Комикс: из плоскости в объем
A course that takes the comic book from two dimensions to three: from analyzing objects and their taxonomy to creating a comic sculpture on a found or specially made object.
Long ago, people didn’t have pages. They didn’t have albums, tablets, or even paper. They had cave walls, smooth stones, bones, and clay vessels. They painted scenes upon these surfaces: hunts, animals, spirits, journeys. These weren’t just pictures—they were the first comics. Only instead of frames, the material itself held them: a crack, a curve, a shadow, the stone’s form.Thousands of years passed. The comic migrated to paper, becoming flat, convenient, and quick. We became accustomed to the idea that a story lives on a page. But what if we brought it back—to an object? To an old board found in an attic. To a clay vase. To a broken mechanism. To an object you create specifically for a single narrative.This course is about how the comic becomes an object again. It can be held in your hands, turned, walked around, and read from different angles. The story is no longer just laid out before you—it lives in volume. And every turn reveals a new panel.
What is the course about?
We view the comic as something more than a page. We recall that image-stories existed long before paper—on stones, in caves, and on everyday and ritual objects. Back then, the form of an object was part of the narrative.
In this course, we explore what an object can be for a comic. How to select, find, or create one. How to connect narrative with form. How an object transforms from a background element into a co-author of the story.
We discuss objects and their taxonomy: natural versus man-made, found versus specifically created, domestic versus ritualistic, fragile versus durable. We analyze the form of expression: what the object says on its own, versus what we bring to it. We investigate how a comic can lie on a surface, wrap around an edge, hide in a depression, or unfold in volume.
The outcome of the course is comic sculpture. It is a comic that exists on a three-dimensional object. It can be found or specially created. The key is that it is not flat. You cannot simply flip through it—you must examine it.
Who is this course for?
For artists and illustrators looking to go beyond the page.
For comic artists seeking new narrative forms.
For sculptors and ceramicists wishing to incorporate narrative into their work.
For designers and storytellers interested in objects as carriers of history.
For everyone who wants to create comics that aren’t confined to paper.
What will students learn?
To perceive the object as a potential vehicle for a comic.
To differentiate object types and their taxonomy.
To grasp the form of expression—what the object conveys versus what the author conveys.
To connect the comic’s narrative with the object’s form and material.
To select or create an object suited to a specific story.
To work with surface, volume, unfolding, and facets.
To assemble a comic sculpture as a unified work.
To present and discuss volumetric comics.
Prerequisites
Basic drawing, design, or material handling skills.
Interest in comics and three-dimensional forms.
Willingness to work hands-on and experiment.
Experience in comics or sculpture is not required—we will cover everything from the ground up.
What practical assignments will the students complete?
Graphical analysis of surrounding objects.
Developing an object taxonomy for the project and creating a concept.
Exercises in statement form.
Sourcing or creating an object for a comic.
Scale sketches for the comic.
Working with surface and material.
Assembly of the comic sculpture.
Final project presentation.
Thematic Course Plan
Part 1. Object and Concept
Comic Beyond the Page
From cave paintings to contemporary artifacts. Why comics can exist outside of the page.Objects and Their Taxonomy
Found versus created, natural versus artificial, utilitarian versus ritualistic. How the object type influences the narrative.The Form of Expression
What does the object speak on its own? What do we add? How to engage with the object rather than overwhelm it.The Link Between Narrative and Object
How the story is layered onto the form. Where is the beginning, the turning point, the conclusion when the object lacks conventional pages?What the Object Should Be
Selection criteria: size, material, surface, history, and the possibility of image application. Searching versus creating.Part 2. Practice and Comic Sculpture
Sketching and Exploration
How the comic interacts with volume. Unfoldings, planes, curves, openings.Surface Treatment
Drawing, engraving, decal application, molding, assembly. What is appropriate for your specific object.Assembling the Comic Sculpture
Uniting the story and the object into a whole. Checking how the comic reads when turned.Final Presentation
Presenting the comic sculpture. Discussing how the object became integral to the narrative.
Learning Technologies
Online Classes.
Short lectures, analysis sessions, and practical exercises.
Self-directed work with the object.
Final Project: comic sculpture.
