THE FUNDAMENTALS OF VISUAL NARRATIVE

- WITH GABRIEL QUINN

FOR CHARACTER CONCEPT, WORLD-BUILDING, AND ILLUSTRATION.

Do you want to expand your understanding of what your sketches, illustrations, and concept art projects are capable of communicating? Do you feel stuck in your ability to express your ideas on the page in a clear and successful way? This high-intensity bootcamp will give you access to the knowledge and skills you need to create and compose compelling imagery for your personal/professional projects!

Course Schedule Breakdown!

This class will run from the 3rd of March to the 6th of April, 2025

• This course will have 10 live lectures and 5 group feedback sessions (plus, bonus lectures and study sessions tailor-made for the needs of participants!)
• This course will also have three one-on-one sessions with each participant throughout the course. There will be one session at the start, in the middle, and at the end of the course. Each of the three sessions will last one hour. (The dates and times will be decided by each participant)
• Lectures will take place from 10:00AM - 12:00PM EST on Mondays and Wednesdays
• Feedback sessions will take place from 10:00AM - 1:00PM EST on Sundays

(Side Note: Daylight Savings Time will come into effect on the 9th of March and will effect EU participants by 1 hour)

Week 1: Intro to Visual Narrative - Identifying and Designing Narrative

• The role of static and active narrative in the design of environment & character.
• Reforming your process of creation and analysis!
• The relationship between text and image in Comics, Illustration, and Concept art.

Assignment(s): Design a character, a prop, and an environment that communicate all facets of visual narrative at our disposal.

Week 2: Point of View - Perspective - Framing

• HOW-TO: PERSPECTIVE 101 (You will not be confused about perspective after this).
• Classic Film shots and why they work: Designing powerful and effective compositions!
• Differences and similarities in storyboarding, comics, illustration, and concept art (plus a bonus lecture on careers in these fields).

Assignment(s): Using the technical tools of perspective, sketch out three cinematic shots that each include several characters.

Week 3: Composing Action & Character Acting

• What is a body? The figure and how it moves (anatomy basics that you need to know).
• How to direct your characters successfully in context.
• How to understand and fully connect with characters.

Assignment(s): Fully plot out the human skeleton and describe its functions. Design a full cast of characters (up to five) for a personal project of your creation.

Week 4: Genre & Aesthetic: Commanding Style

• The relationship between limitations and project management.
• How to use and understand genre.
• Understanding style as both a problem and a solution.

Assignment(s): Complete five style studies (either by my recommendation or of your own choosing). Script out a short story as a storyboard, a comic, and a series of three illustrations ("scripting out" consists of clear and legible sketches and will not require finishing any of the drawings. It is purely an exercise in formatting and structure)

Week 5: Execution - Application of New Knowledge

• Pushing yourself on the path of mastery.
• Critiquing your own work in a healthy way.
• Seeing the end in the beginning in your personal and artistic endeavors

Final Assignment(s): Complete an impactful, finished illustration that shows a clear narrative

IMPORTANT: Within these five weeks of rigorous study, participants should prepare themselves for the rapid ingestion of knowledge and acquisition of skill, paying special attention to avoid getting stuck in old patterns. This will be an opportunity for participants to fully embrace their agency in their creative passions and let go of fears, hesitations, and misconceptions that have kept them from advancing on their paths to mastery. This class is for the hungry and ambitious among you!

A note from the instructor

Hello! I'm so happy to be offering my first class of 2025! After consulting with participants from my previous courses and asking students who came by my LightBox Expo table what they were struggling with the most, one thing became clear: gaining a deeper understanding of visual narrative was the key to advancing out of paralyzing amateur tendencies into a proactive professional mindset. Studying theories around making comics, key framing for animation/film, designing composition for illustrations, and the study of story itself have helped me connect dots I otherwise would have missed, and made me hyper adaptable both in my personal and professional work as a visual artist. In this intensive bootcamp style course I want to share everything I know and love about visual storytelling and save you the years of confusion I went through to get you on track with your lifelong goals as a visual artist.