Share your story through comics! In this interactive class, cartoonist Jon Chad shows you the ins and outs of making a comic book.
Meet Jon Chad and get started by learning what makes a comic. Then Jon goes over the tools and materials you'll need to get started.
Characters are the pillar of every story. In this lesson, Jon shows you how to design a diverse cast of characters with personalities that make for fun, adventurous and exciting stories. He also discusses the common practice of spot blacking and character silhouetting.
Just like in the movies, your comic characters need to act! Follow along as Jon shares tips and exercises to help you bring out the most of your characters with facial acting and full body acting.
Lettering is not only an important component of many comics, it's also an extension of acting. Here, Jon covers best lettering practices, then shows you how to make your own lettering guide. You'll learn to use lettering and word balloons as an extension of your character's acting.
What makes a good environment for comics? Find out as you learn to create a number of different environments for your characters to live in. Using a few simple marks and drawing tricks, Jon shows you how to make your environments more engaging.
Discover the importance of panel composition as you create panel outlines (or thumbnails) that will help you determine the best layout for each page of your comic. Afterwards, get your creative juices flowing with a fast-paced thumbnailing exercise.
Next, Jon breaks down the different parts of a comic page. Find out how to tell effective stories, even when a lot of time has passed between two consecutive panels. After that, apply your new skills as you learn to create a one-page story.
Build on everything you've learned to draw a full comic page! First Jon introduces the bristol board, a higher quality paper that cartoonists use. Then he shares how to rule out a comic page, as well as tips for penciling, inking and correcting mistakes.
Finally, take all of your comic pages and make a real comic book that you can share with the world! Follow along as Jon walks you step by step through the final process of creating a polished, photocopied version of your comic.
Jon Chad
Jon Chad is a passionate and prolific cartoonist with an insane love for reading and making comics. His first published work was a science series for kids called "Leo Geo" he has also illustrated comics for Cartoon Network’s hit shows "Adventure Time", "Regular Show" and "The Amazing World of Gumball". Jon is a thoughtful and experienced teacher, having led courses and workshops for both adults and kids at the Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont and the University of Wisconsin.
Ink Outside the Box - Class Materials
Bonus Materials available for download after purchase.
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