Graphic Novels for 15 – 17 Year Olds
- Level(s) of Study: Short course
- Start Date(s): 5 August 2024
- Duration: Monday to Friday 10 am - 4 pm, one week
- Study Mode(s): Short course
- Campus: City Campus
- Entry Requirements:
More information
Introduction:
This short course is not your typical classroom experience; it's a vibrant blend of visual storytelling, creative exploration, and hands-on artistic expression.
Whether you're a budding artist or a passionate reader of graphic novels and comic books, this course offers a fresh and dynamic approach to illustration that will spark your creativity and open your mind to the endless possibilities; you can have limited drawing experience and still achieve great results.
Join us in the world of graphic novels and discover how to tell stories in a whole new way.
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You’ll be part of a design community in our creative studio culture; one that promotes discussion and collaboration, and encourages experimentation and the constant swapping of ideas. -
With a limited class size you'll have the one-to-one attention you need to ensure you leave with the skills to continue developing your portfolio. -
Benefit from learning with an experienced tutor who has established links to the profession and significant experience working in varied practices. -
On successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance.
Doing your Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award?
This course can count as your Gold DofE Residential.
DofE participants must book both the course and accommodation on campus for this to count towards your Gold Award.
What you’ll study
Get ready to express your creativity, make new friends, and embark on an artistic adventure like no other!
This course is a fun and dynamic way to learn about graphic novels and develop the appropriate skills to make your own graphic novel work.
You will learn about a wide range of different illustrators’ work and will investigate the broad possibilities that graphic novels offer.
You’ll experiment with a selection of traditional artistic methods and materials, and use these in your own narrative work, whilst visually recording your work along the way, so that you can include the work you’re proud of in an art portfolio.
During this course, you will:
- learn about a broad range of graphic novels
- learn about the visual language of comics
- learn how about characterisation in graphic novels and incorporate that learning into developing characters for your own work
- learn about the various materials and techniques that are used in graphic novel illustrations
- learn how to develop and edit a sequential comics script; generate thumbnails, roughs and a visual storyboard for your own story
- learn how to use time and pacing in your work to keep the reader engaged
- practise your own artistic skills through character development, visual storyboarding and a segment of finalised graphic novel artwork.
Hone your artistic skills through character development, visual storyboarding, and the creation of a segment of your final graphic novel artwork.
Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll study during the course.
- Session 1: Introduction to graphic novels.
- Session 2: Characterisation.
- Session 3: Script, sequence and storyboarding.
- Session 4: Time and pace.
- Session 5: Completing your own project.
An introduction to graphic novels and their place in comics history.
You’ll learn how to read the visual language of comics and understand the visual components that create their structure.
You’ll look at how different graphic novelists approach and build characters and narrative worlds in order to tell their stories, considering what materials graphic novelists use.
Learn how to develop believable characters.
You’ll look at the relationship between observation and imagination.
Consider how characters in graphic novels are drawn; how they behave; and how they interact with one another.
Develop and edit a sequential comics script.
Generate thumbnails, roughs and a visual storyboard.
You’ll consider the effectiveness and differences of single-page and multi-page sequences.
Use a variety of compositional approaches to keep the reader engaged.
How do graphic novelists depict and distort time in various ways?
Practice techniques and visual devices used in comics/graphic novels to describe, or play with, the passing of time.
You’ll have dedicated time to develop and work on your own devised graphic novel segment, based on the skills developed in the course so far.
You’ll receive expert tutor guidance on how to use your chosen art materials and how to enhance your portfolio.
Further information on what you'll study
This course isn't just about learning; it's about having fun whilst unleashing your creative potential.
By the end of this course, you'll have:
- an understanding of graphic novels and comic books, their history, and their diverse creative possibilities
- hands-on experience with various artistic methods and materials, ready to be showcased in your art portfolio
- the ability to express your unique creative voice through graphic novel illustration.
Social events
We appoint NTU Student Ambassadors who host social events on Monday and Wednesday evening to help you make friends across the whole of our summer school programme for 15 – 17 year olds, which are free to attend.
How you’re taught
This course will be delivered in person on Nottingham Trent University city campus.
You will receive 25 contact hours of quality tuition with an experienced tutor.
Careers and employability
The course is designed to give you a real experience of university life, make new friends who share similar interests and develop your portfolio so that ultimately, you can make an informed decision about your future.
Previous students have gone on to study or work in illustration, animation, and have many transferable skills that can be applied to a number of roles within the creative industries.
On successful completion of the course you will receive a certificate of attendance, which will further enhance your CV.
Doing your Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award?
This course can count as your Gold DofE Residential.
DofE participants must book both the course and accommodation on campus for this to count towards your Gold Award.
Campus and facilities
You will be based in the School of Art and Design on the City Campus.
You’ll find collaborative working spaces where you develop your sketches and concepts, and Mac suites equipped with industry standard software and hardware including Adobe Animate, Wacom Cintiq Touch Tablets and Pro Creative Pens.
You’ll also have access to our library to use outside of your short course; whilst you can’t reserve or take away books, you are welcome to use them as a resource for research and referencing.
Entry requirements
Level: Open to all.
Entry requirement: You should have an enthusiasm for animation and an interest in developing your creative and technical skills.
You must be 15, 16 or 17 years old at the time of the course in order to atted.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form
Level: Open to all.
Entry requirement: You should have an enthusiasm for animation and an interest in developing your creative and technical skills.
You must be 15, 16 or 17 years old at the time of the course in order to attend.
Fees and funding
The fee for this course is £525.
Payment is due at the time of booking.
Secure your place with a deposit - If you're booking more than two months before the course starts, we can accept a £200 deposit to secure your place, and the balance is due one month before the course starts.
Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include great benefits such as the use of our modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software on the campus during your course.
You will also need to bring with you a notepad and pen, sketchbook, drawing pens and pencils.
You can read the terms and conditions of booking here.
Need accommodation?
If you're aged 16 or 17 then you can stay unaccompanied with agreement from a parent/guardian.
To support safeguarding, all guests aged 16 and 17 will be accommodated together in the same halls of residence.
The reception and security team are available 24 hours, and there will be a dedicated supervisor(s) during the evenings and mornings, outside of class times.
Guests will be provided with a mobile number for the supervisor(s) during their stay.
If you're aged 15 then you can stay as long as you are accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Find out more at www.ntu.ac.uk/summeraccommodation
Looking to turn your one-week course into a two-week experience?
If you can match this with any second course, you’ll receive a 10% refund on your course fees.
The fee for this course is £525.
Payment is due at the time of booking.
Secure your place with a deposit - If you're booking more than two months before the course starts, we can accept a £200 deposit to secure your place, and the balance is due one month before the course starts.
Your course fees cover the cost of studies and include great benefits such as the use of our modern library and free use of the IT equipment and software on the campus during your course.
You will also need to bring with you a notepad and pen, sketchbook, drawing pens and pencils.
You can read the terms and conditions of booking here.
Need accommodation?
If you're aged 16 or 17 then you can stay unaccompanied with agreement from a parent/guardian.
To support safeguarding, all guests aged 16 and 17 will be accommodated together in the same halls of residence.
The reception and security team are available 24 hours, and there will be a dedicated supervisor(s) during the evenings and mornings, outside of class times.
Guests will be provided with a mobile number for the supervisor(s) during their stay.
If you're aged 15 then you can stay as long as you are accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Find out more at www.ntu.ac.uk/summeraccommodation
Looking to turn your one-week course into a two-week experience?
If you can match this with any second course, you’ll receive a 10% refund on your course fees.
How to apply
You can book this course via the NTU online store:
5 - 9 August 2024
You can book this course via the NTU online store: