<p>From what I could find...</p>

<ul>
<li><a href="http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Tite_Kubo" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Tite Kubo</a>, creator of Bleach only went to high school and he only started to take art seriously around <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tite_Kubo" rel="nofollow noreferrer">age 17</a>.</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiro_Mashima" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Hiro Mashima</a>, creator of Fairy Tail also didn't have any formal art training.</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobuhiro_Watsuki" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Nobuhiro Watsuki</a>, creator of Kenshin.</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osamu_Tezuka" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Osamu Tezuka</a>, creator of Astro Boy.</li>
<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiichiro_Oda" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Eiichiro Oda</a>, creator of One Piece <em>(who was also a college dropout)</em>.</li>
</ul>

<p>And there are many <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayao_Miyazaki" rel="nofollow noreferrer">others</a> but if you <a href="http://omu.kuiki.net/faculty.shtml" rel="nofollow noreferrer">check</a> <a href="http://www.myanimediary.com/#!about1/c6fl" rel="nofollow noreferrer">around</a> you can see that anyone doing anything in anime today was largely self taught. Most people only <a href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_education_and_training_is_required_to_become_a_mangaka_artist" rel="nofollow noreferrer">go</a> to school to learn the theory and get a degree or certification. Having a degree makes you more likely to get a job in certain industries. <em>(I suppose)</em></p>

<p>Truth be told, most of them went to art school but before you jump to assumptions, have you ever heard the term in college, <strong><em>'you read for your degree'</em></strong>. If you haven't it means that simply going to school isn't enough, you have to go the extra mile and do the work. Artists like Akira Toriyama and Kishimoto were drawing years before that. Granted that might make you feel dismayed when starting but with determination anyone can do it. Like all skills, natural or not, they have to be nurtured.</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_education_and_training_is_required_to_become_a_mangaka_artist" rel="nofollow noreferrer">..You have to be confident to draw..</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>As it relates to everything, not just art and anime, we as humans like to base what we want to do on the success of others but that can only get you so far when starting out. Just try something for yourself, its nice to have influences but If you plan to take it seriously you will have to be original amongst other things. I leave you with this <a href="http://zenpencils.com/comic/90-ira-glass-advice-for-beginners/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">comic</a>.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Q9rML.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-21T20:50:22.897Z
2013-04-22T10:51:59.277Z
2013-04-22T10:51:59.277Z
iKlsR
<p><em>Asking as a person who knows very little about drawing but has some experience and is interested in drawing manga.</em> Is natural artistic talent necessary if someone wants to become a good anime and manga artist or has anyone done it based on raw effort and or determination?</p>

<p>Along that same note, have there been any current or past manga artists that have derived success based on only what they taught themselves without any formal training?</p>

<p>In a nutshell, <strong>I'm basically asking how important nature versus nurture is to art in general</strong> as it pertains to manga and looking for examples of such.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-21T19:13:32.987Z
I don't think that this is really on topic. It's only related to anime and manga in the broadest sense of it being art, and it isn't really about anime or manga. It also isn't really answerable.
kuwaly
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-21T19:14:32.943Z
@kuwaly That's fine, you should close it then. Like I said, I wasn't sure myself.
commando
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-21T19:15:07.577Z
I feel like a better (more on-topic) question might be, "Have any (current) manga artists picked up their skill through schooling only?" I'm not sure it's answerable, but I think it's more open to being constructive.
Cattua
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-04-21T19:52:18.317Z
@commando, their is no definitive answer for this. Everyone has their own 'thing' that makes them learn or want to learn something. This question in it's current state is too personal and localized and is likely to start a discussion. To keep your question alive however, It has been edited it so it can be seen more as a question pertaining mangaka in history. Also see http://anime.stackexchange.com/faq#dontask
iKlsR
<anime-production><manga-production>
Have any successful manga artists picked up their skill without schooling?
# Have any successful manga artists picked up their skill without schooling?
Posted by: username_0 on 2013-04-21
*Asking as a person who knows very little about drawing but has some experience and is interested in drawing manga.* Is natural artistic talent necessary if someone wants to become a good anime and manga artist or has anyone done it based on raw effort and or determination?

Along that same note, have there been any current or past manga artists that have derived success based on only what they taught themselves without any formal training?

In a nutshell, **I'm basically asking how important nature versus nurture is to art in general** as it pertains to manga and looking for examples of such.
**Tags:** anime-production manga-production
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I don't think that this is really on topic. It's only related to anime and manga in the broadest sense of it being art, and it isn't really about anime or manga. It also isn't really answerable.  
> **username_0**: @kuwaly That's fine, you should close it then. Like I said, I wasn't sure myself.  
> **username_2**: I feel like a better (more on-topic) question might be, "Have any (current) manga artists picked up their skill through schooling only?" I'm not sure it's answerable, but I think it's more open to being constructive.  
> **username_3**: @commando, their is no definitive answer for this. Everyone has their own 'thing' that makes them learn or want to learn something. This question in it's current state is too personal and localized and is likely to start a discussion. To keep your question alive however, It has been edited it so it can be seen more as a question pertaining mangaka in history. Also see http://anime.stackexchange.com/faq#dontask  
---
## 1 answers
### Answer by username_3 on 2013-04-21. Score: 17 | Accepted answer
From what I could find...

* [Tite Kubo](http://bleach.wikia.com/wiki/Tite_Kubo), creator of Bleach only went to high school and he only started to take art seriously around [age 17](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tite_Kubo).
* [Hiro Mashima](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiro_Mashima), creator of Fairy Tail also didn't have any formal art training.
* [Nobuhiro Watsuki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobuhiro_Watsuki), creator of Kenshin.
* [Osamu Tezuka](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osamu_Tezuka), creator of Astro Boy.
* [Eiichiro Oda](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiichiro_Oda), creator of One Piece *(who was also a college dropout)*.

And there are many [others](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayao_Miyazaki) but if you [check](http://omu.kuiki.net/faculty.shtml) [around](http://www.myanimediary.com/#!about1/c6fl) you can see that anyone doing anything in anime today was largely self taught. Most people only [go](http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_education_and_training_is_required_to_become_a_mangaka_artist) to school to learn the theory and get a degree or certification. Having a degree makes you more likely to get a job in certain industries. *(I suppose)*

Truth be told, most of them went to art school but before you jump to assumptions, have you ever heard the term in college, ***'you read for your degree'***. If you haven't it means that simply going to school isn't enough, you have to go the extra mile and do the work. Artists like Akira Toriyama and Kishimoto were drawing years before that. Granted that might make you feel dismayed when starting but with determination anyone can do it. Like all skills, natural or not, they have to be nurtured.

> [..You have to be confident to draw..](http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_education_and_training_is_required_to_become_a_mangaka_artist)

As it relates to everything, not just art and anime, we as humans like to base what we want to do on the success of others but that can only get you so far when starting out. Just try something for yourself, its nice to have influences but If you plan to take it seriously you will have to be original amongst other things. I leave you with this [comic](http://zenpencils.com/comic/90-ira-glass-advice-for-beginners/).

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Q9rML.jpg)
---
