Julian Lawrence’s work concentrates on the undercurrents of communication through gesture in the medium of comics. His research explores freehand narrative drawing and its impact on representations of artist identity. Investigations of these topics led him to combine theories of authorship with semiotic analysis of comics. This combination constitutes a large focus of Julian’s art/research/teaching practice. His most recent work include the publication of two graphic novels: Drippy’s Mama and The Red Drip of Courage, as well as contributions to the book The Bliss and Blisters of Early Career Teaching and SANE Journal.
Research topics:
- Employment of the Integrative Multi-Semiotic Model (IMM) and the System of Comics as analytical tools in reading and understanding sequential narratives
- Autobiography and freehand drawing
- Comics history and theory
- Critical digital studies
Instructional themes:
- Character design and aesthetics
- Freehand drawing, gesture and form
- Narrative storytelling structures for comics and animation
- Comics and animation history