92nd Street Y Class - Intermediate Cartooning - From Gag to Strip
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Course Description:
Class will cover the learning of cartooning techniques and tools, the history of comic strip and cartoon art and the development of characters and ideas toward the goal of a long-term project.
Course Objectives:
Students will learn how to use cartooning tools such as pen brush and ink, but also tools of character, plot and idea development. Students will understand the basics of how comics work, and will be able to use the tools of storytelling to be able to create their own long or short form comics. Students will also learn about cartooning and comic strip history, and will understand how to look at and read comics in the context of that history and the breadth of sequential literature.
Suggested Readings:
McCloud, Scott; Understanding Comics, Making Comics
Mamet, David; On Directing Film
Eisner, Will; Comics and Sequential Art
Other good books, depending on your particular style, etc.
Janson, Klaus: The DC Guide to Pencilling Comics
Volger, Christopher; The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters
Various; How to Draw Manga
Meglin, Nick; The Art of Humorous Illustration
Instructor will bring additional books to class for perusal each week.
Week 1
Name of Project/Assignment: Silent stories
Topic : Students will learn to create a simple story using only pictures. What tools, techniques and processes will they learn to use? What are the historical references? A variety of silent comics will be shown.
Demonstrations (if applicable) : We will show and discuss the possible connections between random imagery as a basis of developing our visual imagination.
Assignmen t: Students will create several wordless comics, including a personal one about themselves, and then one or two from random sources
Week 2
Name of Project/Assignment: Transitions
Topic : Through looking at our last week's work more closely and editing them, we will learn some of the options available as storytellers and strip artists
Demonstrations (if applicable) :
Assignmen t: Group exercise will involve editing, through expansion and reduction, a 4 panel comic strip. Development of separate threads, story ideas and details will be encouraged.
Week 3
Name of Project/Assignment: Comic Strip creation workshop
Topic : We'll create characters and develop possible routines and status relationships.
Demonstrations (if applicable) : We'll look at historical examples ranging from Mutt and Jeff to the Peanuts and many things in between.
Assignmen t: We'll create our first 4-6 comic strips
Week 4
Name of Project/Assignment: Panel composition
Topic : We'll look at the composition that goes into a single panel, and use this as a way to look more closely at gag cartoons as well as fine art (painting, drawing, etc)
Demonstrations (if applicable) : Show will include numerous examples of exemplary compositions, from Peter Arno to Rembrandt.
Assignmen t: Creating our own single panel narrative or gag, and using these tools to refine our last week panels.
Week 5
Name of Project/Assignment: Page composition
Topic : We'll look at how panels interrelate.
Demonstrations (if applicable) : We'll show dozens of exemplary page compositions, from Tezuka to Herriman.
Assignmen t: In class we will recompose a page from Tintin and learn about the dynamics of stretching panels, repeating panels, etc.
Week 6
Name of Project/Assignment: Drawing in line
Topic : We'll learn how to draw in line with ink.
Demonstrations (if applicable) : We'll look at extreme close-up dozens of exemplary ink drawings and comic and cartoon panels.
Assignmen t: In class we will learn more by practicing inking over other drawings.
Week 7
Name of Project/Assignment: Discussion of the icon
Topic : We'll look at issues of realism vs simplicity/”cartoonyness” and the values of both
Demonstrations (if applicable) : Examples of the range of illustrative spectrum will be shown
Assignmen t: In class we will begin to create an outline for a long form series or story, and examine ways to develop it.
Week 8
Name of Project/Assignment: Comic strip workshop, continued
Topic : We'll continue our comic strip creation by looking more closely at character dynamics but also look at long-form storytelling, suspense and adventure
Demonstrations (if applicable) : We will look at dozens of examples, from L'il Abner to Little Orphan Annie to Dick Tracy
Assignmen t: From here our assignments are developing our long form projects. Majority of class time will be devoted to that.
Week 9:
Name of Project/Assignment: Lettering
Topic : We'll look at the value of lettering in a comic, and will learn the skills to apply it.
Demonstrations (if applicable) : We will look at dozens of examples, plus learn the Ames lettering guide. A quick look at computer lettering.
Assignmen t: Further development of our long projects. By now, we've created at least an outline, characters and rough drawings for the bulk of our work.
Week 10
Name of Project/Assignment: Looking at the short story
Topic : We'll look quickly at short stories and how to read them.
Demonstrations (if applicable) : We'll show excerpts from several classic short stories.
Assignmen t: Further development of our long projects. Examining our storytelling options, and beginning our final inks.
Week 11
Name of Project/Assignment: Looking at manga
Topic : We'll show some excerpts from manga and look at the history in context
Demonstrations (if applicable) : A wide overview will be shown
Assignmen t: Further development of our long projects. Working up our final pencils and developing our inking.
Week 12
Name of Project/Assignment: Looking at the long story
Topic : We'll look quickly at long form graphic novels, and how to read them.
Demonstrations (if applicable) : We'll show excerpts from several popular books on the shelves now.
Assignmen t: Further development of our long projects.
Week 13
Name of Project/Assignment: A look at formal tricks and ideas in comics.
Topic : We'll look at formal game playing and ideas for creating comics: comics that read backwards and forwards, up and down, etc.
Demonstrations (if applicable) : A variety of comics in the “Oubapo” school will be shown.
Assignmen t: Further development of our long projects.
Week 14
Name of Project/Assignment: Final critique
Topic : Sharing and analyzing our final work
Demonstrations (if applicable) :
Assignmen t: To participate fully in the critique and discussions.
click here for a sampling of some of my more interesting pages and works.
e-mail me : hutchowen@gmail.com
Some Resources:
Archive of many amazing stories by amazing artists HERE
including: Jack Kirby | Harvey Kurtzman | Jaime Hernandez | Samm Schwartz | Peter Arno and more
Scott McCloud UNDERSTANDING COMICS Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 6
Some Examples of Location, Place and Environments
Andy Bugpowder's Early Comics Archive
Printers and printing your own comics
Some pics by Eduard Muybridge here
Tom's 2004 tutorial from notion, inspiration and theft to idea development to final inks and scan. (7 MB PDF)
Tons of links on my webcomics class link here