Art Camp! How to Draw Comics - 10 Drawing Skills for Beginners & Advanced
What's included
4 live meetings
3 hrs 40 mins in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. Students will need to spend time after class finishing their comic panels from class.Assessment
Students will review learning points from the day before at the start of each class.Class Experience
Each day students will learn one technique for drawing better comics--easily! This is a nurturing, supportive class that take your learner from any level of drawing to at least one level higher. We'll learn about basic effects that make comics interesting and create visual impact. The instructor listens to your learner and helps -- one-on-one if necessary -- to help your learner get better at whatever they love drawing. For older students: Even if you draw comics in Procreate, or with photoshop, or illustrator -- you'll learn how to hook people in visually and make them want to read more. Once you understand the skills in this class you'll never go back to seeing comics the same way again. This class is perfect for kids who read comics and want to draw comics.
Learning Goals
Day one: Students will learn the basic easy-to-master skills that visually draw a reader's eyes to a comic book page.
Day two: We'll focus on comic book vocabulary and learn all about the things you can do in a comic book to make your comics addictive to readers.
Day three: We're going to learn how comic book artists use everything from the frame, to setting and character's facial expressions convey an emotional atmosphere in their comics. These techniques are easy to master--once you understand them!
Day four: We'll talk about story craft in comics and start creating a story for your comic characters.
Day five: We'll put together everything we've learned to begin our first comic book episode or comic strip.
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Although I often do as some students if I can use their work as an example in future teaching contexts (i.e. a future comics class), please let me know if it's not okay with you to use your learner's work. Otherwise, I'll assume I do have permission. Many students--but not all--really enjoy knowing their work is strong enough to be used as an example.
Supply List
Unlined paper and a ruler is essential. Also pencils that have a nice point, an eraser, and a pencil sharpener. A good set of pens will be very helpful here--anything that can make a really nice, dark, thin line is good. We'll be working with the color black so a good pen that can fill in lots of black is needed. I've included a link for the kind of pen set that is ideal below. It really will make a difference in the quality of the look of the comic -- but whatever you can find that's close to this is perfectly okay: https://www.dickblick.com/products/sakura-manga-comic-pro-sets/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=20702-1089&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIi-ORsY2q6AIVWsDICh3Peg84EAQYBCABEgIabfD_BwE
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Teacher expertise and credentials
I actually got to learn how to teach comics from an iconic figure in the comics world named Scott McCloud just as his seminal book Understanding Comics had been released for the first time. Since then I've taught over 15 comics classes in summer camps. I've also been invited into public schools and been awarded grants to teach comics to kids. I come from a writing background, but comic books are a unique medium comprised of half writing and half visual story telling. Teachers used to walk by the classes that I taught and snicker -- they'd never seen a group of boys so completely focussed and quiet before.
Reviews
Live Group Class
$60
for 4 classes4x per week, 1 week
55 min
Completed by 104 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-14
3-9 learners per class