1. Demonstrate foundational knowledge of concepts, storytelling and drawing skills within cartoon and comic arts. Knowledge & Understanding

2. Apply technical and creative methods to produce a coherent portfolio of work for cartoon and comic arts. Application & Problem Solving

3. Use digital tools relevant to cartoon and comic arts to support creative production. Digital Literacy

4. Reflect on your technical, creative, and professional development to enable your future development. Reflection Personal Development & Entrepreneurship

Assessment 1:
Portfolio An individual creative portfolio demonstrating foundational skills, concepts, and processes in cartoon and comic arts. The portfolio should evidence drawing as a tool for research, exploration, and visual storytelling, alongside early engagement with comic-specific conventions.

The portfolio may include:
Sketchbook work and field drawing demonstrating observational, analytical, and expressive approaches Exercises exploring mark-making, perspective, scale, composition, and life drawing Development work for short comic-based tasks (e.g. panels, layouts, page structures, sequences)

Experiments with comic processes such as inking, lettering, speech bubbles, and visual pacing Script fragments, narrative planning, and exploratory storytelling exercises Use of appropriate digital tools to support drawing, layout, or presentation Clearly presented outcomes showing progression, experimentation, and refinement

Purpose:
Demonstrates foundational knowledge and skills in cartoon and comic arts, the application of creative and technical methods, and the effective use of digital tools to support image-making and storytelling.

Assessment 2:
Reflection A reflective commentary evaluating your technical, creative, and professional development across the module.
The commentary should:
Reflect on skill development in drawing and comic processes
Consider how experimentation, feedback, and practice have shaped your work
Identify strengths, challenges, and areas for future development
Begin to articulate how your emerging skills relate to further study and creative practice
The submission may be written or include annotated visual material where appropriate.

This can be submitted as:
- Option 1: Written reflection with supporting visuals – word count 1200
- Option 2: Audio recording with image folder – 5-6 mins
- Option 3: Video reflection with supporting visuals – 5-6 mins

Purpose:
Supports reflective practice and personal development by encouraging awareness of creative growth, skill acquisition, and future learning needs within cartoon and comic arts.

Formative Assessment
Midway formative feedback will be embedded within practical sessions, providing structured opportunities for feedback on work-in-progress to support student development and progression.

This module introduces the fundamental skills, concepts, and creative processes essential to the practice of cartoon and comic arts. It explores drawing as both a method of visual research and an expressive language central to visual storytelling, encouraging you to question assumptions about cartoons, comics, and illustration while developing confidence in core image-making skills.

You will build a broad foundation in drawing through analytical, observational, and expressive approaches. Practical activities focus on mark-making, perspective, scale, composition, and life drawing, supporting an understanding of how drawing functions as a tool for thinking visually, communicating ideas, and constructing meaning within cartoon and comic practices.

A range of exercises and short projects support the development of visual research, critical awareness, and creative experimentation. Through predominantly individual work, with some collaborative activity, you will engage with the design process from initial idea generation and exploration through to refinement, presentation, and reflection. You will be introduced to the ways professional cartoonists and comic artists research, test, and communicate ideas, and encouraged to apply these methods within your own developing practice.

Academic and digital skills are embedded throughout the module, including information gathering, visual analysis, and the use of digital tools for image-making and communication. Opportunities to engage with workshops and other University resources support an expanded understanding of materials, processes, and making at an introductory level.

By the end of the module, you will have established a secure foundation in drawing, research, and creative thinking that underpins cartoon and comic arts, providing a basis for further study and practice across the course.

The Fundamentals of Drawing Comics
Have you ever thought about what makes a cartoonist and comic artist different from an illustrator? Well, this module will introduce you to the core skills that allow you to develop your drawing and learn how mark-making can help you express ideas and narratives.

Learning is studio-based and project-led, supported by lectures, workshops, tutorials, and group critiques introducing key principles of drawing, visual language, and visual storytelling.
Practical sessions emphasise observational drawing, experimentation, life drawing, and the analysis of images and objects as part of visual research.
Academic and digital workshops support research, analysis, and the communication of ideas.
Independent study underpins short exercises and projects, enabling the development, evaluation, and presentation of work in progress.

Cohn, N. (2013) The visual language of comics: Introduction to the structure and cognition of sequential images. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Etherington, L. (2021) How to think when you draw. Bournemouth: Bourne Digital.

Gavaler, C. (2022) The comics form: The art of sequenced images. London: Bloomsbury Academic.

Lowe, J. (2014) Foundations in comic book art: Fundamental tools and techniques for sequential artists. New York: Watson-Guptill.

Quitely, F. (2017) The art of comics. London: BHP Comics.

Where older texts are included, they are retained as foundational texts within the discipline, remaining relevant where no more recent equivalent texts are available.

- Studio workspace and specialist teaching spaces appropriate to the module.
- Access to computer labs and industry-standard creative software for image-making, layout, digital illustration, and three-dimensional modelling.
- Print Bureau and fabrication facilities, including access to digital manufacturing equipment such as 3D printers and laser cutters, where appropriate.
- Workshop technician support and health and safety inductions for specialist equipment and fabrication processes.
- Access to specialist facilities including CAD labs, digital production spaces, and simulation or pre-visualisation environments where relevant to the module.
- University Library resources, including physical collections, digital databases, subject guides, and special collections.
- Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment and licensed digital platforms to support learning, communication, and assessment submission.
- Student Life and University Careers resources to support academic development and employability