Graphic Novel and Comix

Adobe Illustrator is one of the most popular computer applications for computer illustration in the design industry. Learn Illustrators full capabilities for creating logo design, line art, or continuous tone illustrations, as well as using colour and photography and importing or exporting files for use with other graphic applications.Prerequisites: Mac or PC experience.Note: This course is taught on a Mac.

This life drawing course will be split into two sections. In the first half students will study the forms, proportions, and anatomy of the human figure with a more traditional approach. In the second half students will work in a more illustrative and comic book based direction with costumed models in expressive poses. The emphasis will be on placing the figure in real space and how the figure relates to illustration in a storytelling and narrative capacity.

In this course, writers and artists alike will learn the theory of storytelling, including building conflict, developing characters, and efficiently resolving narratives. This class places emphasis on a foundation of narrative theory, studying strong plots and tension. The class will also cover formatting for comics-writing, techniques for self-editing, and advice for working solo or as part of a collaborative team. Over this course, students will develop scripts for several long comics to be workshopped with the rest of the class.

In this drawing course students will learn the essential fundamentals as related to the development of unique and varied characters including animal anatomy and fantasy creatures that make up the standard graphic novel. Character creation can take on varied forms with unique methods such as ink blotting and drybrush. Students will develop a variety of unique characters that could eventually make up the cast of their own long form graphic novel using varied mediums and approaches. They also will study how to achieve different moods with body language and facial expressions when drawing their characters. They will also use their experience from Life Drawing to place their characters in different environments.

In this introductory course to the Graphic Novel & Comix Program students will explore all forms of sequential art making. They will be introduced to the varied techniques and approaches in the creation of sequential narratives from traditional pen and ink to digital mediums. They will learn how their own stories can be brought to life on the page and discover their own personal voices and styles of illustration and storytelling.

This is an intensive four-day workshop to concentrate on specific aspects of Adobe Illustrator as relates to the creation of those Illustrator graphics that go into digital comic book imagery. There will also be aspects of InDesign that relates to page making and layout for comics.