Comic Crafters: Create Your Own Comic Strip
In this In this 4-day camp, artists will learn the ins and outs of comic storytelling from a published graphic novel illustrator!
Emily Ingram-Patel (she/her)
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(71)
Star Educator
What's included
4 live meetings
4 in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. No official homework is assigned, but artists may want to finish up anything they do not complete in class.Class Experience
Comics seem simple: draw a bunch of pictures, include some characters and dialogue, and BAM! You've got a story. Well, not exactly. Without understanding good storytelling techniques and design, a comic strip can be very difficult to understand. But never fear! This 4-day art camp combines the fun of comic creation and the technical details needed to make a comic readable and enjoyable. In this camp, each artist will imagine, draft, and follow step-by-step guidance from a published graphic novel illustrator to create their own 5-6 panel comic cartoon. We will begin with storyboarding, character creation, discussion of dialogue, thought bubbles, and design. We will then create our completed, inked, and colored (if desired) comic strips. The schedule is as follows: Day 1: Storyboarding Day 2: Characters Day 3: Dialogue + begin final draft Day 4: Complete final comic This camp is appropriate for artists of all levels, but the focus is not on drawing skills. Artists may need access to reference photos, so please plan ahead to allow your learner(s) safe internet searching. I will do my best to help with drawing and references as much as possible, but I will be limited.
Learning Goals
Artists will improve their storytelling abilities.Artists will learn the basics of crafting comics: storyboarding, character creation and design, and text chronology and design.
Syllabus
4 Lessons
over 1 WeekLesson 1:
Storyboarding
Storyboarding is basically the rough draft process that illustrators use to make sure that their stories are clear. We will spend the entire first hour of class with storyboarding to get our comics off to a good start. 60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Character Design
Choosing how to present a character can be an important element in storytelling and developing a style as an artist. The second day will be spent on making design choices for characters and how to make characters look the same from panel to panel. 60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Formatting Text and Beginning Your Comic's Final Draft
In order for a reader to know which text balloons to read in what order, the balloons need to have good design. We will finish off the learning portion of the camp on the third day by talking about how to design speech effectively, and then begin creating the final draft of the comic. 60 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Finishing Your Comic's Final Draft
This will be the final day of the course. It will involve more independent work than the first three days, but artists will receive personalized guidance on making their comics as clear and understandable as possible. 60 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Artists will probably need to make internet image searches to use for references of their drawings. Safe search is highly advised for your search engines. Please have them set up before the first day of class.
Supply List
Pencil (2H, 2B, 4B, 6B, 8B recommended): $6+ Eraser Pens (fine tip Microns or Sharpies, black gel pens recommended) Ruler or straight edge Coloring medium: pencils, crayons, or watercolor paint ***Optional: If painting, watercolor paper, rags, 2 cups of water, and brushes ***Optional: Tablet and drawing program instead of traditional art media
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Joined December, 2020
4.9
71reviews
Star Educator
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Bachelor's Degree from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Associate's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from Cuesta Community College
I am the published illustrator of the graphic novel "RIP Corey: my friend died and it SUCKS!" I gained lots of additional experience and understanding of creating and designing comics from this experience. Please feel free to check out some samples at https://www.arttacularstudios.com/illustration-portfolio , or check out the book itself!
I have been teaching art since 2020, when I led a paint tutorial for a sixth grade birthday party that was almost cancelled due to the pandemic. I really enjoyed the experience and became excited about the idea of sharing art and creativity with other artists. I love both the science and subjectiveness of art--I think there's a lot we can learn from it, and I can't wait to share it with your learners!Reviews
Live Group Course
$72
for 4 classes4x per week, 1 week
60 min
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-13
1-9 learners per class
