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    PANELS: Create a Comic Book with Grease Pencil in Blender

    Instructor:
    Paul Caggegi
    Subscribe
    ☆☆☆☆☆
     ( 5 )

    Create your own comic book while learning about Grease Pencil in Blender 3D

    In 2018, Blender added Grease Pencil to its suite of tools

    Grease Pencil grew out of an annotation tool used for quick sketching, but in a few short years, it's become a tool in which any 2D artwork can be created in a 3D environment.

    Grease Pencil is a must-have tool in your Blender arsenal (even if you prefer 3d creation)

    From storyboarding to sketching, texturing, illustration, and even animation, Grease Pencil enhances the skillset of 3d creators. 

    It does come with a unique learning curve, which is where PANELS comes in. Designed for Grease Pencil beginners, this course will show you a full workflow based on this powerful tool. 

    More than just learning what buttons to push, this course will show you how to utilize Grease Pencil in a real production project.

    Comics are as popular as ever, and with print-on-demand services, all you need is a good idea to get your own comic book in front of an audience. 

    You will walk away with a solid understanding of Grease Pencil's capabilities - as well as with your own comic book, ready for print.

    What you will learn in PANELS, this Blender Grease Pencil course

    Chapter One - Setting up:

    • Be introduced to the Grease Pencil
    • Create and install your own custom Start Up file
    • Set up a US Standard Comic template
    • Lay out your comic interiors

    Chapter Two - Let's make a comic:

    • Thumbnail from a script
    • Penciling
    • Inking
    • Color flatting
    • Shading and textures
    • Extra effects

    Chapter Three - Finishing:

    • Details
    • Lettering
    • Cover design
    • Render for Print

    Print on Demand services

    My go-to preferred P.O.D service is Ka-Blam Digital Printing. The main reason here is that they will take RGB TIFF files - a format which Blender can export readily.

    There are other services out there and I invite you to take a look, but the main caveat here is that most require a collated PDF of your book ready for printing.

    Some alternative P.O.D Services:

    NOTE: BLENDER CANNOT EXPORT A PDF and this course won't cover that.

    There are many free and online PDF creation tools you can use, and the rendered TIFF files will be sufficient for this purpose.

    Some free PDF services:

    Not into memberships?

    We get it, you may only be interested in this subject, and are not looking for instructor feedback.

    This Grease Pencil Blender course is for sale individually on the Blender Market today. 😎

    Get this course and 271 others by joining CG Cookie

    Join Now
    Awarded upon completion:
    100xp
    Course Curriculum
    5 Reviews
    • ☆☆☆☆☆
      John Nyquist(nyquist) ·

      Paul’s course is a tour de force on Blender’s Grease Pencil. Years ago, I toyed with the idea of using Blender for 2D illustration and even considered creating a course on it. Then, in 2022, I discovered PANELS—not only did it align with my vision, but it far surpassed my expectations.

      Paul covers everything from the technical intricacies of creating brushes and mastering the Grease Pencil to the artistic aspects of color composition and the practical requirements for printed output (from setting up proper bleeds to final printing).   

      Using the Grease Pencil has a unique workflow compared to traditional vector and raster illustration programs. PANELS teaches you how to confidently navigate this flow. At times, you might think, “This tool needs work,” but other features will leave you amazed, wondering, “Why doesn’t the program I’m paying for do this?” Ultimately, combining what you learn here with Blender’s powerful 2D and 3D capabilities, as well as its animation tools, makes the effort well worth it.

      In 2022, I worked through about two-thirds of the course when I purchased it, but life got in the way. Returning to it in 2025, I completed it from start to finish. I’m now convinced of the Grease Pencil’s power and versatility for 2D illustration.

      Check out the illustration that I created from scratch in Grease Pencil after going through his course: https://cgcookie.com/projects/amazing-spider-man

    • ☆☆☆☆☆
      jammingammon ·

      Paul does a great job explaining grease pencil, and giving you a solid workflow for creating a comic. The course has fun assignments, to get you started on applying your knowledge right away.

    • k
      ☆☆☆☆☆
      Kseniia Khodina(kseniiakhodina) ·

      I was so elated from the beginning to the end of the course. Massive thanks to Paul for teaching and simplifying difficult topics. Thank you for all you put into the success of this course. Really appreciate your intellectual teaching.


    • ☆☆☆☆☆
      jcdelaronde ·

      Paul is an amazing teacher and a master when it comes to Grease Pencil.
      This is a great course to get you started with the 2D side of things.

      Check it out, you won't regret it.

    • ☆☆☆☆☆
      Dwayne Savage(dillenbata3) ·

      I learned a lot and can't wait to use this info in my own projects.