CLASSES / WORKSHOPS / HANDOUTS
Design Basics for Writers and Non-Artists (Presentation)
Writers, programmers, beginners, and self-designated “non-creative” people will learn the same basic principles and elements of design used by professional graphic designers, photographers, typographers, illustrators, and painters to create book covers, websites, business cards, social media profiles, and character designs. Join creator Jess Smart Smiley for a fundamental look at what goes into a design and how to use basic elements of design to create stronger, more useful images that work for you and your projects.
Speculative Fiction Comics I Like (2024 Presentation)
Join comics creator Jess Smart Smiley for a selection of covers, interior pages, and descriptions of speculative fiction comics from Jess’s collection, including zines, graphic novels, mini-comics, and more!
Writer’s Notebooks & How to Use Them
Join creator Jess Smart Smiley for a fun and practical exploration into getting the most out of your notebook through brainstorming, journaling, making lists, taking notes, cutting and pasting, and more.
Suggested Supplemental Materials
The items listed below are intended to supplement concepts, methods, tools, and techniques presented in my Narrative Illustration course for BYU-Idaho. There are too many good books, movies, etc to include them all here. That being said, I’ve tried to present a variety of materials I’ve found meaningful, practical, or otherwise useful in my own creative practice. Adopt what you find useful and improve on whatever doesn’t work for you. (Each resource is listed beneath the image.)
- “Understanding Comics: the Invisible Art” by Scott McCloud. This non-fiction examination of storytelling via comics is itself a comic! A brilliant, time-tested, industry-proven framework for understanding the roles that words and images play in reading and creating comics. (I thanked McCloud for his work in my own book.)
- “Bill Peet: An Autobiography ” by Bill Peet. I grew up reading Bill Peet’s dozens of children’s books and was delighted to learn in this book that he was also responsible for developing characters, story, and storyboards for beloved Disney films, including Pinocchio, The Jungle Book, 101 Dalmatians, and The Sword in the Stone, and more! This biography is a joy to read, with its simple, sometimes lyrical writing, and plentiful illustrations. Bill Peet himself recounts his time at Disney, his love for drawing and storytelling, and his foray into children’s books.
- “10 Years with Hayao Miyazaki” from NHK World. This 4-part documentary chronicles a period of Miyazaki’s personal and creative life, including his unique working methods that resulted in characters, story, and artwork that would become”Ponyo”.
- “Writing Excuses” Podcast. A powerful, practical look under the hood at character, plot, setting, and myriad writing techniques designed to keep you focused on what works. PLUS, each episode is just 15 minutes long—”Because you’re in a hurry and we’re not that smart.”
- “My Philosophy on Teaching Writing” by Brandon Sanderson. A tremendous, invaluable resource for creators of longer works seeking a better understanding of writing elements, practices, and the publishing world at large from the NYT bestselling author and holder of multiple Kickstarter records.
- “What We See When We Read” by Peter Mendelsund. Is reading allowed to be this fun? A wonderfully unique, fully illustrated exploration into the phenomenology of reading that reads like part picture book, part psychology book, part history book, and completely enjoyable.
- “The Hero With a Thousand Faces” by Joseph Campbell. This author and his work have forever changed my perception of story for the better. This particular book is the culmination of the author’s lifetime of studying mythologies from different peoples, times, and places, recognizing emergent patterns, and applying the “monomyth” to our own lives. Campbell champions the storyteller and hero in life (encouraging all to “Follow your bliss”) and also has a wonderful series of conversations with Bill Moyers, including how Campbell worked with George Lucas to develop the Star Wars mythos.
- “Drawing Words & Writing Pictures” by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden. Even Scott McCloud (see #1) praises this unique college-level course on comic creation that centers on storytelling and concludes with making a finished comic. With chapters on lettering, story structure, and panel layout, the fifteen lessons offered—each complete with homework, extra credit activities, and supplementary reading suggestions—provide a solid introduction for people interested in making their own comics.
- “Dinotopia” by James Gurney. One of my favorite books, period. Students of story and illustration will marvel over Gurney’s masterful drawings, paintings, designs, and page layouts that populate the inventive journal adventures of an explorer and his son, who find themselves in Dinotopia, an undiscovered island where humans co-exist with intelligent dinosaurs. Fun to read, study, and repeat.
- “Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon” by Malcolm Gladwell. An exceptional use of the audiobook format (maybe the best?), detailing the creative work and processes of songcrafter Paul Simon.
- “Talking to Tesla: The Mirror That is the Door” by Alex Bigney. I truly can’t say enough good things about this book. What does one call a deeply affecting reading experience that is equal parts inspiration, observation, instruction, and philosophy? Addressing choice, faith, process, and belief through the “dream” journal of a “middle-aged painter”, Alex Bigney’s “Talking to Tesla” is (among other things) a call to harness the creative spark within us, presented as a wonderfully unique and invigorating masterwork.
- “Unflattening” by Nick Sousanis. A staggering address on the nature and potential of the comics form. Herein, the author delves into the distinct ways that comics create meaning through the constant play of word and image. He explains how to see and read comics better, and presents ideas on making comics of your own.
- “Monograph” by Chris Ware. This massive, 280-page monumental feat of publishing and production stands at a shocking 13 x 18″ and weighs in at a whopping 9 pounds! Give your mind (and body) a workout by studying each astonishing page of this dense retrospective—where no space is wasted—from one of literature’s greatest creators and from comics’ greatest living creator (that’s right—I said it!).
PRINTABLES
Winter Coloring Page
Download, print, and color here.
MAKE A ZINE
Cut and fold your own Halloween zine! Download files here, and follow the directions shown in the video below.