Narrate Vignettes with a Pen
A course by Miguel GallardoCartoonist and illustrator
A course by Miguel Gallardo, Cartoonist and illustrator
Learn to construct the story of a comic based on a personal experience
In this course by Miguel Gallardo, comic book illustrator and illustrator of publications such as La Vanguardia, Herald Tribune and The New Yorker - you will learn to build the story of a graphic novel with minimal material resources based on your own experiences , those of your environment or family memories.
Gallardo will teach you to narrate in an exciting and fun way as life itself, just as he does in the novels dedicated to his daughter with autism, "María and I" and "María is 20 years old" , por those received by the National Prize of the Generalitat in the comic section and the Grand Prix of the Barcelona Comic Fair for its entire career.
You will discover how to define the relevant facts of a story and structure it clearly, with emotion and humor. That is the secret of the recipe. "The closest source of stories we have is our own life and experiences, as well as that of the circle closest to us, family, friends ... that's where the good stories come from." , as Miguel Gallardo admits.
What will you learn in this online course?
13 lessons & 8 downloads
Maria and I
8 minutes, 24 seconds
The project
3 minutes, 58 seconds
Material
2 minutes, 16 seconds
Written script
4 minutes, 24 seconds
Storyboard script
7 minutes, 27 seconds
Collect images
5 minutes, 22 seconds
What's included in this course?
First you will know the works and influences of this famous Catalan illustrator for being the author of Makoki.
Then, look for references for your story such as photographs, childhood anecdotes, notes, sketches, diaries, notebooks and diaries ... everything you need until you know what you are going to tell.
Later, with a notebook and a pen as allies, you will create a character based on your own physical characteristics and your personality, exaggerating or showing features that will help you to narrate the experience you are going to tell. Then it will be time to make the written script divided into three parts, in the classic way: presentation, node and ending.
This script will be passed to drawings in the Storyboard distributing the story among the 4 pages that will compose your comic without forgetting to place the action of the characters, put them in an unexpected situation and see how they react by measuring the times well and the emotions.
In addition, you will work different variations of the same vignette trying out different framings, postures, expressions ...
Later you will assemble the pages and incorporate the dialogues. At this point, one of Miguel's advice is that "the history and the images that accompany it are inevitably linked. They have to go together, no matter what level of drawing you think you have, the important thing is that you understand the story you're going to tell " .
Finally you will put the final touches to your comic on the computer.
In addition, Miguel Gallardo will also teach you some questions about contracts, billing and dissemination of your work.
What is this course's project?
Create a 3-page comic book plus the cover that narrates a personal experience with the precise dose of drama and comedy using minimal materials such as a pad of graph paper and a pen, your imagination and resources such as photographs, cuts, sketches or anything that you inspire You can also pull stories of your environment or a family memory without having to be especially true to reality.
There will be no distractions of styles, techniques or grammages of paper. Only you and the blank page, because it has always been that way.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
To all the people who want to learn to narrate, applicable to any discipline.
Requirements and materials
Notebooks, papers, slips, back of invoices, any pen at your fingertips and a computer with scanner for the final phase.
A tip from the teacher: "do not be fooled by the style of the notebook, the more humble the better, it's about looking for a support that does not scare, smudge and wrinkle".
Reviews
- 11 months ago
Genial!!!
- 1 year ago
muy bueno e interesante
- 1 year ago
Genial! gracias Miguel
- 1 year ago
The course is relatively simple but it is still inspiring for beginners like me and adds another perspective on the process of illustrating stories.
- 2 years ago
Muy inspirador. Curso recomendado
He began his professional career combining the comic-he was one of the authors of MAKOKI , iconic character of the underground- and the illustration to finish dedicating himself fully to this last activity.
He regularly collaborates as a press illustrator for La Vanguardia and different national and international magazines and publications such as the Herald Tribune, NYT and The New Yorker.
Make covers for the main Spanish publishers. Together with Victoria Bermejo they have made a dozen children's books for RBA, La Galera and Ed. 62. With Àngels Ponce he is co-author of What's wrong with this child? , a guide on disability for Serres.
He has won two awards from the Comic Fair, two SND (Society of Newspaper Design), a Serra D'Or for the book and a press award from APIC for his illustrations in La Vanguardia.
In 2007 published "Mary and I" with Astiberri, a graphic novel that chronicles the adventures and journeys with her daughter Maria 13 years who has autism for which he received the National Premi of Generalitat in its comic section in 2008. In 2014, it received the Grand Prix of the Barcelona Comic Fair for its entire career. In 2009, a documentary about the book with the same title "María y yo" which has received several awards.
Seven and a half years after the publication of "María y yo", Miguel Gallardo returns to show us the look of his daughter, already in her twenties, and her relationship with the world in "María is 20 years old".
Content
- U1
We introduce Maria and me
- Presentation of my work
- Influences
- Maria and I
- U2
How to start a story and what do I need
- The project
- Material
- Written script
- Storyboard script
- U3
How to make the story
- Collect images
- Final Art - Mount the pages
- General Review
- The cover
- U4
Follow up, do not abandon your creation.
- Practice of life
- Give diffusion to your work
- FP
Final project
- Narrate in bullets with a pen
What to expect from a Domestika course
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FAQs
You’ll learn how to tell personal stories through panels, develop a script, create storyboards, draw with pen, digitize and layout pages, design covers, and promote your work on social media and self-publishing platforms.
The course is geared toward intermediate learners—perfect if you already have basic drawing or storytelling skills and want to dive deeper into creating and publishing your own comics.
All you need is paper, a pen, a simple notebook, and access to a scanner or camera to digitize your drawings. Having a computer with basic graphic editing software is also recommended.
You’ll learn how to promote your book on social media, target your audience, run page ads, and engage with online readers to boost your work’s visibility and sales.
Yes, the course teaches you how to design eye-catching covers, choose colors, compose images, and tailor your design to stand out in bookstores and digital platforms.
Yes, it covers contracts, copyright negotiations, invoicing, registering as a freelancer, and basic legal advice for illustrators.
You’ll work on pen-drawn panels, page composition, integrating text and art, manual and digital lettering, and narrative structure for both personal stories and fiction.