Comic Books and Visual Storytelling

Comic Book & Visual Storytelling  – Create and Illustrate Comic Books

Marino College –  January, 2020

This year the visual storytelling course will aim to obtain a deep knowledge of comics, sequential art and visual storytelling, through a series of brain-tickling exercises. Exercises will tackle: strategies for creativity, lettering, colour and mood, character definition, page layout, tool review, etc. Every session we will work with different techniques and strategies to tell a story with a sequence of images. Those techniques will cover all the steps of comic book making, from idea generation to finalising the pages.

This course does not require previous drawing experience though it will include exercises on drawing, sequential narrative and page design. Former students are welcome back as the course will be quite different, as new exercises and ideas are constantly poured into this course. Each session will include hands-on practical exercises and some homework. While materials will be provided, students are encouraged to bring their favourite drawing materials.

About the course tutor: Elida Maiques is a visual artist with a strong line on comics. She has been self-publishing comics since 1999, some of her work has received awards and distinctions. Originally from Valencia, Spain, she moved to Ireland in 2003; she is a member of the Stray Lines collective, and an associate of the Plutón Cultural Centre. Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies and books such as “Gods and Monsters of Tomorrow”, “Rírá”, “Polen” or “Courageous Mayhem”. Her work has been exhibited in museums and art centres like CentroCentro Cibeles, Madrid (Spain), IVAM (Valencian Museum of Modern Art), Valencia (Spain) and others. elidasaur.tumblr.com @elidasaur straylines.org