Skip to Content
Sold Out

Summer Youth: Indie Comic Book Camp (Ages 8-10)

In this five day art camp, you will learn about pencilling and inking your own art the way cartoonists do, inking the copies of fellow artists' works, and also making your own sketchbook, comics, and character art cards!

Starts
Ends
Add to calendar:
Summer Youth: Indie Comic Book Camp (Ages 8-10)

Summer Youth: Indie Comic Book Camp (Ages 8-10)

In this five day art camp, you will learn about pencilling and inking your own art the way cartoonists do, inking the copies of fellow artists' works, and also making your own sketchbook, comics, and character art cards!

Pricing
Tuition Assistance and Policies
See more
Cancellation & Other Policies
See more
Sold Out

About

Day 1: Learn all about drawing in graphite and character design. Explore the concept of “penciling,” when you draw in pencil knowing you’ll ink your art or comic later, or doing a drawing in grayscale, which is either done completely in pencil or only minimally outlined in ink. 
You'll also learn how to make a sketchbook out of a single sheet of paper, which ends up being 16 sheets. This will be your character and/or comic sketchbook, where you can work out ideas and have something to show friends. Many comic artists work with sketchbooks, which are often published by artists or book publishers.

Day 2: Inking! Learn how to add black-and-white shadows with ink pens to your comics. You’ll learn about cross hatching vs bolder, darker shadows, and about inking originals and copies. Everyone will get the chance to draw on standard 11-inch by 17-inch comic book paper. We’ll make copies of class art so you can practice inking this other art.

Day 3: Learn about posters and eight-page zines from a single sheet of paper! You’ll learn how to balance lettering and drawing in black-and-white poster design on 11-inch by 17-inch paper and how to make an eight-page comic or story out of a single 8.5-inch by 11-inch sheet of paper. You can make copies of your zines and learn how to fold and cut those copies.

Day 4: Learn how to draw newspaper and four-panel comics. This is a great way to tell stories in a shorter format, ranging from one to six panels. Four-panel comics are a great way to tell the beginning, middle, and end of a story, which will translate well to your final book project. For this project, your drawings will be both on single sheets and in zine booklets.

Day 5: Finish up by completing anything you still need to finish, and learn about minicomic bookmaking, which is folding a single sheet of paper to make zines for which you can make handmade covers. Finally, you’ll have the chance to trade copies of your zines and copied art with one another.

Details

  • Ages 8-10 welcome.
  • Bring water and a snack.
  • Registration closes on Monday, July 14.
 

Details

A $15 materials fee, included in the class price, covers everything you'll need. 

Instructor
Donna Letterese

Donna is a cartoonist, botanical illustrator, and educator, as well as a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists (Southern California and Pacific Northwest chapters) and Puget Sound Book Artists. Originally from New York, she earned her bachelor's degree from Sarah Lawrence College, then moved to the West Coast. She ultimately earned her master's in illustration from California State University, Fullerton. A Kitsap Country resident since 2020, she loves getting the chance to explore, sketch, travel by ferry, and take in the landscapes, flora, and fauna of Washington. She has been teaching since 2010, teaching continuing education and classes at art centers, after-school programs, comic conventions, and libraries. She loves working with students and helping them discover their artistic passion and voice, whether that means telling a fantastical story through an illustration or comic, or realistically capturing a plant and its details at a particular moment. During her free time, she loves creating comics and handmade books, urban sketching, and exploring museums, gardens, coffee shops, anywhere with animals, and bookstores.

Related Events

Check out other events you might be interested in!

A-Z of Stained Glass
A-Z of Stained Glass

Learn to create a stained-glass window in this class for beginners and those looking to refresh their skills.

September 09, 2026

Live Figure Drawing
Live Figure Drawing

Practice drawing the dynamic nature of the human figure!

July 27, 2026

Summer Youth: Be Your Own Publisher (Ages 10-14)
Summer Youth: Be Your Own Publisher (Ages 10-14)

Be your own artist and publisher as you create an illustrated journal, comics, cards, books, and zines.

July 27, 2026

-*