The Superhero Comic: Narrative and Graphic Design

A course by Carlos Pacheco , Comic Artist

Comic Artist. Majadahonda, Spain.
Joined February 2016

Learn to design the layout, sketches, lighting, and finishes for comic strips

97% positive reviews (233)
3,993 students
Audio: Spanish
Spanish · English · Portuguese

Learn to design the layout, sketches, lighting, and finishes for comic strips

Marvel and DC comic book artist Carlos Pacheco teaches you how to integrate superheroes and extraordinary beings into an everyday world without the story falling apart.

According to Carlos, “Superheroes must move in an environment identifiable as real, in which they are the dissonant elements.” this online course, master the application of comic narrative techniques to achieve a consistent union between fiction and everyday life.

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What will you learn in this online course?

13 lessons & 6 downloads

  • 97% positive reviews (233)
  • 3,993 students
  • 13 lessons (2h 34m)
  • 6 additional resources (5 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: Spanish
  • Spanish · English · Portuguese
  • Level: Intermediate
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Basing your project on a professional script provided by your teacher, create a four-to-five page comic with varied sequences that you can use as a cover letter for the many renowned North American publishers who visit Comic Book Fairs.

Projects by course students

Who is this online course for?

Illustrators, cartoonists, designers, and all fans of superhero comics, whether classic and modern, with the desire to be part of this industry.

Requirements and materials

To take this course, you need basic-to-moderate knowledge of drawn human and animal anatomy, facial expressions, perspective, and natural drawing, as well as some basic notions of cartoon language.


Reviews

3,993 Students
233 Reviews
97% Positive ratings

Carlos Pacheco

A course by Carlos Pacheco

Teacher Plus
Comic Artist

Carlos Pacheco (1961-2022) was a professional comic book artist. He worked in the US comic industry for companies such as Marvel and DC, with forays into independent comics.

Throughout his career, he worked on collections of popular characters like Avengers, X-Men, Captain America, The Fantastic Four, Inhumans, Superman, Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, Flash, and Justice League of America.

His work was recognized with numerous awards such as the 1996 Revelation Author by Wizard magazine, Best Spanish Author by the readers of specialist magazine Dolmen, Best Spanish Comic Cartoonist by the Granada Comic Fair in 2001, and by the 2004 Fantastic and Horror Film Week in Estepona, Málaga. In addition, his own series, created alongside US screenwriter Kurt Busiek, was nominated for the prestigious Eisner awards in 2004. In 2010, he was awarded the Andalusian Comic prize at the Granada International Comic Fair.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • Presentation
    • Influences
  • U2

    Preproduction

    • Script: reading and interpretation
    • Search for reference material.
    • Drawing material
    • Selection of scenes and distribution in vignettes I
    • Selection of scenes and distribution in vignettes II
    • Sketching of the pages
  • U3

    Production

    • Realization of the page: the pencil I
    • Realization of the page: the pencil II
    • Final finishing
  • U4

    Postproduction

    • Final adjustments of the pages by scanning
    • Ink and color indications
  • FP

    Final project

    • The superhero comic: narrative and graphic realization

What to expect from a Domestika course

  • Learn at your own pace

    Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.

  • Learn from the best professionals

    Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.

  • Meet expert teachers

    Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.

  • Certificates
    Plus

    If you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.

  • Get front-row seats

    Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.

  • Share knowledge and ideas

    Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.

  • Connect with a global creative community

    The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.

  • Watch professionally produced courses

    Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.


FAQs

Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.

All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.

The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.

You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.

If you're a Plus member, when you complete a course you've purchased, you'll instantly get your personalized certificate. You can see all your certificates in the Certificates section of your profile. You can download your certificates as PDFs and share the link online. Learn more about certificates.
The Superhero Comic: Narrative and Graphic Design. Illustration course by Carlos Pacheco

The Superhero Comic: Narrative and Graphic Design

A course by Carlos Pacheco
Comic Artist. Majadahonda, Spain.
Joined February 2016
  • 97% positive reviews (233)
  • 3,993 students