Make Comics with Traditional Media
Master the ink-on-paper techniques used by legendary comic book artists. From storytelling fundamentals to professional inking with brushes and dip pens, learn the craft that built the medium.
Benefits: College-level studio workshop • Real-world assignments • Small class sizes
Who Takes This Workshop
Career Changers & Creative Hobbyists
You don't need drawing experience or an art degree. If you can hold a pen and tell a story, you can learn this craft. Most students juggle full-time jobs—we structure assignments with realistic time expectations (6-8 hours per week outside class).
Aspiring Professional Comic Artists
Need portfolio pieces for art school applications or your first industry work? This course teaches the same fundamentals as RISD and SVA programs, with assignments based on actual professional workflows. Recent students have been accepted to MassArt, SCAD, and CCS.
What You'll Learn
Sequential Storytelling & Visual Narrative
Transform scripts into compelling page layouts. Control pacing, camera angles, and panel transitions to guide your reader's eye and deliver emotional impact.
Traditional Inking Techniques
Master brushes, dip pens, and crow quills. Learn line weight variation, spot blacks, feathering, and the inking approaches that defined comic book art's golden age.
Professional Production Skills
From thumbnail sketches to print-ready artwork. Understand original art dimensions, reduction ratios, scanning workflows, and preparing your work for publication.
Character Design & Figure Drawing
Create memorable characters that work across multiple panels and pages. Develop consistent model sheets and dynamic figure work drawn from observation.
About the Instructor
David Marshall has taught at Massachusetts College of Art and Design since 2011. His work has been published by Fantagraphics Books (publisher of Love and Rockets, Ghost World) and his comics appear in the same anthologies as professionals working for DC and Marvel.
For working adults: David's teaching philosophy centers on "you're here to learn, not to already know." Classes include students aged 18-65 with varying skill levels.
For portfolio builders: Assignments are structured to create presentation-ready work. David provides industry-standard feedback on storytelling, composition, and technique—the same critiques editors give professional artists.
- Ready to Start?
- Traditional comic book art requires patience, practice, and the right guidance. If you're committed to mastering the fundamentals, this workshop provides the structure and techniques you need.
- View current schedule
- Contact for questions
- Recent Workshops
- Most recently taught at MassArt's Liberal Arts department (Spring 2022).
- View complete schedule
- Studio Resources
- The site includes extensive tutorials, technique demonstrations, and recommended reading:
- Ames Lettering Guide demonstration
- Scaling original art to printed dimensions
- Understanding perspective in comics
- Traditional media video tutorials
- From the Archives
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- Comic Art Reduction Act of 1967
- How original art dimensions changed—and why it still matters for contemporary artists working traditionally.
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- Alex Toth's Critiques of Steve Rude
- Master draftsman Toth's detailed feedback reveals how professionals approach page composition and storytelling clarity.
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- Artist spotlight: Fletcher Hanks
- Examining the raw, untrained energy of early comic book creators.