5 Week Live Online Course | Instructor: Phillip Sevy

Digital Inking and Finishing

$595.00

Making your work look professional is the best way to get noticed!

A comic cannot just be told with words, the art has a responsibility to convey setting and mood just as much as any dialogue balloon or caption box. Creating that art, and making it look finished for a publisher, is a learned skill that this course provides!

You’ll receive in-depth instruction from expert Phillip Sevy (Tomb Raider, Triage) on how to take your artwork to a finished stage ready for color and/or publication. This course examines the digital methods for inking work, adding weight, composition and texture, and provides experienced instruction on how to achieve that professional look.

We’ll cover the pros and cons to digital art, what type of hardware and programs you’ll need, and how to go about setting up a digital workflow. After that, we’ll talk about how to use digital tools to refine and create finished, publish-ready work. You’ll learn about methods and workflows for drawing comics digitally using Clip Studio Paint (formerly Manga Studio), Photoshop, and Sketchup.

While the focus of the course is comic art, the most valuable aspect of the course is having a full-time professional comic artist as your instructor. Each week class members receive personal critiques and feedback on their work.

Harley Quinn wearing a pantsuit
You will work with professional comic book artist Phillip Sevy.

  • You will pencil and ink a finished 3-page story.
  • You will keep a sketch thread throughout the course to practice the skills discussed in class and provide a place for further instruction and critiques.
  • Course covers digital inking techniques to help you create a finished comic page ready to color and show to editors for review.
  • You’ll have frequent opportunities for Q and A with the instructor about industry topics beyond creating the artwork. Like how to contact editors and how to set up at conventions.
  • You’ll also learn about networking and presenting portfolios and how to get the most out of a critique.
  • You also get exclusive access to a dedicated class member-only online forum.
  • You’ll have access to recordings of any class in the series for the duration of the class and a few weeks after its conclusion—so you never have to miss a class!

Phillip Sevy began his comics career with Heartless Dark, a weekly webcomic he wrote, penciled, inked, and colored. At its conclusion, Phillip attended the Savannah College of Art and Design where he got his MFA in Sequential Art. He was named a runner-up in the 2014 Top Cow Talent Hunt competition.

Phillip has drawn The Freeze, Magdalena, Athena IX, Poseidon IX, The Tithe vol 2 as well as contributing to Witchblade 185 (the final issue of the landmark series).He is most known for his work on Dark Horse’s Tomb Raider series, which he’s drawn 16 issues of.

He’s written and drawn Paradox (Source Point Press/Comics Experience) and Triage (Dark Horse). With artist Drew Zucker, he co-created and wrote The House (Dark Horse). Working with Actor/Writer/Director David Duchovny, he wrote and drew Kepler, an original sci-fi graphic novel for Dark Horse. 

Phillip has also worked with Z2 Comics, Upper Deck, Valiant Entertainment, IDW, Black Mask Comics, Line Webtoon, and has work published in a variety of acclaimed anthologies.

He is currently working on a variety of Marvel Unlimited, vertical scrolling Infinity comics – including X-Men Unlimited and Edge of Venomverse.

Phillip’s worked with a variety of corporate clients doing commercial illustration over the last few years, including AMC Entertainment, Discovery Channel and the Sundance Channel. He spent nearly five years teaching Comics and Sequential Art at Broadview Entertainment Arts University where he won awards for Outstanding Faculty and Excellence in Applied Learning. 

He’s been teaching online courses with Comics Experience since 2017.

Phillip Sevy fan art

Do I need to know a whole lot about comics?

Absolutely not. But this course is based on the methodology taught in the Introduction to Comics Art course, so you must have taken that course to take this one. The class has a quick pace, so if you’re very new, be prepared to work, but one thing we pride ourselves on at Comics Experience is our ability to teach to an individual’s skill level.

Do I need to be a computer wiz for the class?

Nope. Not one bit. You need to have high-speed Internet access and headphones/ear buds to listen in. A microphone is helpful, but that’s by no means necessary. Ultimately, you don’t have to speak if you don’t want to, though we like hearing your voice! Once you’re in your first class, we’re sure you’ll get comfortable very quickly.

What computer programs do I need for this course?

None are an absolute necessity, however because the course focuses on digital art, having Clip Studio Paint will allow you the best experience in practicing the techniques discussed in the class.

What if I miss a class?

Don’t worry if you miss a class. All of our classes are recorded and available to view via streaming link for the duration of the course. And on top of that, you’ll have exclusive access to the Comics Experience message board set up just for the class. You’ll be able to interact with the rest of your class all week long at any time!

If I don’t live in the United States, can I still take the course?

You bet. We’ve had students jump in from Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and Africa. Not Antarctica yet, but give us time! Many of these students have not been able to attend live, and they’ve all been happy to view the recordings and interact with their classmates online!

Learning about comic storytelling is great, but do we get any practical industry advice?

You’ll get a LOT of practical industry advice. Networking is one of our main topics in all of our courses. It’s, simply put, essential for anyone who wants a career in comics. We discuss relationship building and ways to get your foot in the door and where to go to meet the right people and so on.

If I don’t want a career in comics, and just like making comics or even just want to learn more about the art form I love, is this class right for me?

Sure it is! How better to expand your knowledge and understanding of comics than by engaging with creators? And that’s what most of our clients and students are—they’re creators. It’s a great place to learn just for fun if you wish too. We’d love to have you!

What do I do after the class?

Once the course is over, you’ll have a greater foundation of understanding on how to tell stories visually. It is then up to you to find comic scripts or write stories to continue to push yourself artistically and improve your craft. Comics are a unique artistic medium that can push how stories are told with still images. The art can be as simple as a single image, a traditional grid format, or even as complex as free form layouts that accentuate the action of every panel.

The boundaries of visual storytelling are only expanded when artists push themselves and their art to experiment with the medium. A way to continue working on your storytelling methods and receive instruction and feedback is through the Creator’s Workshop.

I don’t really want to BE a comic book artist, but I like comic book art. Is this the class for me?

You are under no real pressure to complete the active homework assignments. We encourage that you do because it enhances your own learning. But if you just want to get into the mindset or gain a better understanding of how to look at and evaluate the art you see in your hobby, then jump on in and we think you’ll be astounded by all the thought, preparation, and skill that goes into make a rock solid comic book page.

How do I sign up?

Simply add the course to your shopping cart and check out. We will send you a confirmation email typically within 48 hours! If you’ve got any questions or haven’t heard from us within 48 hours, you can contact us at info@ComicsExperience.com to follow up. Our email confirmation contains information and instructions, giving you everything you need to get started with the course.

What if I need to cancel my enrollment?

Unfortunately, CE cannot provide a full refund for course enrollment once the course is purchased.

  • From the time of purchase until 21 days before the class start date, 50% of the course fee can be refunded.
  • Between 20 and 7 days prior to the class start date, 25% of the course fee can be refunded.
  • Between 7 and 0 days of the class start date, no refunds can be granted.

We appreciate your understanding and compliance to help us keep costs down and to continue offering high quality courses.

Tuesday

Prerequisite: You must have completed the Introduction to Visual Storytelling course to enroll in the Advanced class.

To participate in our live online sessions and course homework you will need:

What if I need to cancel my enrollment?

Unfortunately, CE cannot provide a full refund for course enrollment once the course is purchased.

  • From the time of purchase until 21 days before the class start date, 50% of the course fee can be refunded.
  • Between 20 and 7 days prior to the class start date, 25% of the course fee can be refunded.
  • Between 7 and 0 days of the class start date, no refunds can be granted.

We appreciate your understanding and compliance to help us keep costs down and to continue offering high quality courses.