1. DGMD S-72 Graphic Storytelling: Comic Book Art and Narrative
#10: Zero Drafting Layouts
In-class Prompt #8
Final Project Page Drafting
Gobelins Exercise to Push Character Designs

2. EXERCISE: Facial Expressions
Here is an exercise cartoonist legend Bill Keane (Family Circus) taught his young son Glen (who grew up to became a Disney animation legend):
Download the “Facial Expressions” PNG from the course website.
Open the file in Photoshop. Add a new layer.
In each circle, create an expressive face to convey a different emotion: angry, peaceful, serious, teasing, excited, tired, scared, hungry, in love, worried, happy, sleepy

3. In-Class Prompt #9 TODAY’S PROMPT, based on #7:
FILM-TO-COMIC PART 2: COMICS PAGE:
Take screenshots of your film sequence from last week, at the same moments you drew for your storyboard exercise.
In one page, organize the screenshots into a creative comic book page layout, re-interpreting the shapes and sizes of each panel to design pacing.
On two more layers, add word bubbles and any dialogue present in the film sequence.

4. Photoshop for Photo Manipulation
Lasso/Polygon or shape (Rectangle or Oval) Marquee to select and move [v].
[cmd]+[a] to Select All, [cmd]+[c] to Copy, [cmd]+[v] to Paste. If there is no Marquee selection, pastes into center of window.
[cmd]+[t] to Transform: rotate or scale (hold [shift] for uniform scale).
Crop an image: select the layer and marquee-select what you DON‘T want and hit delete, OR select what you DO want and hit [cmd]+[j] to duplicate.
[cmd]+[d] = turn off Marquee.
[alt]+ drag to make a copy and move it.
Clone Stamp: hold [Alt] to pick a target, then paint that content elsewhere. Turn off “Aligned.”
Paint Bucket to fill a Marquee selection.
[Cmd]+[Shift]+[i] invert selection.
[Cmd]+[i] invert content.

5. Zero Drafting Your Comics
The secret to a successful production is iteration. Your goal is not to get each page “right” the first time. Your goal is to get an initial version on paper as fast as possible, so you can see it outside of your head and shape it into something that communicates your story impactfully to others. Creation is REVISION, not inspiration. Draft pages fast and loose, and then revise!

6. Zero Drafting Your Comics
Note the progression here:

7. Zero Drafting Your Comics
Explore alternative page designs!:
1:1
2:1
3:1

8. Design Review
While the class works on the prompt, the teacher will meet with you to discuss your design work so far.

9. EXERCISE: Stretch Your Designs
GOBELINS EXERCISE:
Choose a year between
Type into google.com the word Gobelins and the year, to see the 5-10 best animated short films created at that French animation school that year.
Watch at least thee of those films. Redraw your main 1-2 characters for your comic in the style of the character in 1-2 of those films.
Post your results to your Final Project thread on Piazza.
Note: you do not have to use your new designs in your final comic; the purpose of this exercise is to push your ideas to discover new possibilities for them, and to experience the impact those new possibilities could have on your storytelling.

10. HOMEWORK #10: Zero-Draft Your Final Project Comic
(Due on Piazza Tuesday, an hour before class) PAGE: Zero-Draft all intended pages with layouts for pacing, rough character drawings and background forms, and word bubbles. Reference the Wally panels for framing and blocking ideas! As zero drafts, these should be quick, loose page designs. Try to spend no more than 15 minutes per page for this first draft! Please work 1-2 hours a day rather than trying to do it all the day before