Student Feedback
At first, I felt that Illustrators Tsushin School might be a little intimidating—“The bar seems so high… It looks strict… Maybe I’m not good enough to be there…”—so I quietly started with the ¥1,000 course.
Then I read Lecture 001, the very first lesson, and was deeply moved by its content. The course has since been revised, and it seems that the original version of the lecture is no longer available.
After a while, I moved up to the ¥5,000 course, which included feedback on assignments. This is equivalent to the current ¥10,000 course.
The reasons I chose Illustrators Tsushin School included:
・I could study illustration even though I lived outside a major city.
・I could receive advice and feedback from the instructors.
・I could study at my own pace.
・I could see the work of other students.
・I could work through the assignments even if I was not yet able to create original artwork.
・In addition to the standard lessons, individual assignments were provided to help me improve in areas where I was lacking.
・There were lessons that seemed likely to help me overcome my weaknesses.
When you decide that you want to study illustration, there are probably many options available if you live in or near Tokyo.
However, for someone like me, who lives in a rural area and has only about three hours early in the morning to draw, Illustrators Tsushin School was an extremely valuable learning opportunity.
Before joining, I often found myself wondering, “What should I do, and how can I improve?”
Once I began the course, however, I was first able to understand what I was lacking. From there, the process became simple: I worked through the assignments in order to develop the skills I needed. This allowed me to move forward without feeling lost.
The feedback was very clear and honest: “What is good is good, and what is not good is not good.”
Because of this, I could clearly understand what was not working and why. I am usually the kind of person who has difficulty accepting compliments and tends to think, “Do they really mean that?” Even so, when I received positive feedback, I was able to think, “Perhaps this really was good.”
Another thing I was fortunate about was that the work created by the other students studying at the same time was truly wonderful. I always looked forward to seeing their new assignments.
Some of the students were so skilled that I felt I could not even compare myself with them. Yet I watched them steadily work through exercises that might appear simple or unglamorous. Seeing their dedication made me think, “I need to work much, much, much harder.”
There were many times when I felt discouraged and thought, “I’m the only one who can’t do this…”
However, during the seven months I attended the school, I also made many exciting discoveries. I learned to create artwork in new styles that I had never imagined I would be able to use, and I discovered how enjoyable it could be to draw with traditional media.
There is still so much that I need to learn, but I hope to continue developing my skills, one step at a time.
Before
After
Before
After
When I decided that I wanted to become an illustrator, I had no idea what specific steps I should take. That was when I found this school and enrolled.
There are no fixed deadlines for the assignments, so students can read the lessons and work through the exercises at their own pace. In my case, I was raising children and had very little free time, but I was still able to continue steadily at a pace that suited me. After about a year and a half, I successfully completed the course.
When I first joined the school, the work I was creating was closer to fine art than illustration. I still remember the first time Mr. Mori reviewed my work and asked me whether I wanted to become an illustrator or an artist.
Through the school, I gained a clearer understanding of what it means to work as an illustrator. I was also able to explore and discover a specific goal for what I wanted to achieve as an illustrator.
Mr. Mori’s feedback was always extremely thorough. I truly felt that he took the time to look carefully at each and every piece.
His guidance was kind but, when necessary, also firm and very specific. This helped me clearly understand which areas I needed to improve, and I learned a great deal from his feedback.
Because students can work at their own pace, they also need to maintain their own motivation. However, the feedback I received each time I submitted an assignment was always a great source of encouragement and helped me continue all the way to the end.
I believe this is a school where students can learn much more than simply how to create good artwork. It teaches many of the essential skills, knowledge, and perspectives needed to work professionally as an illustrator.
Before
After
Before enrolling in the school, I had been teaching myself how to draw illustrations.
However, I eventually began to feel that there was a limit to how much I could improve by continuing to think and work entirely on my own. Wanting to deepen my knowledge of illustration and strengthen my fundamental skills, I decided to study at the school.
Mr. Mori’s feedback was extremely valuable. He accurately pointed out aspects of my work that I had not noticed myself, and I learned a great deal from each critique.
Because I have always struggled with consistency, I was initially worried about whether I would be able to continue with the course. However, since I could submit assignments at my own pace, I never found the experience overwhelming.
As I completed more assignments, I began to look forward to receiving Mr. Mori’s feedback every time.
Before joining the school, I never would have imagined that I would now be creating illustrations in watercolor, a medium I had previously found difficult.
Mr. Mori was also very kind and helpful whenever I asked for advice about art materials or recommendations for books on Adobe Illustrator.
Looking back, my time at the school was truly invaluable. It was the period in my life when I was able to engage with illustration more seriously and wholeheartedly than ever before.
Before
After
Ever since I was a teenager, I had dreamed of becoming an illustrator someday. However, after entering the workforce, getting married, having children, and raising a family, the years passed in the blink of an eye, and that dream gradually began to feel very far away.
As my children grew older and parenting became a little less demanding, my desire to draw slowly returned. I began sharing my work on social media, but before long, I found myself wondering:
“Is my work really good enough? Have I become more focused on getting likes than on improving my illustration?”
Eventually, I began to feel that I wanted advice from a professional perspective. Then one day, I finally took the plunge and enrolled in this school, which I had been interested in for some time.
As I worked through and submitted Assignments 1 to 8, the things I loved and the kind of world I wanted to express—both of which had previously felt rather vague—gradually became clearer.
Even so, I liked many different styles and admired many different artists, so I was easily influenced and often thought, “This is good, but that is good too.” It therefore came as quite a shock when Mr. Mori told me clearly, “This style does not suit you. This approach works much better for you.”
That made me realize that the reactions I received on social media, or even my own emotional attachment to a particular style, were not necessarily the same as the strengths I could build on as a professional illustrator.
Mr. Mori gave every student careful and sincere feedback. At times, his comments could be strict, but I found them all the more valuable because honest opinions like those are not easy to receive. I also enjoyed looking at the other students’ work and reading the feedback they received. It was both stimulating and inspiring.
In addition to illustration itself, I was also taught in detail about the area I understood least: how to promote myself and find work.
Precisely because we now live in an age when almost anyone can create images easily, becoming a professional illustrator requires not only drawing skills, but also many other abilities and responsibilities beyond the artwork itself. I think it is remarkable that all of this can be learned from home.
Of course, while studying from home is convenient, it also means having to battle with yourself.
To be honest, there were times when I found the course extremely difficult!
Then, about a year after I took the plunge and enrolled, I received the opportunity I had long hoped for: an illustration assignment from a publishing company.
Of course, I am still only standing at the very beginning of my journey as an illustrator. However, had I not enrolled in the school when I did, I think I would still be wandering around in uncertainty, unsure of what to do and feeling increasingly frustrated.
For anyone who is thinking, “Maybe becoming an illustrator really is impossible for me,” or wondering, “Is it all right to continue as I am?” I would recommend simply giving it a try.
I do not know whether I will be able to continue working as an illustrator in the years ahead. Even so, the time I spent throwing myself wholeheartedly into the assignments and experiencing those eye-opening moments through Mr. Mori’s feedback was an important and meaningful chapter in my life.
This has become quite a long testimonial, but I hope it may be helpful to someone.
Before
After
I had been teaching myself illustration, but I struggled to feel confident in my work.
My illustrations were not leading to professional opportunities, and even when I took part in exhibitions, I had a vague sense of anxiety that I would not be able to learn about illustration as a profession or how to find work in those settings. That was what led me to enroll in the school.
The main reasons I chose this school were:
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I could study even while living outside a major city.
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I could receive individual feedback from an instructor with professional experience.
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I could learn not only about illustration, but also about topics such as self-promotion and how to create a portfolio.
The assignments were substantial and required me to take an honest look at my own abilities. There were times when I struggled because I was not seeing the results I hoped for. However, Mr. Mori’s feedback clearly addressed both the strengths and weaknesses of my work. Because of that, whenever he praised something I had done, it felt all the more encouraging.
As I continued studying at the school, I began to see my illustrations change. I was delighted to reach a point where I could think, “This is fun to draw,” “This is cute,” and “I want other people to see this.”
The course does require initiative, as students need to work through the assignments independently. However, I believe a school where you can study from anywhere and receive individual guidance from an experienced professional is an extremely valuable option.