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Comic Design
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Course

Course

Making comics, visual stories, graphic novels and art in general requires initiative, courage, flexibility and perseverance. At Comic Design, you will learn to create comics by experimenting with visual media, materials and techniques and tell stories from your personal vision and engagement with the world.

Observation as a starting point

During the study, there is a strong focus on perception as the starting point for your images. Perception is about the form of representation as well as about understanding and interpreting what you are looking at. You learn to look sharply and critically and ask questions about what you see. This helps you to tell stories. Drawing/painting by observation is important to create recognisable images.

The ability to tell stories

To create comic strips, of course, you must also enjoy telling stories. During the Bachelor in Comic Design, you do a lot of research and practise creating your stories in an authentic manner. So, it is not just about what you tell but how you tell it. You also learn to look very precisely and critically at the way others interpret your stories. You learn to critically reflect on the communicative qualities of the story.

Course structure

  • The first year lays the foundations for your visual and reflective development. There is also a strong focus on a broader view of visual art and design. The subjects you take during the first year include visual research, visual storytelling, visual storytelling and drawing. You will also take part in various workshops, including ROOM. These are career-preparatory workshops and master classes with guest lecturers and alumni. ROOM also provides space for debate on topical issues. The Think programme links art history and philosophy.

    The technical workshops you will take include courses in wood, metal, ceramics and photography. The graphic techniques you will be introduced to include riso print, screen printing, etching, lithography, typesetting and linocuts.

    After the autumn holidays, a multidisciplinary study trip to Berlin is planned, in which all visual arts study programmes in Zwolle participate. You will take many study components in a mixed class with students from Animation Design. The comic-specific subjects and technical support will be taught in your own group. There is also room for a subject-related activity, such as a studio visit or a presentation by makers from Berlin.

     

  • In the second year, you conduct further research into your own signature within comic. You take subjects that contribute in a more in-depth way to your artistic development and research. These include: visual research, visual storytelling, drawing and ROOM. But also theoretical subjects such as art history and philosophy in practice. You will also take part in course-specific activities such as comic festivals and museum visits.

    In spring, you will join Animation Design students on a trip to Duisburg to draw in an industrial monument. Great collaborations and connections often arise in this new, special setting.

  • In the third year, you are given more space to work from your personal preferences and seek deepening and profiling as a creator. You enter the field of Comic Design by doing an internship with a comic book author, comic collective, publisher or festival. You conclude the internship with an internship report and a substantive preparation for the graduation year.

    The subjects you take in the third year are: visual research, visual storytelling, visual storytelling, drawing and ROOM. And theoretical subjects such as Art History and Philosophy in Practice. This year you will also take a study trip to a relevant international festival.

    Instead of staying in Zwolle in the sixth semester, you can also choose to do this semester abroad. ArtEZ has contacts with a large number of international art academies, this offers you a chance to build an international network and see how the comic sector works abroad.

  • During the final examination year, you work on the Master's thesis, a final examination work that demonstrates your personal talent and ambition. In the fourth year, you will be guided by lecturers in visual storytelling, storytelling, design, theory/reflection and professional makers from the field.

    ArtEZ finals

    All students show their final work during the ArtEZ finals in Zwolle. A visit to this graduation exhibition is highly recommended if you are considering studying Comic Design.

    Former student Anastasia made a sequel to a six-page comic about violence towards pregnant women, highlighted from the point of view of counselling.

Doing research outside of your regular class hours

When you study at ArtEZ, you also get acquainted with research. Think of theory classes, material research, and socially engaged research. Within your course, there is ample support and space to discover what kind of artistic researcher you are. But outside your regular class hours, there are also special initiatives, activities, and workshops where you can work on research. Especially for students who seek further depth. Curious? Then quickly read more about the (extracurricular) research activities.

Doing research outside of your regular class hours

Study costs

You pay tuition fees every academic year. Depending on your nationality and previous degrees, among other things, you will pay the statutory or institutional tuition fee. Check here for more information and to calculate your tuition fee rate.

Study in Zwolle

Zwolle is a dynamic Hanseatic city, with winding streets and many original shops and eateries. It is a place where creative students, innovative entrepreneurs and free thinkers can easily meet.

 More about Zwolle as a student city