History and influence of comic art
Students will learn the origins of comic strips and comic books as well as some of the most iconic characters and significant storylines. The influence these have had on popular culture today will be explored.
Scriptwriting
In the business of comics, it is often the case where one person writes the story and another draws the comic. Students will learn how to put their vision into words and write a detailed, professionally formatted script.
Developing characters
What makes a character relatable and believable? Why do we care about characters and how do they affect our emotions? We will discuss these ideas and learn how to write multidimensional characters.
Comic vocabulary
What is a panel? What are closure and juxtaposition? We will discuss the terminology in the universal language of comics.
Digital coloring
Capture the eye of the reader with brilliant colors using Adobe Photoshop. We will learn the importance of a limited color palette and how to effectively create mood and contrast.
Page layout and composition
Comics are a visual medium first and foremost. A visually enticing comic page can help effectively tell the story. The job of the artist is to create illustrations that capture the reader, tell the story, and simply put, look cool!
Perspective
The ability to draw characters and environments in perspective is essential in creating the illusion of depth. This illusion helps create a believable three dimensional world on the comic page.
The business of comics/ self-publishing and web comics
So, now you want to make comics for a living. We will discuss how to break into the mainstream business and work for the largest publishers as well as self-publishing your work in print or on the web.