Saturday, February 14, 2015

For Comic Art Classes Pennsylvania Has A Variety Of Options

By Katina Brady


Characters from the comics have seemingly taken over much of our mainstream culture, creating new interest in the business of paneled storytelling. As a result, young artists and many older fans are now seeking to become professionals. Many dream of creating the next popular character that will rise to the top of the industry. When these artists look for the best comic art classes Pennsylvania is often among their top choices.

Decades ago, there were essentially two ways to get into the industry. The first was to spend many years studying the greats of the day and mastering the craft at home. The second involved getting a job working as an understudy to an active professional artist. Basically, the choices for aspiring artists were little unchanged from what they had been for all artists throughout history.

As comics grew in popularity, a number of artists saw the benefit of starting schools and workshops to pass on the basic skills of their craft to future generations. Popular artists like Joe Kubert soon helped educate an entirely new generation of fresh, and highly-skilled storytellers. With that success, more schools were created, including many of those now found in Pennsylvania.

At the various workshops and schools, aspiring artists are taught the basic elements of comics work, as well as more advanced story creation methods and production skills. Instructors strive to educate every new artist in every area needed to create comics ready for publication. That, of course, requires a diverse course of study covering many different skill sets.

Obviously, some skills are common to those taught in other schools for artists. Human anatomy is one such course, and a great deal of time is spent in its study. Comics tend to be stories about people, so artists need to know how to draw them. That requires learning both the natural proportions of the human body, and the so-called heroic proportions often used in these tales.

Different tools, mediums, and techniques are also studied. In addition to pencil drawing, students are also expected to develop expertise with India ink, as well as the pens and brushes used in the inking process. They learn how to vary line thickness, work with shadows, and create mood in their drawings. Many courses also offer supplementary instruction in mediums like watercolor, as well as instruction in various graphics software programs.

And then there is the true heart of this education: sequential storytelling. Most people don't just pick up a pencil and start drawing pictures to tell complex stories. Most have to be taught how to translate a scripted story into a paneled narrative, the proper pace for telling the story, how to vary perspective in scenes, and the way to develop dynamic panels on a consistent basis.

As Hollywood continues to produce one blockbuster after another based on the most popular of these comics, the need for talented artists will only continue to grow. For aspiring students who desire to learn this craft, an area school that teaches the fundamentals of producing comics can be the perfect way to achieve that goal.




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