Anime based on art or drawing is kind of rare to find. Today, we’ll be talking about anime based on drawing. Anime that portrays art mostly focuses on the difficulties of producing good work, which manga artists face in real life. This is why most of these anime portray characters achieving something no matter what kind of difficulties they face and can, therefore, be inspirational to the artists and common people.
Before we proceed further, I want you to know that anime based on art and drawing covers many different genres; they can be a Slice of life, Drama, or even Comedy.
Please keep in mind that the list below is not ranked in any way. So now, let’s dig deep into this list of Top 10 Best Anime based on Drawing without further delay!
12. Sketchbook: Full-Color
The first one on our list is Sketchbook: Full Color. Every once in a while, you need something to relax and chill. That is when this anime kicks in with its unique story and plot. It is a slow-paced slice-of-life anime with Sora Kajiwara as the main character. And, of course, if you’re a cat lover, you should try it, as cats are our protagonist’s favorite thing to draw. Our main character of the series always carries her sketchbook with her. As comedy is its main genre, it is interesting and worth watching.
Sketchbook is an interesting slice-of-life anime that touches many genres all together. The anime portrays how an artist evolves with time. Artists have different perspectives on seeing the world. For them, everything is art, and that’s the reason they try their hands at almost everything in terms of drawing.
Sora is a cute, sweet girl who is obsessed with drawing. She doesn’t leave home without her sketchbook. Whenever and whatever she finds attractive, she won’t hesitate to draw it in her book. Mainly her drawings are of cats because of her love for them. Her passion for art takes her to an art club where she meets many artists just like her.
As a person, Sora was a very timid girl, but the exposure to the art club gave her the confidence she was missing in her life. Her character development is beautiful, and the anime’s creativity is impossible to ignore!
Other characters in the series have their unique traits, which make them funny and enjoyable in a way. Unfortunately, this anime is a typical slice-of-life with a not-so-interesting story which is common for this genre but is still a minus point.
11. Shirobako
What’s better than feeling your friends have the same passion as you? Moreover, they all aspire to make their names in the anime industry. The Kaminoyama High School’s five students, Aoi, Ema, Midori, Shizuka, and Misa, are best friends. They all have an exceptional love for anime and are extremely talented. They begin by creating an amateur anime and later vow to make their names in this field.
After a few years, two of the friends successfully got a job in the production company. However, others were still struggling. The remaining three are struggling in their own way. Even after coming this far, they couldn’t achieve their goal. They still don’t lose hope and give their best shot possible. The way the anime teaches determination and life lessons is worth the praise.
You are undoubtedly gonna grow as a person after watching this magnum opus. The number one lesson one learns is to keep moving because the road to success is never easy. So my otaku friends, if you ever feel short on motivation, you can try to watch this anime!
10. Monthly Girls Nozaki Kun
Twisted love stories are always fun to watch, which is the case with this one. Chiyo Sakura is your sweet female protagonist who falls in love with a male MC named Nozaki. However, the feelings weren’t one-sided, which was not known to her then.
After confessing her love, she gets an autograph from Nozaki as a response. Not knowing what that means, she soon realizes that Nozaki ain’t an ordinary guy. He is a top-class manga artist! Luckily, this was the beginning of her story.
Fate brings them closer; within no time, she becomes har mangaka- assistant. Now, this is what we call luck! Chiyo continues her struggles to help Nozaki notice her feelings towards him. However, it seems challenging for a hardworking and busy manga artist! For me, this anime is underrated. It offered so much but didn’t receive the love it was worthy of.
The animation, soundtracks, character design, development, and plot are fantastic. The way it has portrayed the otaku culture is commendable. I am sure if you are interested in art or drawing, then you’ll love it.
9. Bakuman
You cannot find a list of art-related anime without including Bakuman. It is quite popular in this genre. Being created by the same creators that made Death Note, this anime will not disappoint you. Even though they are both from the same artists, the art style is different and easy to separate from each other.
At the same time, they have similarities as well. This is a story about two boys reaching their goal of becoming the best mangaka in Japan. Watching how they try so hard to accomplish their goals is kind of motivating. This anime will surely motivate you to start drawing your manga, and you will learn about the inner workings of the manga industry.
When we talk about its animation quality, it is what you typically expect from a slice-of-life anime. As both main characters spend most of their time in their studio, the lack of variety makes sense. Watching about making manga in an anime is a pretty interesting and different concept that you will surely enjoy.
This anime also shows the struggles of manga artists in real life. It portrays all these things beautifully and interestingly.
8.Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun
Moving on, the third entry on our list is Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun. As an anime with the plot of the main character becoming a great mangaka is popular, this is just one that had to be included in the list. The story can seem a bit cliché, though. The main character of the series, Sakura, a member of the art club, is in love with our other main character Nozaki.
He is a famous manga artist of the shoujo manga “Let’s fall in love” despite having no love life, he is a successful shoujo manga artist. His personality makes him completely oblivious to Sakura’s feelings. The rest of the story is quite guessable.
Nozaki misunderstands Sakura’s intention of approaching him and asks her to be his drawing model. Hence, she ends up becoming his assistant. There are other assistants of Nozaki, such as Mikoshiba, Hori, and Wakamatsu, who help Nozaki apply screen tones to panels.
You find comedy and romance in this anime, which makes it quite interesting for the shoujo fandom to watch. The art style of this anime is nothing new. The comedy of the show is quite enjoyable. It is much better executed than most anime about people working hard to become world-class artists. This makes the show worth a shot.
7. Blue Period
The most successful and must-include anime on the list is Blue, period. With its anime recently finishing its run-time, this anime scored quite an audience. Blue Period describes one’s point of art view. Even the name of the series, “Blue Period,” is a work of art by the great artist “Picasso.” This is the most relatable anime for people with a middle-class background striving for studies in a good art college.
Our main character Yaguchi Yatora who recently got interested in the aesthetics of arts, finds himself quite attracted to paintings and drawings. Yaguchi is also my favorite character in the series. Watching him struggle for his goals makes me motivated to struggle for mine.
Yaguchi sees the world from an artistic point of view now. Hence, he joins the art club to get admission to the most famous art university. He would like to improve his artistic skills. He starts preparing for the entrance exam.
The series delves into the technical aspects of making art. It depicts the thoughts and emotions an artist experiences in making an artwork. This series is highly recommended to anyone with even a mild interest in arts.
6. Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru!
The next one on our list is Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! This is a typical slice-of-life anime with a rom-com. But what is not quite typical is its characters; although it is a slow-paced anime, being a weeb, you will be interested in the plot. Our main character of the series is a member of the art club, which is quite common for this type of anime. The interest comes with… Waifus! Yes, waifus!
The main character Uchimaki Subaru is quite a talented artist, but he is not interested in drawing typical boring statues, fruits, or landscapes. Instead, he’s interested in drawing 2D girls, which is what average anime viewers like to joke about. Being a weeb, he’s very devoted to his waifu drawings, which other club members find uninteresting, maybe because they are not interested in anime or manga.
As much as Uchimaki is interested in 2D girls, he has zero interest in 3D girls. Hence, there is less romance and no progression between Uchimaki and Usami. Overall, it is a very simplistic show with not much plot progression, but honestly, it is good as it is.
5. Mangaka-san to Assistant-san
This anime is not your typical slice-of-life art-related anime. Although, it is a little similar to Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru, where the main character was interested in drawing waifus. In this one, the plot is different.
With harem comedy being its genre, the main character of the series Aito Yuuki is a manga artist. He is mostly viewed as a pervert because he’s mainly interested in drawing panties. He has an uncontrollable fetish for women’s undergarments. He is only 22 years old and a pervert. The show has a mix of silly and perverted humor.
Yuuki does not hesitate to ask someone to be his drawing assistant. He asks his assistant to be his drawing model. And she would do anything for work, as she is devoted to her work. Yuuki could easily take advantage of that.
Thus, the series depicts the comedy of the mangaka’s life events. As a whole, there is not much of a plot in the anime. As the story only revolves around the main character and his weird fetishes.
4. Kakushigoto
This anime is about a secret manga artist. The anime’s title explains this because in Japanese, “kakushigoto” means “secret.”
The anime is wholesome in a way. It is about a father and a daughter duo. The father is a mangaka in secret. He has no intention of his daughter finding out about it because he thinks Hime will be disillusioned if she finds out. The story also has many sad points because he only does this for his daughter. He draws manga inappropriate to be read by his daughter.
This leads to a lot of funny situations as well. Kakushi tries to ensure that his daughter will not discover his secret. He even acts like a normal worker. Sometimes disguised as a salaryman, sometimes holding drills in case Hime finds his workplace. Pandora’s box awaits its actual reveal!
3. Honey and Clover
Next on our list is Honey and Clover. As sweet and simple as the name is, the series is also quite soothing and comfortable. Even the art style is very relaxing and gives soft vibes. The series follows the story of five fledgling artists. This anime blends the complexities of love and art. Hagumi Hanamoto, Japan’s most talented artist, enters the art school. Yuta falls in love with her, and so does Morita. While portraying art, this anime also shows a love triangle between the three roommates and the daughter of a cousin of an art professor “Hagumi.”
This anime shows their art journey and how they graduate, find jobs and learn more about themselves. It’s a lively blend of romance, drama, and comedy without going too overboard and making it uninteresting. The fun thing is anyone who watches the show can somehow relate to at least one of the series’ characters in one way or another. To summarize, the series is like art in motion.
2. Arte
The second last entry on our list is Arte. It depicts the 16th century Italy era. Therefore, it is all about the art of the renaissance period. The main character is a girl who wants to chase her dream of becoming a master artisan, but being a woman and chasing such an inarticulate dream is difficult for our main lead.
Chasing her dreams sounds like most shonen anime series, such as Naruto or Black clover. She doesn’t give up on her dreams which seem impossible to reach. Although, her life is completely different. Arte’s passion for drawing made her want a mentor to polish her skills. So, she sets on a journey to find one.
Even though the series depicts Italy’s 16th-century renaissance period, the art style and colors do not portray that. A fun fact about the series is that it is based on a real-life character ARTEmisia. However, the characters in the series and the real-life person have differences. The mangaka’s work is a tribute to Artemisia Gentileschi, who had a difficult life.
1. GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class
Lastly, let’s talk about GA: Geijutsuka Art Design Class. It does not offer anything new in the slice-of-life genre, but what it offers is information. We learn a lot of stuff. The plot focuses far more on art and design than on the characters.
The story follows five girls who attend an art and design school. There they learn about various art and design aspects, history, and other art-related facts. The animation quality cannot be questioned as the series aired in 2009; It is quite normal. Compared to other shows of the genre, where the anime was mostly focused on the characters’ daily lives more than the plot, GA does its own thing. The art style gets a little too cute at times. Those who are interested in art or producing artwork themselves will find the show quite enjoyable and interesting. It simply teaches a lot of stuff.
One of the problems of GA would be that the characters lack anything resembling a personality.
Anime about drawing Honorable mentions
Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken
Just like cliche artists, Midori’s perspective of seeing the world is unique. She always spends her time drawing landscapes and sketches in her art book. Her drawing is not only bound to the things she sees, but most of her drawings are based on her imagination. She has a best friend named Sayaka, who has a different approach to life. The duo was like two different poles.
The more imaginative and unrealistic Midori is, the more realistic and mature Sayaka is. The story becomes engaging when the duo helps Tsubame from her obsessive bodyguard. It is then revealed that the girl shares the same dreams with Midori.
Both have an exceptional love for art. Unlike Midori, who is interested in drawing the backgrounds, Tsubame has a liking for character drawing. The three decide to use their talent to earn a living. Therefore, begins their journey of producing animation.
The friendship bond of the characters is admirable, and one can do nothing but wish for the same friends in life. I bet you’ll enjoy the anime till the end.
Remake Our Life
In this anime, we follow the life of Kyouya Hashiba, whose life hasn’t been in his favor lately. He was highly interested in the video game industry, which forced him to leave his office job. Though he does an internship at the video game company, he soon gets unemployed. Having no other choices, he starts living with his parents.
Many things happen in his life, and he regrets graduating from a traditional university instead of the arts. Well, it is natural for artists to only get to polish their art in less time rather than giving a full shift or time. This particular setting synchronizes perfectly with the real life of artists and is one reason that this anime hooks you up.
The universe had some good plans for him, and he opened his eyes in the past approximately 10 years back. This time, he decides to redeem himself, and he gets himself enrolled in the art university. There he befriends many future successful names and begins his journey toward achieving his goals. Getting a second chance is all we want, but it is only possible in stories. This is also the reason why many like the idea of this anime and enjoy the episodes!
Final conclusion on drawing anime
The mentioned-above anime are among the best anime about drawing, art, and artists. Nothing can be better for an art lover to get motivated and see creativity in different forms. Thankfully, these anime offer it all.
There is a lot to look for in anime, as apart from just art, they offer much more. Everything is top-notch, starting from the plot, characters, music, slice of life, and animation. I am in full hope that you are going to enjoy them all one by one.
If you loved any of them or, by chance, you have watched them, you are free to share your experiences below! Don’t forget to mention the recommendations you want, I’ll try my best to provide you with a fun-packed list!