Foundations of Comic-Making
Foundations of Comic-Making
All Levels - Teens & Adults
Instructor: Aria Villafranca
2 days / In Person at WSS - In Our Main Gallery Space
Wednesday & Thursday, 5-8 pm, 9/11 & 9/12
$215
Learn the basics of getting started with comics! This course aims to teach students the foundations of sequential storytelling with lectures, exercises, and group critique, to begin developing drawing practices of moving past ideation, into production.
Students will learn the basic theory of storytelling and comic-making, before engaging in analysis of published works, and exercises in creating their own comic page layouts. Students will also engage in discussion about the comics they like to read, and hope to make, and how thoughtful compositions and story planning in the drafting stages of comics help to ensure compelling narratives. The ultimate goal is to help develop the intentions in the habit and practice of drawing comics that are essential to producing full stories of any length.
This course is intended for new and beginner students interested in creating comics, with a basic grasp of fundamental drawing techniques, but can be enjoyed at all levels, and will focus mostly on the drafting and layout stages of comic production. Teens are welcome to join this workshop.
Materials List: These are the materials you will need for this workshop. Please bring these with you to both sessions.
- Sketchbook and/or paper
- Pencil
- Pen
- Other drawing tools of your choice (optional)
- A few of your favorite comics (optional)
Optional Further Reading Materials:
Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
Making Comics by Scott McCloud
The Shonen Jump Guide to Making Manga by the Weekly Shonen Jump Editorial Department
About Aria Villafranca:
Aria is a comic artist and editor based in Pasadena, CA. She was born and raised on the island of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, where she received her BFA from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa with a focus in Drawing and Painting. She later received her MFA in Sequential Art from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
She currently works as Managing Editor at the digital comics publisher WEBTOON Entertainment and produces her own work independently. While her work ranges in genre and topic, she is most interested in creating work that discusses issues of societal identity, as well as themes of gender, social conflict, social perception, and autocracy. She has had work shown at the Honolulu Museum of Art Spalding House, has collaborated with the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project, and Night Kitchen Interactive, on the award-winning online exhibit Duty to Country, as well as the follow-up graphic novel In the Shadow of Giants.
Her current projects include participating in the yearly Utot Komiks anthology from the Utot Komiks collective, of which she is a founding member, and producing her ongoing comedy comic series Paint Nothing!!.
Refund Policy and Course Selection
Covid Health Policy
If you are unsure if a class is right for you, please read our Pathway To Sucess: A Guide or have a conversation with a Faculty member or our Head of Faculty before the first week of the term comes to an end. Once the second week of classes starts, no refunds will be offered.
Please find our full refund policy linked here.
For Workshops, Artist Demos, and Short Classes (classes less than 10 weeks in duration) - only withdrawals more than 14 days before the first day of class – 100% tuition refund*
A $25 administrative fee is applied to all refunds.
*If we can fill your spot, we will fully refund your tuition, less the administrative fee.