Monday, February 16, 2015

For Comic Art Classes Pennsylvania Has A Variety Of Options

By Katina Brady


There has never been a time when the characters from comic books have been more popular in the world of entertainment. This popularity has produced a corresponding increase in the number of people who want to break into the sequential storytelling business. Artists of all ages now dream of being the next breakout creator with the latest hot story or character. And when they look for comic art classes Pennsylvania schools are often among their top choices.

In the early days of the industry, aspiring artists had only a couple of pathways to achieving their goals in comics. They could hone their skills alone, studying from books created by the masters of the craft, or they could basically become understudies to the professionals who were actively working in the comics field. That choice was the same one available to most artists for centuries.

With the increase in the medium's popularity, a new generation of artists felt compelled to teach their craft to the next generation of artists. Joe Kubert, a great comics artist in his own right, was among the first to open such a school. As other artists watched that school's graduates emerge to take the industry by storm, other schools began offering similar courses of study in places like Pennsylvania.

These schools and workshops offer students an opportunity to learn everything from the basics to advanced storytelling and production techniques. The goal of the school setting is to provide each new student with everything he or she needs to produce comics that meet or exceed industry standards. To accomplish that, there are a variety of different skill sets that are addressed in the courses.

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.

Students also learn how to use various tools, techniques, and artwork mediums. Pencil drawing is a must, since that serves as the backbone of almost all sequential art. In addition, students must learn to use India ink, using various brushes and pens to create varying line thicknesses and different moods using shadows. Mediums such as watercolor and software usage may also be explored.

These schools place primary emphasis upon the skill associated with paneled storytelling. There is a special nature to the craft of relating stories using pictures, requiring a certain set of skills to be done successfully. Artists must learn to work from a script, develop a well-paced series of paneled illustrations with dynamic composition, and vary the perspective used in their scenes.

As Hollywood continues to produce one blockbuster after another based on the most popular of these comics, the need for talented artists will only continue to grow. For aspiring students who desire to learn this craft, an area school that teaches the fundamentals of producing comics can be the perfect way to achieve that goal.




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