Three-week online graphic journalism masterclass

A series of three two-hour-long sessions over Zoom, taking place on Thursday 21st April 2022, Thursday 28th April 2022 and Thursday 5th May 2022, from 10am-12 noon.

Overview
Graphic journalism uses drawing/ illustration as well as text to report on and respond to current affairs. This masterclass is for anyone with an interest in learning the core principles of graphic journalism, and in developing their skills to work towards a professional portfolio.

The course is taught over three intensive two-hour online sessions (once a week). Participants will undertake a series of targeted exercises on reportage, visualisation, sequence, and on structuring stories. Participants will have the opportunity to submit a longer piece of graphic journalism after the sessions, on which they will receive written feedback as well as advice on professionalisation. They will benefit from working in a peer cohort, with opportunities for network-building.

Numbers
The class is limited to a maximum of 12 attendees.

Restrictions
The course is for adults only. No particular artistic skills or previous training in art is required, but a readiness to draw and experiment is essential. All participants will need to have a functioning webcam and to have downloaded Zoom.

The tutor
Carol Adlam is a UK-based writer and illustrator who specialises in reportage artwork, graphic novels and book illustration. She’s drawn graphic journalism pieces for Delayed Gratification (some recent examples here and here), has been the writer and illustrator-in-residence at the University of St Andrews and is currently a visiting fellow at Girton College, Cambridge. In 2018 she was a winner at the World Illustration Awards and from 2017-2018 she was the visiting artist at the National Archives in Kew.

Tickets
Tickets cost £108 (including VAT) for subscribers and £180 (including VAT) for non-subscribers. We’ll ask for your delivery postcode to verify your subscription when you book your ticket.

Haven’t joined the Slow Journalism revolution yet? A one-year subscription to Delayed Gratification starts at just £40 and entitles you to big discounts on all our classes.

Refunds policy
Unfortunately we are unable to offer refunds on purchased tickets.

CLASS SCHEDULE

Pre-class task
Identify a news story that you would like to explore through graphic journalism. Note that this does not need to be a current event, nor a ‘grand’ news event, but simply something that has caught your eye or interest. It could be from local news, or an autobiographical event, an event/news story from the other side of the world, or (in keeping with the principles of Slow Journalism), something that happened some time ago, but that you think is worth returning to and reflecting on. Please bring a short summary (no more than 50 words) of your event with you to the class.

WEEK 1 (online class): Fundamentals and Techniques
• What is Graphic journalism?
• Media/Tools/examples
• Rapid drawing techniques
• Drawing Place
• Drawing Individuals
• Drawing Crowds
• Finding your subject
• Discussion: The Long Draw

INTERIM TASK: Do preliminary sketches of 1) protagonists and 2) place for your ‘Long Draw’ story (2-4 pages)

WEEK 2 (online class): Visual storytelling
• Key elements (with exercises)
• Incorporating Emotion/ Personal touch
• Building Authenticity
• Developing Sense of place
• Interviewing/ Scripting / Editing
• Pencil roughs/ Storyboarding
• Group crit of preliminary sketches for ‘The Long Draw’

INTERIM TASK: Produce a short script and storyboard for your ‘Long Draw’ story

WEEK 3 (online class): Sequence and Pace / Professionalisation
• Group crit of scripts and storyboards
• Reprise of editing
• Effective sequence and pace
• Compositional techniques (exercises)
• Professionalisation
• Working for print/ working for digital
• Ethics
• Next steps/ The professional toolkit (e.g. Acceptance of Commission form; invoice; terms and conditions for licensing); further reading/links; note on possible outlets.

WEEK 4 (email submission only): THE LONG DRAW
Submit your ‘Long Draw’ story to the tutor, who will give you written feedback on it. Please note stories must be submitted by the deadline of two weeks after the last class, and should be no longer than 8 pages.

Posted on Saturday, January 16th, 2021 - Categories: Events and classes.