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.
Several decades ago, artists like the renowned Joe Kubert decided that they could offer aspiring illustrators the benefit of their insight in a formalized setting. They created schools that soon produced a new crop of artists whose graduation filled the comics industry with dynamic storytellers. Schools, workshops, and other venues soon sprang up in Pennsylvania and other areas.
These educational forums now provide students with the foundation they need to create comics of a professional quality. They learn all the basic skills associated with quality drawing, as well as more advanced techniques for telling stories with pictures, and useful production skills. The process of learning all of these critical skill sets requires a diverse range of class work.
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.
Study of various mediums, techniques, and artist tools is also required. Some courses teach mediums like watercolor, and some of the many graphics software programs used for comics production. Almost all schools instruct students in the techniques for pencil drawings, as well as how to use pens and brushes to create India ink finished drawings using line thickness and shadow to create the ambiance and effect that can mean the difference between mediocre and superior artwork.
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.
The fact is that Hollywood seems ready to make even more blockbuster films with themes and characters from the comics. That will only serve to inspire even more artists to take up the mantle and try to break into this industry. Serious students can get the help they need at any of the fine sequential art schools in the area.
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.
Several decades ago, artists like the renowned Joe Kubert decided that they could offer aspiring illustrators the benefit of their insight in a formalized setting. They created schools that soon produced a new crop of artists whose graduation filled the comics industry with dynamic storytellers. Schools, workshops, and other venues soon sprang up in Pennsylvania and other areas.
These educational forums now provide students with the foundation they need to create comics of a professional quality. They learn all the basic skills associated with quality drawing, as well as more advanced techniques for telling stories with pictures, and useful production skills. The process of learning all of these critical skill sets requires a diverse range of class work.
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.
Study of various mediums, techniques, and artist tools is also required. Some courses teach mediums like watercolor, and some of the many graphics software programs used for comics production. Almost all schools instruct students in the techniques for pencil drawings, as well as how to use pens and brushes to create India ink finished drawings using line thickness and shadow to create the ambiance and effect that can mean the difference between mediocre and superior artwork.
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.
The fact is that Hollywood seems ready to make even more blockbuster films with themes and characters from the comics. That will only serve to inspire even more artists to take up the mantle and try to break into this industry. Serious students can get the help they need at any of the fine sequential art schools in the area.
