Hello Fellow Artists,Reader,
We hope this message finds you well and feeling inspired.

✨ November Art Challenge Gallery is Now Live!

Theme: Magical Girl

The November Art Challenge gallery has been officially published on our Student Art page.

This exhibition features artworks created entirely by Anime Art Academy students, showcasing magical transformations, powerful poses, and original magical girl characters.
Each piece reflects the creativity and growth of our community—don’t miss these amazing works 💫

🔗 View the gallery here:
https://animeartacademy.com/p/student-exhibition

🎨 December 2025 Monthly Art Challenge

“New Year Card (Nengajo) – Zodiac: Hinoe-Uma”

We’re excited to invite you to our next Monthly Art Challenge, inspired by Japanese New Year culture.

This month’s theme is “New Year Card”, known in Japan as Nengajo.

🇯🇵 What is Nengajo?

Nengajo are traditional Japanese New Year’s cards, similar to Christmas cards in Western countries.
They are sent to express gratitude for the past year and good wishes for the year ahead.

A unique feature of Nengajo is the Japanese Zodiac—each year is associated with a zodiac animal, and New Year cards are often illustrated around that theme.

If you’d like to learn more about Nengajo culture, this article explains it clearly:
https://savvytokyo.com/need-know-japans-nengajo-new-years-cards/

🐎 2026 Zodiac: Hinoe-Uma (Fire Horse)

The zodiac for 2026 is Hinoe-Uma (Fire Horse) — a very rare zodiac that appears only once every 60 years.

Because of its rarity, many Japanese anime and manga artists release special New Year illustrations during this period.
Characters are often drawn in kimono, shrine maiden outfits, or designs inspired by the zodiac animal.

✨ December Theme

“New Year Card (Nengajo) – Fire Horse”

Create your own original New Year card illustration inspired by:

Japanese Nengajo culture
The Hinoe-Uma (Fire Horse) zodiac
Celebration, gratitude, and welcoming the New Year

Traditional or modern. Cute or cool. Anime-style or illustrative—the interpretation is up to you.

All submissions will be featured with your name on the Anime Art Academy Student Arts page.
We’ll also share the exhibition page in our newsletter and on our social media, and it is regularly viewed by staff from Japanese manga publishers and related industry professionals, giving you a real opportunity to have your work seen beyond the student community.

📅 Deadline

January 10th, 2026

📝 How to Submit

Submit your artwork using one of the following methods:

Discord:
Post your illustration in
#monthly-art-submissions

OR Email:
contact@animeartacademy.com

Please include:

Your artwork (image file)
Your name
Title of your artwork (optional)

Your name (and title, if provided) will appear next to your artwork on the Student Arts page.

We’re excited to celebrate the New Year—and this once-in-60-years zodiac—with your artwork.
We look forward to seeing your New Year Card illustration!

What courses are available at Anime Art Academy?

At Anime Art Academy, we offer a range of courses and course styles to fit all of our students' needs!

How to Draw Anime and Manga

Our subscription course takes you all the way from beginner to advanced level! Packed with secret industry techniques and includes personal guidance from pros!

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SAVE 10%! How to Draw Anime and Manga: Lesson Pack 1-4 Bundle

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How do our pro illustrators help students?

The following are just a couple of examples of the feedback our lecturers give in the comments section of our lectures! Of course the corrections are accompanied with written explanations, helping students to understand how to improve their work. This feedback is included in all of our paid courses!