The Comic is Another Story
A course by Paco RocaComic Book Author and Illustrator
A course by Paco Roca, Comic Book Author and Illustrator
Learn to create a graphic story, from the idea to the final illustration
Want to become a visual storyteller? In this online course, award-winning comic book author and illustrator Paco Roca teaches you how to create a short comic from start to finish. Take an in-depth look at each step involved and discover your teacher's secrets to crafting an engaging story, from narrative devices to tricks and techniques for achieving the perfect balance between your text and illustrations.
Whether your favorite genre is humor, action, or even costumbrismo, Paco shows you his creative process and how to adapt it to your personal narrative style.
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 12 downloads
The Script (theory)
16 minutes, 31 seconds
The Script (practice)
7 minutes, 54 seconds
Settings in the script
4 minutes, 26 seconds
Sketched (theory)
15 minutes, 45 seconds
Sketched (practice)
21 minutes, 54 seconds
We draw in pencil
18 minutes, 10 seconds
What's included in this course?
Paco Roca kicks off the course with a brief introduction to himself and the world of comics and storytelling.
Next, find an idea for your comic and broaden your understanding of the topic with some thorough research. Once you have all the background information you need, start outlining your story and characters in a script, learning to divide it into coherent parts.
Now it's time to transform your ideas into images. Paco guides you through making your initial sketches and how to use them to establish points of view, arrange scenes, set up character actions, etc. Then distribute all the information in the available panel space to ensure your comic is legible and flows well.
Lay down the first layer of your story in pencil, searching for the graphic style that best suits it, before inking and adding shading and color. Finish up your comic by inserting the text
Et voilà! You now have the skills to create your very own comics from cover to cover.
What is this course's project?
Make your own two-page comic with a self-contained story in the style of your teacher's publications in El País Semanal. Although the final project is two pages, you can use the principles and work process that Paco teaches you to create a longer comic or even a graphic novel.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
Anyone who likes drawing and wants to explore the creative freedom of telling stories through comics.
Requirements and materials
Basic drawing and writing skills are required for this course.
As for materials, you need paper, pencil, markers or brushes, a computer with Photoshop, and a printer.
Reviews
- 18 days ago
Haría 90000 horas más de este curso. Aún estoy en proceso de acabar el curso pero es la primera vez que siento que realmente un curso de este tipo me está ayudando de verdad. Ojalá más cursos cómo el de Paco Roca; cercano, sencillo, práctico y muy humano. Una pasada la verdad.
- 27 days ago
Inspiradora. Su pasión por crear una gran experiencia para el lector me inspira mucho.
- 28 days ago
Gostei bastante do curso que, embora básico, dá uma ideia abrangente do processo de trabalho do professor. Ele explica bem, com paciência e simplicidade.
- 2 months ago
Me ha gustado mucho el planteamiento y sobre todo la rapidez del feedback. El documentarse sobre un tema me ha parecido muy interesante y no empezar a dibujar sin ton ni son. La verdad es que nunca se me hubiera ocurrido. El desarrollo técnico me ha parecido algo difícil, porque no manejo muy bien el programa de dibujo, y no cuento con photoshop sino con krita, pero supongo que lo iré controlando cada vez más. También me ha gustado ver que se puede calcar una imagen real.
- carolina_576090PLUS3 months ago
Excelente!! Como seguidora del trabajo de Paco Roca ha sido un lujo y muy inspirador, poder seguir el recorrido de la creación desde inicio a fin. Todo el proceso ha estado muy bien explicado, muy claro, explica muy bien la cotidianidad de ponerse frente al comic, de forma relajada y placentera!! Fomenta las ganas de ponerse a ello!! :-)))
As for comics, he began publishing in the Spanish magazine El Víbora, which led to his standalone works GOG, El Juego Lúgubre, Hijos de la Alhambra, El Faro, Arrugas (which earned him the National Comic Award, among others), Las Calles de Arena, Emotional World Tour, El invierno del dibujante, Memorias de un hombre en pijama, La Metamorfosis, and Los surcos del azar.
He has also worked in television and radio and collaborated as a screenwriter and character designer in the film adaptation of his graphic novel Arrugas, earning him a Goya Award for best adapted screenplay. In recent years, he's been traveling the globe participating in exhibits, teaching workshops, and giving talks about his work.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- Paco Roca
- World of comics
- World of comics 2
- U2
We create the story
- The idea
- The documentation
- The Script (theory)
- The Script (practice)
- Settings in the script
- U3
We make the sketches
- Sketched (theory)
- Sketched (practice)
- U4
We draw
- We draw in pencil
- Retouch
- Inking
- U5
We put color
- Shading
- Colour
- Labeled
- FP
Final project
- The comic is another story
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
PLUSIf 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
You’ll learn to develop a complete graphic story—from the initial idea and script to inking and page layout—blending storytelling and drawing techniques to shape your own unique style.
No advanced experience is required, but basic drawing skills are recommended since this is an intermediate course that dives deep into narrative techniques and visual composition.
You’ll need pencils, paper, markers or brushes for inking, access to a scanner and computer, plus basic image editing software like Photoshop for digital work.
The course covers drawing as well as scriptwriting, visual storytelling, research, and crafting self-contained stories, giving you a well-rounded view of comic creation.
Through hands-on exercises and studying reference works, you’ll experiment with techniques and themes that help you define and grow your personal comic style.
Yes, the course includes digital techniques like cleaning scanned drawings, preparing files for inking, and using layers for coloring and shading in programs like Photoshop.
The course compares narrative structures, art styles, and traditions from various genres—including manga and Western comics—to broaden your creative perspective.