​Graphic Storytelling Workshop: Create a Complete Comic

​This 4-week workshop is designed for those who want to COMPLETE a comic or graphic narrative of roughly 8-12 pages/panels, like those published at The Rumpus, The Believer Magazine, and even on Substack, and it will be based on my experience creating comics for these publications on a tight deadline. The instruction will cover tools and topics such as story structure, pacing, lettering styles, character design, page composition, and many narrative and visual strategies. We will think intentionally about the stories we want to tell and how we want to tell them.

​This workshop combines the power of deadlines, the support of community, and the experience—and metaphorical whistle!—of “Coach K” to help you create a complete comic or graphic narrative to share.

​Schedule (all meetings will take place on Zoom):
Week 1: Sat. July 12, 2025, 10am-12:30pm ET
Week 2: Sat. July 19, 2025, 10am-12:30pm ET
Week 3: Sat. July 26, 2025, 10am-12:30pm ET
Week 4: Sat. August 2, 2025, 10am-12:30pm ET

​Each 2.5-hour session will follow this general framework:
45 min: Instruction, examples, and guided practice prompts
45 min: Time to work independently + individual and small-group breakout-room consultations
15 min: Flex time or break time
45 min: Full-group workshop to share work-in-progress

​This course needs at least 6 students to run and is limited to 12 participants.

​Workshop Cost: $350 ($315 for paid subscribers to my newsletter, The Habit of Art, using the coupon code NBUIP0 to get 10% off. Please only enter the coupon code if you are a paid subscriber. 😊 You can manage your subscription here.)

​Optional 45-minute 1-on-1 meeting: $50
If you would like to schedule an appointment with me outside of class to further discuss your project, you can sign up for this optional add-on. You can do so at any time until the course is over simply by paying the fee here on Venmo. After you make the payment, I’ll be in touch to schedule a time to meet.

​Materials
You can work with whatever materials you prefer—ink, watercolor, gouache, collage, or digital tools. (I’d be happy to share some of my faves.) Many have found the Procreate app an excellent digital for comics and visual storytelling because you can “undo” unwanted marks, work in layers that allow for tracing and editing, and share final files easily without scanning. It does require an iPad and Apple Pencil.

​Homework
I'll circulate some sample comics to read before the first class session. After that, the only homework will be for you to work on your project so you can finish it by the final session.

​All levels of experience are welcome, but you should have a high level of commitment to completing your project for this workshop.

​About the instructor

​​Kelcey Ervick is the creator of The Habit of Art by Kelcey Ervick, a bestselling Substack newsletter and Featured Publication. She is the author of four award-winning books, including the graphic memoir, The Keeper, which was featured in the NY Times Book Review’s Holiday Gift Guide. She is co-editor of The Field Guide to Graphic Literature, a handy guide to making graphic stories and poems, and her comics have appeared in the Washington Post, The Rumpus, and The Believer, where she created multiple comics on tight deadlines. She is a professor of creative writing at Indiana University South Bend.

​Questions?

​Email me at kelceyervick@gmail.com