In this class, students will dive into the practical techniques used to draw comics, manga, and graphic novels. First, students will make characters believable with lessons on basic anatomy, shape design, and body language.Then, they will construct rich and believable worlds for the characters to inhabit, with lessons on perspective and world building. From choosing the right moments to framing actions, the class will experience how words and pictures combine to communicate a story.

James Boyle is a professional illustrator. He earned a BFA in Illustration from the University of the Arts and has been working in the commercial art industry for the past 15 years. His artwork has been featured in Magazines such as Boys’ Life, Outside, and Philadelphia Magazine. He is the creator of the Philadelphia Tarot deck and is currently working on an upcoming comic book series for A Wave Blue World publishing.

Materials List:

Sketchbook (any size) to keep all class work in one place, easy for tracking your progress and story ideas.

- Your favorite drawing supplies! - pens/pencils/markers etc. (I’ll have an assortment on hand for anyone that needs.)

- Recommended pencils - HB pencil (also known as the #2), 2H pencil (hard lead, good for layouts) Optional: non-photo blue or light blue colored pencil for layouts

- Recommended pens - felt tip pens (Micron and Faeber Castel are good brands)

- Kneaded eraser

- Mars plastic eraser

- Ruler