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Digital artwork on a tablet with stylus and glasses in a creative setting.

Graphic Design & Illustration school

Certificate in Comic Book Creation & Visual Storytelling

A drawing course that happens to use Photoshop.

Learn to draw comics from an empty Photoshop document to a finished colored page, with five modules on characters, because that is where beginners come unstuck.

68 lessons · self-pacedBeginner friendlyCertificate on completionNext Tutor support included

Overview

What this comic art course covers

If you want to learn to draw comics, the software is only the pencil. Seven of the nine modules here are proportion, shape language, light and perspective rather than the program, and nothing assumes you have ever drawn anything. The opening module builds one round brush into the four you will use for everything that follows.

Five modules go to characters, because that is where beginners come unstuck: a figure built from one dominant base shape, then posing, turnarounds, expressions, clothing, clean line art and six manga style studies broken down by eye construction and hair treatment. Then perspective, props and cityscapes, before shot types and page layout bring it together in a finished, colored comic page you drew yourself.

Outcomes

What you will be able to do

Rebuild the four comic brushes, pencil, render, ink and air, from one plain round brushDraw an everyday object as basic shapes, push it into form, then light itBuild a character from one dominant base shape, and repeat that shape across the costumeDraw a cast at chibi, three, four to six, and seven to eight heads tallInk clean line art, then flat it, shade it and color it with clipping and adjustment layersCurve a belt, hem or cuff by its distance from the horizon so a flat design sits in spaceDraw a natural scene and a city block in perspective, and sheet the props that go in themLay out a comic page from the shot vocabulary, then color and finish it

Requirements

Course requirements

  • Photoshop. No lesson names a version and none depends on one. Adobe offers a free trial.
  • A drawing tablet with pressure sensitivity. Four early lessons build brushes whose entire behavior comes from pen pressure.
  • No drawing experience. The second module starts at cubes and spheres and assumes nothing before that.
  • A subject for the final page, picked early. The last module sets a comic page project, and arriving with an idea makes it far better.

Syllabus

Comic Book Creation & Visual Storytelling curriculum

68 recorded video lessons you follow along in the software, at your own pace. Quizzes through each module check what stuck, and a 20-question final exam earns your certificate.

1Photoshop Tools for Comic Art13 lessons · 13 videos · 5 quizzes
  1. Setting Up Comic Artboards (video lesson, 10 minutes 43 seconds)
  2. Using the Brush and Eraser Tools (video lesson, 12 minutes 42 seconds)
  3. Using the Pencil Tool and Drawing Techniques (video lesson, 10 minutes 53 seconds)Quiz
  4. Working with Pencil Brushes (video lesson, 13 minutes 50 seconds)Quiz
  5. Working with Render Brushes (video lesson, 11 minutes 18 seconds)
  6. Working with Ink Brushes (video lesson, 17 minutes 5 seconds)
  7. Working with Air Brushes (video lesson, 10 minutes 2 seconds)Quiz
  8. Using Lasso and Selection Tools (video lesson, 18 minutes 41 seconds)
  9. Using the Transform Tool (video lesson, 14 minutes 5 seconds)Quiz
  10. Using the Color Picker Tool (video lesson, 13 minutes 20 seconds)
  11. Using the Marquee Tool (video lesson, 17 minutes 55 seconds)
  12. Using the Symmetry Tool (video lesson, 14 minutes 20 seconds)
  13. Using the Line Tool (video lesson, 7 minutes 29 seconds)Quiz
2Drawing Fundamentals for Comic Art5 lessons · 5 videos · 3 quizzes
  1. Drawing Basic Shapes (video lesson, 38 minutes 56 seconds)Quiz
  2. Drawing Form and Structure (video lesson, 27 minutes 19 seconds)
  3. Rendering Objects with Light and Shadow (video lesson, 29 minutes 27 seconds)
  4. Drawing Everyday Objects (video lesson, 48 minutes 37 seconds)Quiz
  5. Coloring Objects for Comic Art (video lesson, 31 minutes 1 second)Quiz
3Character Design Fundamentals Part 18 lessons · 8 videos · 5 quizzes
  1. Designing Characters from Basic Shapes (video lesson, 41 minutes 57 seconds)Quiz
  2. Shading Character Designs (video lesson, 40 minutes 26 seconds)
  3. Coloring Character Designs (video lesson, 25 minutes 4 seconds)Quiz
  4. Using Adjustment Layers for Character Art (video lesson, 11 minutes 35 seconds)Quiz
  5. Creating Character Poses (video lesson, 38 minutes 37 seconds)
  6. Creating Character Turnarounds (video lesson, 47 minutes 43 seconds)Quiz
  7. Designing Character Expressions (video lesson, 16 minutes 6 seconds)
  8. Presenting Character Designs (video lesson, 19 minutes 47 seconds)Quiz
4Stylized Character Design Techniques10 lessons · 10 videos · 5 quizzes
  1. Designing Chibi Characters (video lesson, 52 minutes 6 seconds)Quiz
  2. Designing 2 to 3 Head Tall Characters (video lesson, 47 minutes 53 seconds)
  3. Adding Clothing to Characters (video lesson, 54 minutes 17 seconds)Quiz
  4. Using Shape Design for Characters (video lesson, 37 minutes 12 seconds)
  5. Posing Stylized Characters (video lesson, 37 minutes)Quiz
  6. Developing Stylized Character Designs (video lesson, 33 minutes 26 seconds)
  7. Creating Clean Character Line Art (video lesson, 66 minutes 1 second)
  8. Applying Two-Tone Shading (video lesson, 20 minutes 38 seconds)Quiz
  9. Applying Color to Character Designs (video lesson, 68 minutes 25 seconds)
  10. Presenting Stylized Character Designs (video lesson, 15 minutes 27 seconds)Quiz
5Manga and Japanese Comic Art Styles8 lessons · 8 videos · 4 quizzes
  1. Introduction to Japanese Comic Art Styles (video lesson, 24 minutes 57 seconds)Quiz
  2. Manga Style Techniques Part 1 (video lesson, 24 minutes 36 seconds)
  3. Manga Style Techniques Part 2 (video lesson, 20 minutes 31 seconds)Quiz
  4. Manga Style Techniques Part 3 (video lesson, 27 minutes 8 seconds)
  5. Manga Style Techniques Part 4 (video lesson, 27 minutes 2 seconds)
  6. Manga Style Techniques Part 5 (video lesson, 23 minutes 34 seconds)
  7. Manga Style Techniques Part 6 (video lesson, 17 minutes 48 seconds)Quiz
  8. Manga Style Summary (video lesson, 14 minutes 9 seconds)Quiz
6Intermediate Character Design and Clothing7 lessons · 7 videos · 3 quizzes
  1. Designing 4 to 6 Head Tall Characters (video lesson, 44 minutes 39 seconds)
  2. Posing Intermediate Characters (video lesson, 43 minutes 34 seconds)Quiz
  3. Using References for Clothing Design (video lesson, 46 minutes 23 seconds)
  4. Designing Clothing with Shape Language (video lesson, 34 minutes 5 seconds)Quiz
  5. Creating a Final Character Design (video lesson, 63 minutes 58 seconds)
  6. Creating Final Character Line Art (video lesson, 55 minutes 24 seconds)
  7. Rendering the Final Character Design (video lesson, 104 minutes 1 second)Quiz
7Advanced Character Posing and Perspective6 lessons · 6 videos · 4 quizzes
  1. Designing 7 to 8 Head Tall Characters (video lesson, 24 minutes 40 seconds)Quiz
  2. Creating Dynamic Character Poses (video lesson, 14 minutes 18 seconds)
  3. Drawing Characters in Perspective (video lesson, 49 minutes 46 seconds)Quiz
  4. Understanding Foreshortening (video lesson, 19 minutes 43 seconds)
  5. Drawing Characters from Different Angles (video lesson, 18 minutes 49 seconds)Quiz
  6. Drawing Character Hands (video lesson, 18 minutes 3 seconds)Quiz
8Background, Prop and Environment Design7 lessons · 7 videos · 4 quizzes
  1. Perspective Drawing Fundamentals (video lesson, 63 minutes 49 seconds)Quiz
  2. Drawing Objects in Perspective (video lesson, 56 minutes 24 seconds)
  3. Designing Natural Environment Scenes (video lesson, 29 minutes 41 seconds)Quiz
  4. Creating Isometric Prop Designs (video lesson, 28 minutes 30 seconds)
  5. Creating a Scene Design Sheet (video lesson, 58 minutes 5 seconds)
  6. Designing Cities in Perspective Part 1 (video lesson, 32 minutes 49 seconds)Quiz
  7. Designing Cities in Perspective Part 2 (video lesson, 72 minutes 10 seconds)Quiz
9Comic Page Layout and Final Project4 lessons · 4 videos · 2 quizzes
  1. Creating Rough Comic Page Layouts (video lesson, 73 minutes)Quiz
  2. Coloring a Comic Scene (video lesson, 49 minutes 36 seconds)
  3. Final Comic Page Project Part 1 (video lesson, 79 minutes 27 seconds)
  4. Final Comic Page Project Part 2 (video lesson, 50 minutes 59 seconds)Quiz

Certificate

Earn a certificate you can show

Finish the final module and your Comic Book Creation & Visual Storytelling certificate is issued automatically. Download it, share it with employers and clients, or add it to your resume and LinkedIn.

Where this can take you

Skills from this school show up in roles like these. The certificate proves you finished; the projects you build are what get you hired.

  • Graphic designer
  • Brand and identity designer
  • Social media designer
  • Illustrator
  • Freelance design contractor
Framed Nextversity certificate for Comic Book Creation & Visual Storytelling

Enroll with confidence

Enroll with confidence

Start today, finish at your paceNo deadlines and no cohorts. Watch a lesson tonight and pick it up again whenever it suits you.
Every course includedOne subscription opens all 50 courses across 8 schools, so you are never locked into this one choice.
Help on every lessonNext Tutor knows the lesson you are on and answers in seconds. A real person answers email.
Cancel anytimeTwo clicks from your account settings. No calls and no forms.

Full details in the refund policy. One subscription covers this course and every other course in all 8 schools.

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FAQ

Common questions about the comic art course

Do I need Photoshop to learn to draw comics?

For this course, yes. Every lesson is drawn in Photoshop, and the opening module builds four custom brushes the rest of the course leans on constantly. Adobe offers a free trial if you want to start before committing. The drawing itself transfers to any program, but following along is far smoother in the one being used.

Do I need a drawing tablet for a comic book course?

Yes, and one with pressure sensitivity specifically. Four early lessons build brushes whose whole character comes from pressing harder or softer with the pen, and the inking work depends on that weight in the line. Any pressure-sensitive tablet does the job, and the entry-level ones are genuinely inexpensive now.

Can I learn to draw comics with no experience at all?

Yes. The drawing starts at cubes, spheres and cylinders, on everyday objects, well before it touches people. The framing throughout is that everything in front of you is a simple shape pushed into form and then lit. That is a teachable process rather than a talent, which is why beginners do well with this course.

Does the course cover manga and Japanese comic styles?

Yes, a full module of eight lessons. Characters are drawn in the manner of six well-known series, and the transferable content is the breakdown itself: how eye construction, eye placement and hair treatment define a style. Once you can read a style that way, you can build your own instead of imitating.

Does it teach backgrounds and perspective?

Yes, and this is the module that turns character drawings into actual comic pages. The perspective systems get proper treatment, then props, isometric objects, natural environments, scene sheets and cityscapes. Most self-taught comic artists have decent characters standing in front of nothing, and this is the fix for exactly that.

Do I finish with a real comic page?

Yes, that is the final module. You learn the shot vocabulary, rough out page layouts, work through the comic coloring process, then build a finished page from your own idea. Steal the layout habit taught there: draw the whole page large with no panel borders, then add the panels afterward.

How long does the comic book course take?

The video runs around twenty-eight hours, and you should budget two or three times that if you draw along, which is the only version that teaches you anything. It is self-paced with no deadlines, so most people take it a module a week and come out the other side with a portfolio page.

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