Creating Comics with Compelling Visual Narratives

A course by Reilly Brown , Comic Book Artist

Comic Book Artist. West Orange, United States.
Joined November 2021

Transform your written narratives into comics using the art of visual storytelling and character-building techniques.

100% positive reviews (27)
1,255 students
Audio: English
English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch

Transform your written narratives into comics using the art of visual storytelling and character-building techniques.

¨Getting a full range of emotion is something that really makes a story feel real, and really engages the reader and gets them invested in the characters.¨

Ever since Reilly Brown laid eyes on Spider-Man as a young boy, he knew he wanted to become a comic book artist. He’s been creating magnetic but relatable characters and exciting narratives ever since. It is important to him to bring characters to life with a full range of emotions. Personalities that can be completely ridiculous in one instance, but have the ability to be serious and thoughtful as well. Reilly has worked with a long list of beloved publishers, including DC Comics, Marvel, and Dark Horse, on publications such as Deadpool, Amazing Spider-Man, and Batman.

In this online course, weave engaging stories into comics through exciting character design and the art of visual storytelling. Reilly teaches you to piece together a plot that keeps readers hooked and design dynamic characters that translate their inner identity onto their outward appearance. Learn how to plot your page layout, draw your protagonist and add the lighting, texture, and ink that makes it pop.

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What will you learn in this online course?

16 lessons & 24 downloads

Materials and Tools
4 minutes, 17 seconds
Character Design
7 minutes, 19 seconds
Plotting Out the Story
3 minutes, 37 seconds
Visual Approaches to the Layout
6 minutes, 11 seconds
Shading for Dramatic Effect
6 minutes, 31 seconds
Inking
20 minutes, 57 seconds
  • 100% positive reviews (27)
  • 1,255 students
  • 16 lessons (2h 18m)
  • 24 additional resources (9 files)
  • Online and at your own pace
  • Available on the app
  • Audio: English
  • English · Spanish · Portuguese · German · French · Italian · Polish · Dutch
  • Level: Beginner
  • Unlimited access forever

What is this course's project?

Create your own sequence of drawings to depict an action scene on a double-page spread.

Who is this online course for?

Anyone who wants to learn how to draw comics.

Requirements and materials

Students need drawing material, white paint for corrections, a lightbox or tracing paper, and any basic editing program.


Reviews

1,255 Students
27 Reviews
100% Positive ratings

Reilly Brown

A course by Reilly Brown

Teacher Plus
Comic Book Artist

Reilly Brown is a comic book artist based in New Jersey, United States. A superfan of comics since childhood, he started self-publishing his own work in 2002. His career took off after that, collaborating with publishers like Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse, Archie, and Tantor Media on recognizable titles such as Deadpool, Spider-Man, Incredible Hercules and Lobo, and Batman. He’s known for his pioneering work with digital comics, having worked with Comixology to launch his creator-owned series Powerplay on mobile devices. He’s an active part of the comic world, making frequent appearances at conventions and comic book stores.


Content

  • U1

    Introduction

    • About Me
    • Influences
  • U2

    Elements of Creating a Comic

    • Materials and Tools
    • Introduction to Storytelling in Comics: Fitting a Big Idea onto a Small Page
    • Character Design
    • Plotting Out the Story
  • U3

    The Layout: Writing with Pictures

    • Brainstorming and Thumbnails
    • Visual Approaches to the Layout
    • Transferring to the Final Paper
  • U4

    Drawing and Inking

    • Anatomy and Figure Drawing
    • Shading for Dramatic Effect
    • Perspective and Environments
    • Inking
  • U5

    Final Touches

    • Scanning and Cleaning Up Photos 1
    • Scanning and Cleaning Up Photos 2
    • Building a Portfolio
  • FP

    Final project

    • Creating Comics with Compelling Visual Narratives

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.
Creating Comics with Compelling Visual Narratives. Illustration course by Reilly Brown

Creating Comics with Compelling Visual Narratives

A course by Reilly Brown
Comic Book Artist. West Orange, United States.
Joined November 2021
  • 100% positive reviews (27)
  • 1,255 students