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How to Draw and Write for Comics! Create a Comic Book from Start to Finish

Completed by 72 learners
Ages 10-15
Live Group Class
In this ongoing comics class, you learn the entire process for making comics, from coming up with your story idea, to composition, layout, design, perspective, scanning, coloring and lettering. For pencil/paper or digital artists.
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(592 reviews)
Popular

Live video meetings
1x per week
1-4 learners per class
55 min

What's included

1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hours per week
Assessment
constructive verbal feedback in class

Class Experience

👀👀💰💰TRY YOUR FIRST WEEK FREE WITH CODE TOGETHERCURIOUS30💰💰👀👀

📣 Calling all aspiring comic book artists! 📣

In this ongoing class, you will learn a new skill or concept each week that will help you complete your comic book idea.

You can jump in any week! Stick around for the whole series and you'll know how to make a comic from start to finish.

Students of this class will gain a stronger sense of how a comic book cartoonist goes about crafting a comic story and what basic fundamentals are needed in order to begin creating a compelling comic story.

Below is the tentative schedule, subject to change. (Classes are often adjusted to best support the needs and interests of enrolled learners, so please message to confirm):

Week 1: Crafting a story part 1: - understanding the parts of a story using a story pyramid

Week 2: Crafting a story part 2: - Drawing uneven planes and how to draw/write for the exterior establishing shot into a comic strip ***Includes learning one-point perspective to create an interesting landscape

Week 3: World building part 1: Drawing Trees and landscapes - Learn how to draw trees within a landscape that are also in perspective

Week 4: World Building part 2: Drawing uneven planes and how to draw/write for the exterior establishing shot into a comic strip ***Includes learning one-point perspective to create an interesting landscape

Week 5: Crafting a story part 3: Storyboarding a story - understanding the range of panel compositions that can be used in order to tell a story

Week 6: Starting your comic part 1: With a two-point interior drawing and drawing the figure ***Learn two point perspective to construct a dramatic angled living room space as the setting to start a comic strip/book

Week 7: Creating comics part 1: Changing the panel shape - Design and draw a three panel comic that changes the panel shape by way of simplified figure construction (The pyramid)

Week 8: Creating comics part 2: Understanding how to draw believable characters with using contrapposto (weight distribution) in a cowboy shot perspective (one-point)

Week 9: Starting your comic part 2: Drawing ICE as an element in your story - what kind of drama can become of a character or object frozen in ice?... ***Learn one and two-point perspective while drawing the characteristics of the element of ICE to start a comic story

Week 10: Starting your comic part 3: Drawing Hands - for aspect shots in comics - Learn the shaping involved in order to draw a convincing three dimensional hand in an aspect shot of a comic strip.

Week 11: Inking comics part 1: Understanding the use of thick and thin lines while considering light source and depth of field

Week 12: Inking comics part 2: Understanding the use of shadows and texture for contrast and depth

Week 13: Creating Comics part 3: Birds eye View - Drawing a birds eye view of a city in two-point perspective as the opening exposition shot of your comic 

Week 14: Scanning your traditionally drawn comic - How to scan and color correct/clean up your traditional line art drawing to a digital one

Week 15: Coloring for comics part 1: Understanding hot and cold color values for contrast and continuity of the comics page

Week 16: Coloring for comics part 2: How hard color shadows on a character can convey a light source

Week 17: Lettering for comics part 1: How comic word balloons are arranged and used to show direction / where not to place a word balloon

Week 18: Lettering for comics part 2: How text is properly placed within a given word balloon

General Outline of Each class:
-Warmups, introductions, and objectives of the lesson
-Present the lesson by drawing together
-Present references or examples along the way
-Encourage students to explore the possibilities
-Student share as they want throughout the lesson and receive personalized feedback

Supplies Needed:
Pencil, paper, rulers, eraser, (optional: Photoshop, Procreate, or other digital drawing app)

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: 

MIKE JASORKA, PROFESSIONAL CARTOONIST AND COMIC ARTIST: Mike Jasorka grew up in a small rural town in New Jersey and graduated in 2007 from Rowan University with a studio art degree in illustration before making a move to his dream city of Los Angeles. There, he spent his time juggling his joy for self-publishing and creating his own comic books, providing storyboards for the advertising/film/music industry and teaching sequential art (comics) at Venice Arts - a non-profit multi-media arts organization. At Venice Arts, Mike has taught over 500 youth how to write and draw comics by applying the methods and foundations he uses in creating his own comics as well as the opportunities he has had professionally. Mike's teaching philosophy revolves around approaching creativity with a patience to grow - as every project brings new growth through challenge and requires great patience in order to passionately complete them. Most of Mike's time today is spent creating his next comic works, hanging out with his fiancée and friends, writing songs on the guitar and playing drums when he can.

KAITLYN SYDELLE, ANIME COMIC ARTIST: With a B.F.A. in Graphic Design with an emphasis in Illustration from CSU Fresno, I am an experienced, award winning comic artist with several self-published titles. I have been professionally teaching comics and anime themed classes to artists of all ages since 2013, from 1-on-1 elementary sessions to college-level classrooms. I’m very passionate about everyone experiencing the confident joy of putting your ideas onto paper, and feeling your world come to life. I believe there is no such thing as a “bad” art style, and that anyone can draw given the chance. In my classes, I help guide students to develop the styles they would enjoy practicing, honing their own signature style, or having space to try a new technique! Some of my favorite hobbies outside of art are studying foreign languages and martial arts to keep my brain and body active.

Learning Goals

Students will learn all the skills and steps necessary for creating a comic book from start to finish

Other Details

Supply List
Supplies Needed:
Pencil, paper, rulers, eraser, (optional: Photoshop or other digital drawing app)
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.

Offered by

4.9
592reviews
Popular
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Massachusetts Teaching Certificate in Social Studies/History
Chris Hurley
Washington Teaching Certificate in Special Education
Derrick Heisey
North Carolina Teaching Certificate in English/Language Arts
Daniel Grissom, M.A.
Master's Degree from University of Massachusetts
Chris Hurley
Master's Degree in English from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Joanna Gallagher
Master's Degree in Education from Teachers College at Columbia University
Daniel Grissom, M.A.
Bachelor's Degree in History from Westfield State College
Chris Hurley
Bachelor's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from Rochester Institute of Technology
Maggie Wehler
Bachelor's Degree in Art and Design from Rowan University
Mike Jasorka, Comics Pro
Bachelor's Degree in English from Bryan College
Joanna Gallagher
Bachelor's Degree in History from Bryan College
Joanna Gallagher
Bachelor's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from San Francisco State University
Kevin Anthony Catalan
Bachelor's Degree in English Language and Literature from The University of New Mexico
Derrick Heisey
Bachelor's Degree in Music or Theatre or Arts from California State University, Fresno
Kaitlyn Sydelle, Anime Comic Artist
Bachelor's Degree in Fine/Studio Arts from UW-Whitewater
Jes Sudbrink
Bachelor's Degree in Foreign Language from North Carolina State University
Daniel Grissom, M.A.
Bachelor's Degree from North Carolina State University
Daniel Grissom, M.A.
Mike has self-published and created his own comic books, provided storyboards for the advertising/film/music industry and taught sequential art (comics) at Venice Arts in Los Angeles - a non-profit multi-media arts organization. At Venice Arts, Mike has taught over 500 youth how to write and draw comics by applying the methods and foundations he uses in creating his own comics as well insight gained from the opportunities he has had professionally.

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