Mikan School has. An entire schedule of videos has been planned, and at a reasonable pace so you can keep checking in but not get overly swamped.


To sum up, I can absolutely recommend Mikan School if you're ready to push yourself to the next level. If you want to do more, and feel like you're progressing with the help of like-minded artists that are worth admiration, you can do a lot worse than Mikan School. And in the future, Mikan School will be bringing out more videos for those who are not as well-versed in the art world and would love some help. Easily accessible too!

Now if only I could draw this good. I could finally start working on my own manga project. (No, I'm not joking!)


Shiggins:[Admin]   .
Born under the stars of the Dark Gods, Shiggins owns the power of the Great Eye and is utterly magnificent in his omniscience. If you dare to discover more about someone as great as him, then go ahead. And to all my friends and family members, YOU are wrong and I should be disappointed! Not the other way round!,. You can find out about him or ask him stuff on ask.fm/shigginsishere or go to his tumblr page http://otakugajeel.tumblr.com/

1 comment:

  1. I'd like to say thank you for this review. Currently, I am enrolled with the Academy of Art University to earn an Associates in Illustration. Seeing as I've just begun and haven't gotten into the courses on comic development as of yet, I thought I'd brush up my skills with a manga course or so. That was when I clicked an ad on Facebook for the Mikan School. I looked at a few other sites and none of them excite me more than Mikan. However, although I may progress in my art-style I'm afraid I'm also looking for how to do comic writing and telling(showing?) a story through panels. That search will either continue or my patience will reward me with such classes at the AAU. Thank you so much for this article. It's well appreciated.

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