Comic Creation

Are you a student or visual artist looking for a way to get into comic creation? In this three-week summer school, you learn how to juggle drawings, letters, layout, storytelling and all the other elements that a comic consists of.

What you will learn
Comics is a complex form of expression using several different features on every single page.Understanding all the tools applied in this medium is decisive to clearly communicate stories or messages in comic form.

The objective of this program element is for students to become familiar with all the processes involved in creating comics – idea generation, manuscript writing, thumbnailing, layouting, sketching, preparing working drawings, finishing, lettering, etc. as well as with all the elements that comics consist of (drawings, pictures, transitions, page layout, etc.) and how to combine all the elements in an optimal way.

The course corresponds to the module “Comic Tools”, which relates to the core area: Sequential Storytelling” of the bachelor in Graphic Storytelling at The Animation Workshop. At the end of the course, there will be a graded exam, based on the topic of the course.

In general, the course is very practical and hands-on. The content of the program element is executed through a series of exercises training your ability to create comics, consciously using the entire comics creator’s toolbox to make your visual storytelling as interesting as possible and with an ability to plan and structure your process. Combined with lectures and constructive feedback, the exercises are aimed at pushing each student to reach as high a skill level in comic creation as possible.

Daily programme

• 9-12: Class time
• 12-13: Lunch break
• 13-16: Class time

As part of VIA’s summer school program, additional activities are organised after school hours such as trips or social activities. In addition, the workload of the course is relatively high, so extra work on assignments outside of course hours is to be expected.