Core Skills Analysis
Photography, Film and Digital Media 7–10 Syllabus (2025) — Photography and digital image-making
AK drew comic illustrations with black pen on paper, scanned the drawings, and used paint software to change the images and add colour. Through this process, AK learned how a hand-drawn image could be captured digitally and then altered using digital tools. Comparing the paper drawing with its edited version helped AK explore how colour and image changes could affect visual meaning. Printing the finished work also connected digital image-making with a physical format.
Photography, Film and Digital Media 7–10 Syllabus (2025) — Comic design and publication
AK brought the illustrations together as a comic and printed the result as an A5 booklet. The activity helped AK practise sequencing visual material into a recognisable publication and consider how a consistent page format supported the finished comic. Moving from drawing and scanning to editing and printing gave AK experience with several stages of a media production process. Completing a booklet also offered a tangible way to share and revisit the work.
Tips
Tips — Invite AK to make a second short comic that uses a limited colour palette, then compare how the palette changes the mood. Try experimenting with panel size and image order to see how pacing and emphasis shift for a reader. AK could also create a simple cover and back page, then ask a family member to read the booklet and share which images or moments stood out. Finally, keep the original drawing and digital edit side by side to reflect on how each medium shaped the final result.
Book Recommendations
- Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels by Scott McCloud: A visual guide to comic storytelling, including panels, sequence, and how images communicate.
- Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art by Scott McCloud: Explores how comic images and transitions work together to create meaning for readers.
- The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing Comics by Comfort Love and Adam Withers: A practical introduction to developing, producing, and publishing comics.
Learning Standards
- AC9E10LA07 (English): AK changed and coloured still images, providing a practical basis for considering how image choices affect representation.
- AC9E10LY06 (English): AK developed and edited a multimodal text by combining drawn images, digital editing, and a printed comic format.
- AC9E10LY07 (English): The completed comic booklet could support sharing a visual work with an audience; the activity specifically documented its creation and printing.
Try This Next
- Panel-planning worksheet: sketch a six-panel comic and label the intended reading order.
- Colour experiment: colour the same panel with two palettes and write one sentence about how each version feels.
- Before-and-after gallery: display the original drawing beside its scanned, edited, and printed versions.
- Mini-comic challenge: create a cover and a short comic, then fold and print it as an A5 booklet.