Switching Lanes - Words to Pictures

Thumbnail art for a comic book page

How to Become a Comic Strip, Comic Book and Graphic Novel Artist

Going from Script to Artboard

It all starts with an idea. Then it becomes words or words with pictures. What do you do with words you get from someone else? How do you interpret the script so you can visualize it?

Here's a process you can use.

1. Read the script a few times. Sometimes the images will come to you right away. That's great! Other times you will have to think about what you want to draw. In either case you have to get a clear image of what is happening in your mind. Your mind is your most important drawing tool.  if you can't see it in your mind, the you can't draw it well on paper. If the characters are new to you then you have to imagine what they will look like.

2. Use a highlight marker to choose what items you are going to need reference to draw like the Statue of Liberty, a car wreck, luxury apartment, cars, chairs, kitchen, birds, etc.

3. Make thumbnails to break down the script into pages for pacing,panel breakdowns and composition purposes. You can do this right on the script or on other paper. At this stage you just want to be sure your thinking is clear and you are concentrating on storytelling. You're not really trying to draw here. Do this quickly to get your ideas on paper. it can be stick figures or scribbles. It's for your benefit only.

4. Now collect all the reference images you will need. You don't want to disturb your drawing time by looking for reference then. Get it all at the beginning. Use the reference file you have and the internet. This is also the time to take your own photos. TAke a day to go to locations you may need like downtown, the subway, zoo etc. Also take shots of yourself and people in difficult pose you may need. References are to be used as a guide, not a crutch. It will be plainly obvious if you trace a  reference in one panel and don't have reference for the same thing in another panel.

5. Do layouts. Now is when you want to be concerned about drawing. You have two options. Draw it on an 8.5" x 11" bond paper , enlarge it to your art board size  an then lightbox it onto the board. Or do your layouts directly onto your art board lightly with graphite or non-photo blue pencil. Leave room for balloons and captions.

6. Do some model sheets for yourself of the major characters, so you can draw them consistently from panel to panel.

7. If you have a full script, then now is the time to do the lettering. Do not do lettering for samples you are doing in your portfolio.

This is a quick overview. I will go into detail about this process later.

Here's a fun illustration by the great Brian Buniak.

I also would like to see your comments. Is this helpful to you? Are the explanations clear and complete?

Keep reading and  +1 me. Share with your friends. Please comment. Just create!

copyright 2012 H. Simpson

Talk the Lingo

How to Make a Comic Strip, Comic Book and Graphic Novel

Learn to do everything, which means write, draw, color and letter. If there is an opening for a letterer and not an artist, then take the lettering position. It's easier to get jobs from the inside than from the outside.

You don't know what a letterer is? Then it's time to learn some terminology so you don't have a blank look when an editor talks to you. Knowledge is power. Not the power of Greyskull, but enough.

1. PLOT - Written breakdown of the story with significant actions and some dialogue. The artist takes the plot and visually decides the page breakdown and pacing of the story.

2. SCRIPT -  The words; dialogue and captions - that will be used in the comic. There are also directions to the artist concerning the environment, actions, thought process, motivations, emotions of the characters. The script can be broken down in panel by panel form or page by page.

3. DIALOGUE - The words spoken by the characters usually depicted in word balloons.

4. BALLOONS - An area called a balloon which contains the dialogue. A balloon tail points towards the mouth of the character who speaks. The most common balloon is rectangular or oval shaped and called a Word balloon. Burst balloons show when someone is screaming. Double Outline balloons add emphasis to the words. Radio/Electric  balloons show when speech is transmitted through any type of communication device. Telepathic balloons are creatively executed balloons to show telepathy. Thought balloons are made up of bubbles and a tail with smaller individual bubbles. These reveal the thoughts of the characters, but aren't used so much these days. Wavy balloons show the speech of an emotionally or physically distressed character. Whisper balloons are dotted or grayed out to show a character speaking in hushed tones.

4. CAPTIONS -  A narrative device. There are four types used in comics. Reveal location and time of events. Reveal character thoughts. Show off-panel dialogue of character. The narrative of the Omnipotent Observer or a character involved with the story who tells the story - a narrator.

5. OMNIPOTENT OBSERVER - Knows all and tells all to the reader, even things the characters may not know. This is not a character in the story. It's an unknown entity that hovers above it all.

Resources

Fonts
Calligraphy
Transform your handwriting into a font on this website.

Writing
How to Write Comics by Alan Moore

Self-publishing
Dave Sim's essays on self-publishing.

to be continued…

Keep reading. Share with your friends. Please comment. Just Create!

read next - Making Magic
previous - The Nitty Gritty Begins

copyright 2012 H. Simpson

If you are interested in further expanding your knowledge, then I recommend these books.

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