Visual Narrative for Comic Books: Illustrate Your Own Universe

Engage in a new form of storytelling and turn a well-known story into a creative cartoon. Comic book artist Sam Hart has been creating comics his whole life. His passion for creating alternative universes has seen him draw iconic characters including Robin Hood, King Arthur, and Judge Dred and go on to work for Africa, one for the largest advertising agencies in Latin America.

In this course, he shares his expertise in combining the visual with the textual to craft compelling stories filled with emotion. Learn the essentials of comic book creation, from writing an impactful script to bringing the words on the page to life.

Begin with an insight into Sam’s career in comics and how the countries he has lived in have influenced it. Find out why he chose to specialize in comic books and what he’s learned along the way.

Familiarize yourself with the materials used in this course and the different finishes they create. Then take a look at the elements which make up a comic book page and how they guide a reader seamlessly through it. Set the story by understanding the underlying themes and key moments to include in a comic book script.

Start sketching your script. Experiment with size and scale before settling on a final layout for your comic. Learn about the importance of background elements, including panel-to-panel clarity and speech bubble narrative and finalize your pencil artwork. Sam then guides you through putting the finishing touches to your drawings using ink. Incorporate contrast, light direction, and texture for a professional end result.

Finally, delve into Sam’s top narrative tips to finish the course, from overcoming creative block to drawing with a mirror. Find out how to letter your project and where to share it to find your audience.

Transform a classic myth or story into three pages of creative comic book art.

This course is for anyone with an interest in comic books and how to tell a compelling story.

Basic drawing skills are helpful but not essential to take this course.

You will need paper, a pencil, an eraser, a ruler, and brushes.