6 Week Live Online Course | Mondays, May 6 – June 10, 2024 | 9:00 pm - 11:00 pm ET | Instructor: Chris Sotomayor

Introduction to Comic Book Coloring

$595.00

If you’ve ever dreamt of coloring comics, this class is for you!

Color can be an effective tool for creating atmosphere and amplify storytelling in comics. Developed and taught by popular colorist Chris Sotomayor (Avengers, Captain Marvel, Batman, X-Men, and many more), you’ll get access to all the tools of the trade as well as tips on how to break into the industry.

This six-week intensive class for colorists teaches you all the necessary tools and tricks for coloring with Photoshop. Additionally, you will learn how to choose the right color palette and the best way to use color to enhance your storytelling.

Finally, you’ll meet an additional professional colorist as a guest speaker! During the course, you will color several comic book pages, including covers and interior sequential pages – reworking them with the instructor’s advice.

In stock

New Mutants artWe focus this class on storytelling. The aspect of comics that is unlike most other forms of printed art is that it tells a story and believe it or not, the coloring of a comic has a lot to do with how the story is told.

  • The class meets once a week on Mondays between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM ET, for six weeks.
  • You will learn from best-selling and highly respected colorist Chris Sotomayor (Avengers, X-Men, Supreme Power, Batman, Firestorm).
  • You’ll get Chris’s lessons and lectures and discussions!
  • You will meet a special guest colorist!
  • 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!
  • The course is limited to keep the class intimate and ensure that every student gets the attention he or she deserves.
Chris Sotomayor

Chris Sotomayor has a reputation of being the fastest color artist in the business, and has been a mainstay at Marvel Comics since 1996. He’s proven himself time and again having worked on their top properties, including Spider-Man, X-Men, The Avengers, Daredevil, Captain America, Hulk, and many others, as well as working on titles for DC Comics, Image Comics and Humanoids. Past breakout works include Supreme Power/Squadron Supreme and Captain Marvel.

In addition to his own coloring work, Soto (as we lovingly call him) also owns and operates SotoColor, a coloring and comics studio in which he finds work for and develops the talents of literally dozens of working, top-ranked colorists in the industry. And he’s ready to apply those skills to helping YOU!

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Storytelling is great, but what if I don’t know anything about color theory?

Our courses are geared for the beginner as well as the experienced artist. Chris will take you through all the “foundational elements” upon which great colorists build their careers. And that starts with color theory; understanding how colors relate to each other is monumentally important.

Besides listening to Chris prattle on and on, what do I actually do in this course?

Every student is given a number of professional pages to color. These are pages illustrated for actual Marvel, DC or IDW comics. You’ll have professional scripts and line art to use and reference.

By the end of the course, you’ll wind up with some portfolio pieces!

What if I don’t know Photoshop? Clip Studio?

Don’t worry! We cover everything you need to know for coloring comics quickly and in a friendly manner.

Who is Chris Sotomayor and why is he teaching my class?

Chris has decades of experience under his belt and regularly works for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Boom! Studios, IDW Publishing and more. Chris learned from a generation of leading colorists and then began teaching the next generation himself. After mind-blowing runs on some of Marvel’s hottest titles like Supreme Power, Captain Marvel and then Avengers – Chris also started his own studio called Sotocolor where he has now trained yet another generation of colorists who work on dozens of comics every month from a multitude of publishers.

Like all of Comics Experience’s instructors, Chris is not just a top professional in his field; he’s also an accomplished teacher. Sotocolor has been leading the industry in coloring comics for several years, with every member of the Sotocolor team learning from Chris himself. Comics Experience is pleased to be able to pass that working knowledge on to you!

What do I do after the class?

Once the course is over, you’ll have been taught how to approach comic pages and stories. It’s important that colorists learn to think on their feet (well, in their computer chairs, anyway).

You’ll be able to confidently approach black and white pages for coloring. The idea with all our courses is that you won’t need us once the course is over. You’ll be able to color on your own!

What else will we be doing?

In addition to talking with Chris during the class sessions (they are recorded if you have to miss one) – you’ll also have exclusive access to a dedicated class member-only online forum where your class can meet online 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the duration of the course.

The forum is where you’ll be able to post your work for your class to review, comment on, and make suggestions. And likewise, you’ll be asked to comment on your fellow students’ stories as well. You’ll problem solve together and find new ways to color, work around story challenges, and punch up the dynamics!

Do I need to know a whole lot about comics?

Absolutely not. All Introduction courses are designed for beginners and those seeking to improve their craft. One thing we pride ourselves on at Comics Experience is our ability to teach to any individual’s skill level.

We have an excellent track record with our students and it’s our top aim to keep it that way. New to comics? Come on in, we’d love to show you around! Old pro? Let’s sharpen those skills and learn a few new tools! Everyone’s welcome and the group learning will help everyone improve!

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

Nope. Not one bit. You need to have high-speed Internet access. We recommend that you have headphones with a microphone to plug into your computer, 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?

The basics are the same and have been since the beginning. If necessary, we’ll do some general troubleshooting with folks as they encounter differences in different versions of software. We’ll show you!

When does the class meet and for how long?

The Introduction to Coloring class meets once a week for six weeks. It meets between 9:00 PM ET and 11:00 PM ET. The course is held live.

What if I miss a class?

All of our classes are recorded and available to view via streaming link for the duration of the course. You’ll have exclusive access to the Comics Experience forum 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 from Europe, Asia, Australia, South America, and Africa. Some of these students have not been able to attend live but they’ve viewed the recordings and interacted 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 introductory courses. It’s essential for anyone who wants a career in comics. We discuss relationship building, ways to get your foot in the door and where to go to meet the right people.

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? That’s what most of our students are—they’re creators. It’s a great place to learn just for fun.

How do I sign up?

Click “Add to Cart” to register and you’ll get an email confirmation and instructions within two business days giving you everything you need to get started with the course.

If you want to color comics for fun or become a pro, your comics career starts here!

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 twenty-one (21) days before the class start date, 50% of the course fee can be refunded.
– Between twenty (20) and seven (7) days prior to the class start date, 25% of the course fee can be refunded.
– Six (6) days or fewer before the course start date, no refund will be issued.

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

Into the Spiderverse art

To participate in our live online sessions you will need:

What if I need to cancel my enrollment?

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

  • From the time of purchase until twenty-one (21) days before the class start date, 50% of the course fee can be refunded.
  • Between twenty (20) and seven (7) days prior to the class start date, 25% of the course fee can be refunded.
  • Six (6) days or fewer before the course start date, no refund will be issued.
  • We appreciate your understanding and compliance to help us keep costs down and to continue offering high quality courses.

Online registration only: To attend Introduction to Comic Book Coloring, you must register online. Enrollment is limited.*

*We do not currently offer refunds after enrollment.