Create Your Own Universe: Comic Workshop for Teens

Create Your Own Universe: Multi-Day Comic Workshop for Teens
Four-Week Series
Thursdays, February 5, 12, 19 and 26
5 PM to 7 PM
Ages 12 to 18

This four-week, multi-day comic workshop is designed as a cumulative series, with each session building on the last. Students will develop their ideas over time, allowing them to deepen their storytelling, refine their characters, and strengthen their drawing skills across multiple weeks.

Led by illustrator Isiah Botelho, the workshop guides teens through the full creative process of making a comic. Students will learn how to move from concept to finished pages using the same techniques working comic artists rely on. Rather than a single drop-in class, this series gives participants the time and structure needed to build a cohesive story and see their ideas evolve.

Each session is hands-on and fast paced, with time to sketch, revise, and experiment. Students will explore character design, sequential storytelling, and panel composition, learning how to control pacing, emotion, and action across multiple pages. Participants will also study professional comic examples to understand how artists structure their work and guide readers through a story.

Over the course of the four sessions, students will create original characters, develop a short narrative, and complete a sequential comic. The series culminates in a mini comic or zine that each student takes home at the end of the program.

No prior experience is required. This multi-day workshop is ideal for teens who enjoy drawing, graphic novels, and storytelling and want a deeper, more immersive learning experience. All materials are provided.

Instructor
Isiah Botelho is a traditional and digital illustrator from New Bedford, Massachusetts, specializing in character design, cover art, and sequential illustration. His clear, engaging teaching style helps young artists build strong visual storytelling skills while developing their own creative voice.

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Host or Publisher New Bedford Art Museum