Hello!

Hello. Comics are crazy and fun.

I'll be posting a lot to this blog over the course of the class. First here's the syllabus, both as a PDF you can download, and as the body of the rest of this post.

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THE TELL-TALE MARK
4-week class, UVa Art Museum

Warren Craghead
w@craghead.com

This short class will focus on introducing and examining the language, materials and tactics of comics and sequential art. Our goal as a class will be to create and publish short finished pieces with an emphasis on translation of other works into the comics form. Students will be expected to compete homework assignments, draw daily in a small sketchbook and participate in a class blog at http://telltalemark.blogspot.com

Materials list:

Graphite pencils (HB or #2) and any other drawing materials you like

Erasers (ex: Magic Rub, Pink Pearl)

12” ruler, metal w/cork backing

Felt-tip pens (Sharpies – Fine & Ultra-Fine, Flair, Razor Point, etc.)

Microns (range from thin 01 to thick 06) or PITT/Faber-Castell artist pen set

Misc. Ball-point pens – black ink
Dip-pens w/large and crow-quill nibs (ex: Hunt 108, Gillotte 170)

Brushes (#0 or #1 rounds, synthetic blends) ex: Winsor-Newton series 7 (#2 or #3)

Waterproof black India ink
(ex: Higgins Black Magic,
Speedball Superblack)

9x12 sketchpad (drawing paper)

Bristol Board pad, 8x10” or 9x12” and 11x14” (smooth or vellum)
Pad of Post-It notes

Optional - T-square

Optional - Fountain pen
(ex: Rotring Art Pen, Rapidograph)

Optional - “Understanding
Comics” and “Making Comics”
by Scott Mccloud

Optional - “Drawing words and Writing Pictures” by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden


CLASS 1 - 9/22
Introductions, discussion of comics as a form, jam comics, cartoon drawing, comics “language”, introduction of closure and friction, comic strips.

Homework - Comic strips, choose piece to translate

CLASS 2 - 9/29
Visit art show, discuss methods and strategies for translation, critique of homework strips, introduction of page layout and “post-it” method, begin work on final pieces.

Homework - Pencil pages.

----- Off Week ------

CLASS 3 - 10/13
Critique layouts, talk about pencils work, introduction of inking and other finishing techniques.
Finalize anthology piece.

Homework - Finish final piece, prepare it for publication

CLASS 4 - 10/20
Critique of final pieces, introduction of publishing methods, impositions and book making techniques.
Discussion of minicomics and DIY methods of publishing. Aggregation and final printing of class anthology. End of class book-launch party.