For my digital comic collage, I was inspired by my own experience when it comes to my homework, an experience many other college students likely have as well. I often set up my own space and have everything I need all over the place whenever I am trying to work on an assignment or study. I tried to recreate that experience in my comic collage. 

My comic collage fits McCloud’s definition of comics because it conveys the message/story of someone working on an assignment. After looking at the individual items and piecing them together, the viewer can get this message. Starting with the laptop, coffee, and books, one can tell that there is likely some work or assignment being done. Looking closer at the books, it is a history textbook and a planner with the due date of the assignment. There is also the crumpled up paper that states “Ideas for Essay.” In addition, the granola bar, gum, and pen/pencil, are all typical items I usually have with me in my backpack. Although my comic collage is much less linear than the traditional comic, there is still a story being told behind it all. 

I learned quite a bit from John Lovett’s Design Overview and kept it in mind when making my collage. It said to make sure to take advantage of the textural element, as a; surfaces have some sort of texture. I made sure to include items in my project with an interesting texture, such as the gum wrapper and crumpled paper. I also made sure to pay attention to the visual balance in the size of the objects in my project, because that is what draws the reader to certain elements in my piece. At first, the viewer might see the laptop and books, and infer something from that. Then, they might look closer at the smaller objects and notice the little details that complete the story. John Lovett’s Design Overview says that visual balance is one of the most important aspects of a design. 

I used a variety of materials, objects, and textures throughout my work. The items I selected added interesting elements and dimension to my project. The way that I juxtaposed the items helped to make the project look realistic. As for my use of linguistic mode, I intentionally chose a font that would look as if it was handwritten. I think this helped to tell my story better and look more realistic. 

Before this semester, I had very little experience in Photoshop. I tried using a few times in high school, but was overwhelmed with the vast amount of tools it contained. However, through watching the tutorials from this class, as well as COM210, I have learned many different techniques and skills for Photoshop. I actually just finished up a Photoshop project in COM210 before starting my DTC201 project, so it was nice to be a little more familiar with the tools when I started the Digital Comic Collage.

The most useful tutorials for me were the videos that explained selections. Since I needed to get rid of the background in order to single out the item I scanned, those videos were particularly helpful. I especially liked the brush tool to clean up the areas I selected. 

I love using digital programs to create different content, such as the Digital Comic Collage, due to the endless amount of tools and resources all on a screen, right in front of me. I also love the convenience of easily being able to undo or redo steps and make changes.