Storytelling for Comics: Explore Action and Perspective
A course by André Lima AraújoComic Book Creator
A course by André Lima Araújo, Comic Book Creator
Develop meaningful characters and discover how perspective can help drive the narrative for compelling comic book sequences
Creating comics offers lot of freedom: it’s an art form you can practice alone, with complete control over the final product. Comic book creator André Lima Araújo specializes in scriptwriting, designing characters, developing layouts, and more for companies like DC Comics and Marvel. He has worked on titles including Fantastic Four, Avengers AI, and Spider-Verse.
In this course, he teaches you how to create compelling comic book sequences using action and perspective. Explore storytelling techniques to bring meaningful characters to life and convey a sense of movement on the page. Are you ready to turn your ideas into action?
What will you learn in this online course?
18 lessons & 20 downloads
Materials
10 minutes, 5 seconds
Tools for Comic Storytelling
16 minutes, 49 seconds
Perspective as a Tool
14 minutes, 25 seconds
Anatomy in Perspective for Characters
8 minutes, 41 seconds
Planning and Writing Stage: The Power of a Blank Page
8 minutes, 30 seconds
Layouts 1
11 minutes, 29 seconds
What's included in this course?
Begin the course by getting to know comic book creator André Lima Araújo as he talks through how he went from studying architecture to pursuing his passion for creating comics. Discover the influences that inspire the work he creates.
Dive into the basics of comics, including the materials needed to create them along with the common terminology used in the industry. Explore how to draw with perspective and incorporate characters and objects into your scenes.
Learn to transform a basic idea into a story with a script. Use your script to draw initial layouts on your tablet before moving on to the pencil stage of your sketches. Finalize your drawing by inking over your pencil lines to bring them to life. To finish your work, add grey tones using digital tools to establish lighting and atmosphere.
See how to make a portfolio of your most impressive creations. Then, to finish the course, André shares his advice for breaking into the comic book industry, from using the Internet for promotion, to making in-person connections.
Recommended software & tools for this course
What is this course's project?
Create a 6-10 page action sequence for a comic, combining storytelling, anatomy, and design to build a believable narrative.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in discovering the techniques needed to create compelling comic books.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is required.
In terms of materials, you will need paper and pencils, pens, ink, and rulers. Access to a tablet with drawing software and a scanner would be beneficial.
Reviews
- 2 months ago
I used to struggle with perspective—my drawings often felt distorted and unnatural. This course helped me understand what was going wrong and how to fix it. Everything started to click, and my drawings now feel much more natural, balanced, and convincing.
- 2 months ago
Just starting, but it's been great so far. I'll revisit when I'm done!
- 2 months ago
Para um curso bem curto, como é padrão da Doméstika, o professor André Lima Araújo trouxe bsatante informações essenciais e valiosas para quem quer iniciar no mundo dos quadrinhos ou mesmo qume já tenha tido a experiência de produzi-los. Também deu ótimas técnicas para produzir de forma mais rápida e prática, começando do simples par conseguir elaborara as mais complexas cenas. Recomendo!
- 7 months ago
I like the step by step approach and seeing the examples that are created. It is quite clear.
- khristgonzPLUS9 months ago
Un curso muy util y revelador sobre como se trabaja a fondo en el comic, no es solo un curso de dibujo también es una catedra sobre cómo trabajan los profesionales en el medio del cual rara vez se habla.
Since then, André has written, drawn, and created original books including Man Plus, and worked with publishers like DC Comics, and Netflix. He has also worked for Marvel Comics on titles such as Fantastic Four, Avengers AI, Spider-Verse, Inhumans, Spidey, and Black Panther among others.
Content
- U1
Introduction
- About Me
- Influences
- U2
The Basics of Comics
- Materials
- Tools for Comic Storytelling
- Perspective as a Tool
- Anatomy in Perspective for Characters
- U3
From the Script to the Finished Page
- Planning and Writing Stage: The Power of a Blank Page
- Layouts 1
- Layouts 2
- Pencil Stage 1
- Pencil Stage 2
- Inking Stage 1
- Inking Stage 2
- Inking Stage 3
- Grey Tones Stage 1
- Grey Tones Stage 2
- U4
How to Find a Job in Comics
- Making a Portfolio and the Importance of Original Creations
- How to Break into Comics
- FP
Final project
- Storytelling for Comics: Explore Action and Perspective
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
Yes, this course is designed for intermediate artists who already have basic drawing skills and want to advance their comic illustration, perspective, and storytelling techniques.
You’ll need traditional drawing tools (pencils, pens, erasers, paper), and digital tools like Clip Studio. Scanning equipment is recommended for digitizing artwork.
You’ll learn to create original comic books, master perspective, character designs, page layouts, inking, digital and analog techniques, and assemble a professional comics portfolio.
Prior experience with digital art or Clip Studio is helpful but not required. The course covers both traditional and digital workflows, introducing essential tools from scratch.
The course guides you in assembling and curating a diverse portfolio, focusing on original content, storyboarding, finished pages, and techniques to impress editors and publishers.
Topics include character creation, architectural perspective, inking, anatomy, storytelling, panel transitions, page composition, lighting, and comic script formatting.
Yes, you’ll learn to apply architectural principles, perspective grids, and atmospheric techniques to create immersive, realistic backgrounds in your comic illustrations.