FAQ

Mooncolony is the premium games art studio where all Lunar Academy’s mentors work full-time. At Lunar Academy, you can access their skills and industry knowledge in the form of on-demand courses, live online workshops, portfolio reviews, and mentorship programs. Lunar Academy was started by Mooncolony's founder Emrah Elmasli in 2024, to help artists break into the games industry.

Yes! The Mooncolony Discord is a thriving community of artists where you can get feedback and career advice, or just hang out. There are also specific channels to discuss Lunar Academy courses, and private channels for mentorship programs.
The Discord is free to join—you’ll just need to share your portfolio to be verified as an artist.

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We’re not currently looking for new Lunar Academy teachers, however, this may change in the future. If you’re interested in creating courses or hosting workshops for us, please do reach out to info@lunaracademy.co

Simply go to ‘Platform’, which is in the top right corner on desktop, or in the dropdown menu on mobile. Here you can sign in and access all the courses you have purchased.

If you have questions or comments about the course, post in the #course-discussion channel of the Mooncolony Discord. We’ll be happy to help!

We try to release new Lunar Academy courses regularly throughout the year! To be the first to know about new courses, join our Discord channel, sign up to our mailing list, or follow us on social media—links can be found at the bottom of this page.

We create both illustration courses and concept art courses. Some, such as our character design courses, are relevant to both disciplines. You can find this information in the FAQs section of each course.

All our courses are made by professional games artists, and are geared towards making art for this industry. However, lots of the techniques we teach can be applied to other disciplines, such as animation and filmmaking.

Most of our courses will require a graphics tablet or display tablet with a stylus, in addition to digital drawing software such as Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, or Clip Studio Paint. Some courses may only require a pencil and paper, whereas others may be geared specifically towards Photoshop. This will be made clear in the individual course information.

To finish the course and get your certificate of completion, you only need to watch the videos. However, the assignments are designed to help you apply what you have learned. To get the most out of the courses, we highly recommend that you do the assignments!

All our courses come with lifetime access.

To help protect them from redistribution, our courses cannot be downloaded and can only be accessed from your Lunar Academy account.

If a course you purchased isn’t appearing in your account, please contact info@lunaracademy.co. We’ll be happy to help!

We usually operate within UK business hours of 9 am and 5 pm (GMT). This may differ depending on the time zone of the specific mentor. We’ll do our best to accommodate other time zones, and find session times that work well for you.

Lots of our mentors are fluent in other languages. Check the individual mentorship pages to see what languages they can be conducted in, and specify your preferred language in your application.

Yes, your mentor will typically review your portfolio in the first session. This is also when they will discuss your artistic goals, career ambitions, and preferred specialisms. This will help them customize the mentorship so that you can get the most out of the experience as possible.

If your mentor can’t attend a session, we will give you as much notice as possible and reschedule for a time that works for you.

If you’re unable to attend a mentorship session, please let us know within 48 hours so that we can reschedule.

Yes, you can pay in three monthly installments for no extra charge.

All sessions are private one-to-one lessons between the mentor and student. However, at the beginning and end of the mentorship, there may be opportunities to have group calls with the other mentees. Between sessions, you’ll be able to speak with your group via a private Discord space.

We usually accept between four and six people onto each mentorship, although this can vary. We keep our group sizes small, so that mentors can devote maximum attention to each mentee’s learning experience. Because spaces on our mentorships are limited, we recommend that you apply early to avoid disappointment!

Different mentorships will focus on either illustration or concept art. This will be made clear in the mentorship information. All our mentors are professional games artists, and will teach their mentees about games industry practices.

To be the first to hear about new mentorships, join our Discord channel, sign up to our mailing list, or follow us on social media—links can be found at the bottom of this page.

Mentorships involve 1 hour per week of contact time with your mentor via video call, plus written feedback. Mentees also have ongoing communication with the other mentees in a private group. More information on the week-to-week lessons can be found on individual mentorship pages.

To ensure mentees get the most out of our mentorships, we only accept intermediate to advanced-level artists. To apply for a mentorship, you should have a solid grasp of art fundamentals, and confidence with your software of choice. Our mentorships are designed to take your art skills to the next level with professional studio-style experience.

Mentees will need a graphics tablet or display tablet with a stylus, in addition to digital drawing software such as Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, or Clip Studio Paint.

Yes! We record the Google Meet sessions and will send you a download link after the call.

To ensure you get the most out of your review, please ensure your portfolio is up to date and only features the best examples of your work. We advise that your portfolio is hosted either on a professional website such as ArtStation, or on your own site. It will also be beneficial to think about your future goals in advance.

We usually operate within UK business hours of 9 am and 5 pm (GMT). This may differ depending on the time zone of the specific reviewer. We’ll do our best to accommodate other time zones, and find a slot that works for you.

Lots of our mentors are fluent in other languages. Check the individual portfolio review pages to see what languages they can be conducted in.

Yes, you can request a more in-depth critique on a piece, with a paintover if you wish. Bear in mind that this may take up most or all of your time with your reviewer. If you have questions about requesting an art critique, free to contact us before booking.

First, you’ll discuss your career ambitions, chosen specialisms, and artistic goals with your reviewer. This will help them give you detailed feedback aimed at helping you achieve your objectives.

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They’ll then give you constructive advice on your overall presentation, individual artworks, and what may be missing from your portfolio. They can also advise you on which specific skills you need to work on next.

If there’s something in particular you want to discuss with your reviewer, feel free to let them know. If you’re unsure, feel free to get in touch with us before booking.

Workshop places are non-refundable. If you are unable to attend, don’t worry—you’ll receive a download link after the workshop to watch the full recording.

As long as there are Gold Ticket available, you can upgrade at any time, including during the workshop. Get in touch at info@lunaracademy.co to upgrade.

Workshop attendees will receive a private link to the virtual classroom on the day before each session.

Yes! We record the workshop sessions and will send you a download link after each one.

We usually operate within UK business hours of 9 am and 5 pm (GMT). This may differ depending on the time zone of the specific mentor. Please ensure you can attend the workshop hours in your timezone before booking your place.

Most workshops do not require you to have any software or equipment, aside from a computer to tune in to the livestream. If you need to complete a homework task, you will need a graphics tablet or display tablet with a stylus, in addition to digital drawing software such as Adobe Photoshop, Procreate, or Clip Studio Paint. Our artists typically use Adobe Photoshop during their demos.

To be the first to hear about new workshops, join our Discord channel, sign up to our mailing list, or follow us on social media—links can be found at the bottom of this page.

Yes! Students can freely ask questions in the workshop chatbox. A moderator will pass on your questions to the artist at the right time.

Each workshop will have a limited number of Gold Ticket seats. Gold Ticket students will receive a homework task related to the workshop theme, and the artist will give them live feedback on their work (usually including a paintover) during the workshop.

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Silver Ticket students can do the homework task if they want to, but they won’t get feedback on it. They otherwise have access to the full workshop, and can ask questions. More detailed information can be found on the individual workshop pages.

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Workshops take place in a virtual classroom which students access via a private link. During the workshops, industry artists discuss their techniques and give demonstrations, whilst a moderator passes on questions from students. More detailed information can be found on the individual workshop pages.