Graphic Journalism: Use comics to tell real stories

Graphic Journalism: Use comics to tell real stories

“During the lessons I taught you all the secrets for creating a journalistic story conveyed through a comic strip, now it's your turn! Follow these basic steps to get your project done. Don't just copy my example, but experiment and invent something new. In this way, you will learn to independently apply the techniques I have taught you and you will give more room for creativity. Choose a theme for your story The choice of theme varies a lot from the interest and sensitivity that the author has in general, but also from what you are commissioned by the publisher, magazines or by the same organizations with which you leave to make reports. I advise you to choose a topic that is very close to your heart.

Decide the tone in which to tell it Once the theme has been identified, the tone in which to tell the theme is chosen. To choose the tone, you need to know the type of readers and audience the comic is aimed at, whether they are children, adolescents or adults. Another method of choosing the tone is also choosing how to get to emotionally touch your audience and get them the message and the plot of the story you are telling. Do extensive research and interviews You have already chosen the history and culture, now you have to explore it for yourself and meet it. You need to have a large dose of empathy to experience the story firsthand trying to convey the same feeling that the interviewee feels by stripping himself of himself. It is said that the reporter does not share the opinions of the protagonists of the story, for this reason we tend to tell the point of view of the interviewee beyond that of the reporter. Once you see the interviewee at ease, you begin to delve into the specifics of the interview and the topic you want to discuss but always with a delicacy and with a certain calm in a conversational way. Write a script and draw drafts Imagine what the scenes will look like one frame at a time and write your script. Then start drawing the drafts. You can create character model sheets to always have their graphic description in front of you as you illustrate them on the pages. Having dirty drafts to see how the layout of the comic comes out is used to check if it works or if there is something to change before going to draw the clean tables. Refine the lines and choose the color When you're happy with the sketches, define the lines and add color. You must be able to find the colors that are part of the story also based on the emotions that the protagonists feel. You communicate a lot not only through faces or dialogue, but also through colors. Add texts and let someone you trust read your story Now add the text you have in the script and select the suitable clouds for the text, for example, spoken text, thought text, shouted text, third person text, etc. Most of the time when we write stories and comics, we take it for granted that what we write comes immediately clear and understandable to the reader as we understand it. I recommend engaging a group of people of different genres and interests and different age groups to see what they get and what they don't from the story. Now share your project in the forum! Show everyone both the final result and the processing phases, documenting each phase with an image and describing what you have done with a brief explanation. As soon as possible, I will be happy to comment on your work. See your colleagues' projects and encourage them by commenting on what they've shared - don't miss this valuable opportunity to interact with the creative community. Thanks again for taking this journey with me! ”

Partial transcription of the video

“Final project HI! Here we are at the end of this Domestika course. Thank you so much for following my lessons. During the course, we saw how to transform a topical issue on a comic page. Now it's your turn to translate a story that is close to your heart in an illustration. I chose to tell the status of women in Cambodia, often victims of exploitation and violence. My story is the result of a journey which I actually did. You can choose to tell the status of women in your country or choose a different theme. It all starts with a reflection on the theme and the tone of voice. Put yourself in...”

This transcript is automatically generated, so it may contain mistakes.

Course summary for: Graphic Journalism: Use comics to tell real stories

• Level: Beginner
• 90% positive reviews (10)
• 539 students
• 4 units
• 10 lessons (1h 30m)
• 4 downloads

• Category

  Illustration, Writing

• Areas

  Comic, Creative Writing, Digital Illustration, Traditional illustration