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London MCM Expo - Letraset Manga School October 2011

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Date: 2011 October 05 18:07

Posted by Joe

London based readers will know that Friday 28th to Sunday 30th October 2011 is when the London MCM Expo hits town. Letraset the creative company best known for their popular marker pens will be hosting a manga school at the Expo. They'll be running 15 classes throughout the weekend.

The classes are aimed at different abilities from beginners to advanced artists. The classes will be run by talented artists Morag Lewis, Nana Li and Irina Richards.

The class cost £2 to £3 per person and last up to 1 hour. For some classes you will have to supply additional materials.

Letraset will also be running a spooky competition under the theme of Ghouls, gobins and mad scientists oh my! where the winner gets over £120 worth of Letraset products, plus there are runners up prizes.

Letraset will also be promoting a new marker in their line up - the FlexMarker.

Full Story

Manga School
Letraset are delighted to be running a brand new Manga School feature at the MCM Expo. Classes run throughout the weekend and cover a wide range of subjects related to drawing skills, character design, creative skills and comic development. Each class is run by a top name from the industry, Classes cost £3 each and most classes last 1 hour for more details see the Manga School leaflet PDF. Tickets are available from the Letraset stand on a first come first serve basis so get down early to avoid dissapointment!

FlexMarker

This months MCM Expo will be the first chance for many to see the brand new Letraset FlexMarker in action! FlexMarker is the latest marker from Letraset, featuring an all new flexible brush nib and is perfect for all kinds of art including Manga Illustration. FlexMarker and ProMarker use the same ink and so can be used perfectly alongside one another. You'll also find that 52 of the FlexMarker colours are not available in the ProMarker range, making FlexMarker the perfect way to expand your colour collection. As always, we'll have some extra special Expo only offers for you to take advantage of so make sure not to miss out! To find out more about FlexMarker visit www.flexmarker.info

Art Competition
The theme for October's Expo art competition is 'ghouls, goblins and mad scientists... oh my!' As usual there will be two categories, over 16 and under 16 and the winner will recieve over £120 worth of Letraset products, and there will be smaller prizes for the runners up. http://letrasetblog.com/manga/mcm-art-comp-oct-2011/

Details as follows:

Friday 28th October 2011

Discover & Develop Manga Storytelling Techniques with Morag Lewis
All Abilities - 1hour - £3 per person - 03:00pm

Developing Backgrounds & Creating Atmosphere with Morag Lewis
All Abilities - 1hour - £3 per person - 04:30pm

Preparing for Print with Morag Lewis
All Abilities - 40mins - £2 per person - 06:00pm

Saturday 29th October 2011

Head Construction and Design with Nana Li
Beginners to Intermediate - 1hour - £3 per person - 10:30am

Body Pose and Movement with Nana Li
Intermediate - 1hour - £3 per person - 11:45am

Demystifying Screen Tone with Nana Li
All Abilities - 1hour - £3 per person - 01:00pm

The Secret Art of Paneling the Japanese Manga Way with Irina Richards
All Abilities - 1hour - £3 per person - 02:15pm

Shading and Colouring with Nana Li
Beginners to Intermediate - 1hour - £3 per person - 03:30pm

Drawing Clothes with Irina Richards
All Abilities - 1 hour - £3 per person - 04:45pm

Sunday 30th October 2011

Body Pose and Movement with Nana Li
Intermediate - 1hour - £3 per person - 10:30am

Creating a Character Sheet with Irina Richards
All Abilities - 1hour - £3 per person - 11:45pm

Shading and Colouring with Nana Li
Beginners to Intermediate - 1hour - £3 per person - 01:00pm

Head Construction and Design with Nana Li
Beginners to Intermediate - 1hour - £3 per person - 02:15pm

The Secret Art of Paneling the Japanese Manga Way with Irina Richards
All Abilities - 1hour - £3 per person - 03:30pm

Chibi Characters and Cute Mascots with Irina Richards
All Abilities - 1hour - £3 per person - 03:45pm

About The Classes:
Welcome to the MCM Expo 2011 Manga School. Manga School learning and development classes are the ideal way for you to acquire new skills and develop existing ones. Their cutting edge content ensures you'll be arming yourself with the most up-to-date creative skills. All classes are led by successful, professional illustrators who are active in the Manga Industry.

Each class is presented in a manner to allow a range of skill levels to explore the content within their own abilities, don't be afraid about getting left behind, it's about exploring and developing your current abilities!

Above all, enjoy your time in class, kick back and get creative.

All monies collected for tickets are forwarded to the class tutor, no monies are to be exchanged during class times, if you wish to purchase artwork etc from your class tutor please visit their dedicated stand where they can best serve your request(s). Any unsociable or disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated, and may result in individuals being ejected from the class with no refund.

The Boring Bits:
Materials are supplied for each class; however please note that some tutors may request you to bring additional materials. Please read the class descriptions carefully.

To sign up to one of the Manga School classes, visit the Manga School behind the Letraset stand to purchase your ticket. Please note that class space is limited and tickets are sold on a first come first served basis. Make sure you arrive to your class on time; doors will close on commencement, strictly no admittance once classes are in progress.

If you'd like to tell us your thoughts; what did you think of the class you took? What more would you like to see? Please collect a feedback form from the Letraset stand, and return it to a Letraset representative.

We hope you enjoy your class,
Happy drawing from the Letraset Team

Manga School Class Details

Discover and Develop Manga Storytelling Techniques

All Abilities - 1hour - £3 per person - Friday 03:00pm

Overview
Comics are more than just pictures; they require stories. A pretty comic with a bad story is no fun to read. This workshop will focus on ways to think about and develop your plot, world and characters, and how to pace your story effectively. You can bring your own story ideas, think up a new story or use one of the frameworks provided. The session is led by Morag Lewis, a Sweatdrop Studios artist and author.

What You Will Learn
By the end of the session, attendees will have learned how to lay out a simple story and what sort of mistakes to avoid when planning comics. We will also cover characterisation and world building. If there is time, we will plan a short story for attendees to work on after the session.

Requirements:
Paper, pencil, eraser. Participants may bring their own materials.

Developing Backgrounds and Creating Atmosphere

All Abilities - 1hour - £3 per person - Friday 04:30pm

Overview
Talking heads and lost in space... that's not what you want for your characters! In this workshop, Sweatdrop Studios' Morag Lewis will cover backgrounds; how to think about them, when to use them, what to use them for and why they are actually fun, useful and no as daunting as they appear.

What You Will Learn
What you will learn: In this session we will first cover use of backgrounds, setting the scene, creating atmosphere and some simple tips to make your backgrounds look in place, whether you are writing a school romance or a fantasy epic. We will then go on to look at 1-, 2- and 3-point perspective and distance cues.

Requirements:
Paper, pencil, eraser, ruler, fineliner. Participants may bring their own drawing materials.

Preparing for Print

All Abilities - 40mins - £2 per person - Friday 06:00pm

Overview
So you have your comic, all drawn and ready, but how to get it into physical form? Trim, bleed, layout, resolution - all of these can be quite mystifying at first. But preparing for print is actually not as bad as it sounds. This session will cover preparing your comic for print, including cover design, and will be led by Morag Lewis, Sweatdrop Studios artist and author of 8 graphic novels.

What You Will Learn
We will go over the basics of printing, options for production, layout of your comic for staple-bound and perfect-bound comics and how to ensure your printers understand your requirements. We will also look at effective cover design. If there is time, we will go into resolution, both in printing and scanning. It's never too early to think about printing!

Requirements:
Paper, pencil. Please bring questions!

Head Construction and Design

Beginners to Intermediate - 1hour - £3 per person - Saturday 10:30am / Sunday 02:15pm

Overview
Nana Li, the winner of UK's 3rd Rising Stars of Manga competition and artist of Manga Shakespeare's Twelfth Night will take you through the basics of constructing male and female manga faces from different angles. A great introductory class for beginners and a good opportunity for intermediates to brush up on their basics.

What You Will Learn
Attendees will learn how to use guidelines for constructing the head from different angles and for placing features on the face using proportions. The basics will also be covered, including drawing features such as eyes, mouth, nose and hair. If time permits, attendees will finish up their drawings using a fine-liner.

Requirements:
Each participant will be provided with the materials required for the class including paper, a pencil, an eraser, and a black fine liner pen. Participants will also receive a 'tips' sheet to take home after the class.

Body, Pose & Movement - Bring your characters to life!

Intermediate - 1hour - £3 per person - Saturday 11:45am / Sunday 10:30am

Overview
Learn to draw expressively; Nana Li, the winner of UK's 3rd Rising Stars of Manga competition and artist of Manga Shakespeare's Twelfth Night will teach you how to construct bodies and how to make your characters stand, sit and move more naturally on paper. A perfect class for intermediates who are looking to take their character drawing to the next level!

What You Will Learn
By the end of the session, attendees will have a strong understanding of the skills and best practices used in manipulating character movement and avoiding 'stiffness' to elevate the overall design of character based layouts.

In the first part attendees will learn how to construct the body using proportions and construction lines. Within the second part attendees will become competent in breaking up the stiffness of the construction using flow lines.

Requirements:
Each participant will be provided with the materials required for the class including paper, a pencil, an eraser, and a black fine liner pen. Participants will also receive a sheet of the tips and best practices Nana Li covered in the class.

The Secret Art of Paneling the Japanese Manga Way

All Abilities - 1hour - £3 per person - Saturday 02:15pm / Sunday 03:30pm

Overview
Manga-style comics use specific layout that is different from Western comics. Join this informative session, led by manga artist Irina Richards, to learn how to plan out a professional-looking manga page, and create the easy-to-follow sequence of panels.

What You Will Learn
By the end of the session, attendees will have learned the peculiarities of manga page and panel layout. Beginning with a demonstration of a few page examples attendees will cover the following skills and best practices:

How the page reflects the story/action (e.g. reminiscing/musing – spaced-out, fewer panels, action – diagonal/ oddly-shaped panels).

The number of panels per page

The direction of panels following the reader's eye; left-to-right;

Panel size and shape reflecting the action;

Speech bubbles –number, shape and correct text placement.

The remaining part of the session will be dedicated to the attendees drawing their own manga page, with tutor guidance.

Requirements:
Each participant will be provided with the materials required for the class including paper, a ruler, a pencil, an eraser, and a black fine liner pen.

Shading and Colouring

Beginners to Intermediate - 1hour - £3 per person - 03:30pm

Overview
Nana Li, the artist featured on Letraset's own Mangamarker sets will take you through the basics of using markers and some rudimentary colour theory. Learn lighting effects and how to make the most out of a limited palette of colours. Suitable for beginners and intermediates alike! Materials will be provided.

What You Will Learn
No specialist knowledge or experience is needed. Attendees will gain the confidence and skills required to master marker rendering through step-by-step demonstrations and technique walk-throughs.

Working from the line art provided, the class will cover the essential considerations of using markers, including choice of paper and fine liner, making colour maps and the importance of pre-planning to work quickly. Attendees will also learn a variety of blending techniques including colour overlay, blending washes, 'tipping' (colour transfer) and using the blender marker.

Attendees will also be taken through the basics of shadow and light and will learn how to use a limited palette of colours - an important lesson for those just staring out.

Requirements:
Each participant will be provided with the materials required for the class including paper, black fine liner pens and a range of coloured markers.

Drawing Clothes

All Abilities - 1 hour - £3 per person - Saturday 04:45pm

Overview
Whether your characters wear cloaks and armour or legwarmers and latex, this session is for you! Join this informal, fun tutorial, led by Sweatdrop Studios' Irina Richards, to learn more about the basics of drawing clothes. From pleated skirts and sailor collars to flowing coats and heeled shoes – you'll have a chance to draw them all!

What You Will Learn
By the end of the session, the attendees will have improved their knowledge of drawing clothes, materials and fabrics. The session will require some audience participation.

The session will begin with a group discussion regarding what aspects of drawing clothes they find the most difficult. Irina will then draw examples along with participants, addressing the following:

Fabrics in relation to the body, how clothes flow, cling and fold according to the character's movements;

Typical items of clothes often seen in manga and anime (e.g. school uniform, kimono, ninja outfit, military gear/boots, Lolita puffy skirts/sleeves).

Accessories – hats (relative to head size/shape), shoes/heels, legwarmers etc.

Participant(s) may be asked to act as a model(s) if they feel comfortable with it – to add to the fun, and add a practical dimension to drawing clothes.

Requirements:
Each participant will be provided with the materials required for the class including paper, a pencil, an eraser, and a black fine liner pen.

Demystifying Japanese Screen Tones

All Abilities - 1hour - £3 per person - Saturday 01:00pm

Overview
Screen Tone is the commonly used technique of professional comic artists for applying textures and shades to drawings to save time by allowing quick application of textures to line art where a hand-shaded area would not be reproduced in a timely or acceptable manner. In this workshop, Nana Li will demonstrate and instruct attendees how to apply screen tones. Learn the essential tone application skills in this unique face-to-face tutorial from Nana Li, a professional illustrator with over 10 years experience.

What You Will Learn
Attendees will learn how to select the right tones for a variety of textured surfaces. Understand the importance of directional lighting and how to add depth to illustrations using different tones.

Attendees will also have hands on experience learning the techniques used for applying tones to a pre-prepared illustration, and more advanced overlaying techniques to create deeper tones with fewer Screen Tone sheets.

Requirements:
Each participant will be provided with the materials required for the class including paper, Screen Tone sheets and a craft knife. You must be over 12yrs to attend the Screen Tone class.

Creating a Character Sheet

All Abilities - 1hour - £3 per person - Sunday 11:45pm

Overview
Inventing and developing your character is an essential part of creating manga. This workshop will focus on aspects of character development such as the look of your character, facial expressions, background information and the setting for your character's world. You can either make a character sheet for an existing character, or think up an entirely new one! The session is led by Irina Richards, a Sweatdrop Studios artist and author of Chemical Blue.

What You Will Learn
By the end of the session, attendees will have learned the principles of creating a character sheet. Attendees
will gain a full understanding of the following character development principles:

Full, side and back view of the character (including explanation of the character's appearance, clothes, and poses – What type of character is it? What story would they fit in?)

Character-specific facial expressions (which ones does the character use most frequently?)

Background information (such as age, star sign/blood group, family, likes/dislikes – how does the character's past shape their present?)

In the second part of the session, the attendees will have a go at creating their own character sheet, with support and guidance from Irina.

Requirements:
Each participant will be provided with the materials required for the class including a character sheet template, a pencil, an eraser, and a black fine liner pen.

Chibi Characters and Cute Mascots

All Abilities - 1hour - £3 per person - Sunday 03:45pm

Overview
What's cute, sweet, and fun to draw? Chibi and SD characters are instantly recognisable and integral to manga, whereas adorable mascots can be seen everywhere, from jewellery to stationery. Create your own chibi character and pair it up with a squishable mascot at this workshop, led by Sweatdrop Studios' Irina Richards.

What You Will Learn
By the end of the session, attendees will have learned the concepts of chibi/cute/kawaii and have created their own chibi character and mascot(s). The session will be in two parts.

Part 1 - Getting the basics; examples of the same character in chibi and non-chibi (what kind of impression does each of them make?). Demonstration on the basics of drawing in chibi style (i.e. head ratio, arms, legs and facial features). The attendees will then draw their own chibi-style character.

Part 2 – Taking it further; Irina will draw a selection of cute animal mascots, and demonstrate how to draw them (emphasis on the sweetness/cuddliness – eyes close to mouth, rosy cheeks, different shaped mouths, wings/ears etc.). Attendees will also be shown how to turn objects e.g. food into mascots. The attendees will then draw a mascot to go with their character.

Requirements:
Each participant will be provided with the materials required for the class including paper, a pencil, an eraser, a black fine liner pen and markers to colour their character. Participants may choose to bring any drawing implements they prefer. Each participant will be provided with a "tips" sheet to take home.

Source: Letraset

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