CW/LT 350 - Photo/Graphic: Shaping Visual Narratives

Over twelve weekly sessions, this course will facilitate student engagement with the fundamentals of narrative and visual storytelling.

An exploration of key elements such as characterisation, language, dialogue, and plot will constitute the backbone of the course. The distinctiveness of Irish visual culture will be emphasised, from national treasures such as The Book of Kells, arguably the earliest Irish example of a graphic novel, to the vibrant, award-winning and critically-acclaimed graphic illustration industry.

As part of the visual component to the course, students will develop an understanding of basic photographic technique. Building on an engagement with narrative and photography, and with the guidance of a professional graphic illustrator, each student will also develop multimedia visual narratives in graphic novel form. Initially, the drawing component will take the form of simple tracings and outline sketches, before moving on to more complex graphic art techniques. Each student will determine to what extent he or she will make use of photographic and graphic elements in his or her work, which will culminate in an end-of-term exhibition of students’ work that will showcase completed written portfolios, storyboards, stencils, and photographic images.