COURSE DISCRIPTION
This is a higher level art class. This course explores the art of developing a compelling & engaging story and communicating that story through a visual medium. All coursework will be geared towards the creation of a comprehensive body of work that portrays an original narrative. Some class work will include character design, storyboarding and illustrating panels. If you love reading and creating comic stripes, graphic novels and manga, this is a class for you!
Know ahead of time that in order to create an original comic or graphic novel, it takes time and is a process. Anticipate that you will need to make many revisions to both the text and the artwork during this process. Keep in mind that most of the graphic novels you've read, have an author as well as a handful of professional artists to create that story. So remember, if you work hard, seek feedback from others and create the type of story you would like to read, then you're on the right track... JUST KEEP GOING!
The combination of teaching this class along with the requirement to complete a capstone project for my Masters degree, has led to the creation of an instruction manual about how to teach & create sequential visual stories. We will use this manual as the foundation for this class. Scroll past the following student artwork to see a condensed & simplified version of the manual.
This is a higher level art class. This course explores the art of developing a compelling & engaging story and communicating that story through a visual medium. All coursework will be geared towards the creation of a comprehensive body of work that portrays an original narrative. Some class work will include character design, storyboarding and illustrating panels. If you love reading and creating comic stripes, graphic novels and manga, this is a class for you!
Know ahead of time that in order to create an original comic or graphic novel, it takes time and is a process. Anticipate that you will need to make many revisions to both the text and the artwork during this process. Keep in mind that most of the graphic novels you've read, have an author as well as a handful of professional artists to create that story. So remember, if you work hard, seek feedback from others and create the type of story you would like to read, then you're on the right track... JUST KEEP GOING!
The combination of teaching this class along with the requirement to complete a capstone project for my Masters degree, has led to the creation of an instruction manual about how to teach & create sequential visual stories. We will use this manual as the foundation for this class. Scroll past the following student artwork to see a condensed & simplified version of the manual.
STUDENT ARTWORK
Artwork by: Jada Shults
Artwork by: Claire Ison
Artwork by: Anna White
Artwork by: Korryn Narvaez
Artwork by: Eliana White
Artwork by: Harmonie Ragin
Artwork by: William Proctor
MISCELLANEOUS
RESOURCES
SEQUENTIAL VISUAL STORYTELLING
"Writing for comics can be defined as the conception of an idea, the arrangement of image elements, the construction of the sequence of the narration, and the composing of dialogue." (Will Eisner, 1985) It is widely accepted that WORDS, IMAGES and SEQUENCE are the 3 main pillars of visual storytelling.
Scott McCloud, a renowned, best-selling author and comics theorist said, “Storytellers like you and me have wanted two things from our audience. We want them to UNDERSTAND what we have to tell them -- and we want them to CARE enough to stick around 'til we're done.” (Scott McCloud, 2006) As we discuss the 3 pillars of visual storytelling we will also focus on how to have greater clarity so our audience can understand what we have to tell them, as well as how to provoke emotions so they will care enough to stick around.
WORDS
The quickest and easiest way to organize the ideas for your story is to write them down. Here are the different ways in which you will use words to create your story:
- Synopsis (Outline of the plot) - Decide what kind of story you are telling. Beginning (Character & Plot Development) - Middle (Conflict) - End (Resolution)
- Narration - Commentary delivered to accompany the story.
- Dialogue - Conversation between two or more people.
- Onomatopoeia - Sound effects (zap, sizzle, swoosh, thud, etc) can graphically become what they describe.
PLOT STRUCTURE (Classic Story Arc)
An incident propels the protagonist (main character) into an escalating series of events or conflicts with one or more antagonists (essentially the “villain”) and/or other obstacles, whether physical or emotional. These events reach a climax in which the conflict between the protagonist and antagonist is resolved in the end.
- The major events are the "what happens" of your story, connected by the "hows" and " whys."
- A good ending must make sense without being predictable.... The final action must be a direct result of the journey your characters have taken. (Dean Movshovitz, 2015)
- Choose your words wisely and use fewer words if possible. (show don’t tell)
On a comic book page, dialogue is presented in "word balloons" or “speech bubbles” and "caption boxes." When a character speaks, the word balloons are used. When there is narration, a caption box is used.
Using onomatopoeia as a visual element in your storytelling can add greater intensity to your actions and can bring another level of interest to your text because it appeals to another sense; hearing. Here are some examples:
Beside onomatopoeia, you can also use creative lettering to emphasize particular words or even merge the words into the artwork as seen below.
Beside onomatopoeia, you can also use creative lettering to emphasize particular words or even merge the words into the artwork as seen below.
Questions To Consider
- What is your story about?
- What are the abstract questions or issues it flirts with or explores?
- Can you make these themes more present throughout your story via objects, dialogue, or characters?
- Are you writing the kind of story you would enjoy reading?
Pro Approach
- When essential information is visual, the text can express information that visuals can’t easily impart, like nuances in a character's thoughts / actions or in the environment / scene.
Extra Tip
If you feel overwhelmed by the task of writing an original story, then borrow your text from one of the following:
- Song lyrics
- A poem
- Current news event
- A joke
- Folklore or mythology
- The story of a friend or family member (ask family & friends for ideas)
- Collaborate with a student in an English class
- A historical event
- OR tell a story without narration / dialogue (although you should still write a synopsis)
IMAGES
There are two main aspects to cover when talking about the images of a visual story, they are: the characters and the settings. The image details as well as the visual style of both the characters and the backgrounds will help to provoke emotion in the reader and contribute to the overall mood of the story. Depending on the type of story you want to tell, you may want to use a specific visual style to better align the words with the images. Here’s a general idea of this concept.
CHARACTER DESIGN
When it comes to characters, explore the possibilities outside of the usual stereotypes. Figure out what makes each character unique and put those qualities front and center. If your readers can relate to and empathize with your characters they will care about your story.
The 3 QUALITIES all great characters have:
1. An Inner Life
2. A Visual Design
3. Expressive Traits
AN INNER LIFE: A unique personal history influenced by the character’s: species, nationality, culture, social status, profession, age, personal desires and specific life events. Characters need a “personality” with an origin and purpose which gives them a reason for everything they do and say.
- What are the defining moments? (internal & external conflict)
- Show the subtlety and complexity of your characters.
- The landscape of a characters’ mental / emotional state can be visually represented with a distorted or expressionistic background using intentional patterns, textures or lines.
Notice how the characters below seem to have a unique “personal history” that is visually represented by their individual details, wardrobe and props.
To make characters more unique consider: wardrobe, props, weapons, instruments, tools, pets, scars, body adornment, tattoos / cultural markings, technology or some other object which is an extension of their identity and offers insights to their “inner life”.
WARDROBE: patterns & textures of clothing, layers, shirt, pants, coat, dress, jacket, jewelry, hair style, hat, glasses, cape, mask, headdress, helmet, footwear, beads, shells, feathers, fur, belts, bags, pouches, buttons, zippers, necklaces, rings, chains, jewels, wrist guards, spurs, holsters and so on.
A VISUAL DESIGN: A distinct and memorable body, face & wardrobe.
When creating original characters it can be very helpful to have some place to start. One way I’ve approached character design is by collecting a variety of facial features and then mixing and matching them until I end up with something I think is interesting. The following pages with facial features are available for you to use to help get the creative juices flowing.
- Have variety & distinction in body types and facial features.
- Characters' outer appearance can be built around a single thematic idea. (such as mythological or historical figures, vegetation, toys, animals, food, etc)
When creating original characters it can be very helpful to have some place to start. One way I’ve approached character design is by collecting a variety of facial features and then mixing and matching them until I end up with something I think is interesting. The following pages with facial features are available for you to use to help get the creative juices flowing.
Sometimes changing something as seemingly insignificant as the head shape can bring about substantial changes to the design of your overall character.
Once the face of a character is finished, design the body. Here are a few ideas to play with.
Notice how the same character’s head on different bodies changes the look, feel and personality of the character. Some of these look more cute while others feel more eerie.
Here are a few finished characters with a strong visual design.
EXPRESSIVE TRAITS: Facial expressions, body language, speech patterns and other personal quirks.
3 Aspects of Expressions:
1. State of Mind - Thoughts & feelings about personal well-being.
2. Personality - Who your character is should show on their face.
3. Relationships - Show how two people feel and think about each other.
Guidelines for communicating clear expressions:
3 Aspects of Expressions:
1. State of Mind - Thoughts & feelings about personal well-being.
2. Personality - Who your character is should show on their face.
3. Relationships - Show how two people feel and think about each other.
Guidelines for communicating clear expressions:
- Basic comic expressions: blissful, furious, shocked, stressed, in love, terrified, bewildered, in pain, annoyed, sobbing, crazy, disgusted, evil…
- Expressions are always reactions, so be clear about what your characters are responding to.
- Combine expression with head & hand position and gaze direction.
- Hair design can help to enhance the character’s emotion / expression.
- Body language is situationally based; affected by direction, terrain, source of danger, physical opportunity, etc…
- Add INTENSITY with exaggerated poses and expressions.
Make sure the facial expression and body language suggest the same emotion to clearly communicate what your character is feeling.
WORLD BUILDING / SETTINGS
There are 4 aspects to consider about the setting(s) for your story:
- Geographic location: Your story could be set in a real-life city, state, or country, or it could be set in an imaginary world.
- Physical location: Think of a character’s immediate surroundings.
- Physical environment: Think of the weather conditions, climate, and other forces of nature.
- Time: Think of the time period as well as the specific time of day and time of year (season).
In order to make your settings more believable, plan and design the:
LANDSCAPES / ARCHITECTURE / TRANSPORTATION / FOOD / TECHNOLOGY (See below for examples and more info)
LANDSCAPES
skies & clouds / mountains & rocks / sand & snow / water / trees & vegetation
Also consider:
- Does the visual style of the environment match the type of story you are telling?
- Are the animals characters, or more an extension of the environment?
ARCHITECTURE
Get inspiration from different styles / cultures: Greek & Roman Classical Architecture, Gothic, Baroque, Renaissance, Neoclassical, Islamic, Mesoamerican, Victorian, Modern, Post-Modern, Neofuturist, or Ancient Egyptian Architecture
Also consider:
- What materials were used to construct the building?
- Does the building serve a specific purpose?
In the images below you will see the creative process from gathering research to exploring possible designs, as well as the transformation of a home I designed for a story.
My research focused on details of cottages / cabins and Victorian architecture.
I designed multiple possibilities of the home.
Then I took the elements I liked from each and combined them all into the final design.
Then I remodeled the home adding Victorian elements into the design, yet still leaving the structural foundation of the cottage.
TRANSPORTATION
Are the means of transportation familiar or imagined… mechanical or organic?
- Familiar mechanical = cars, train, airplane, submarine, hot air balloon, tank, scooter, etc.
- Imagined mechanical = UFO, spaceships, hoverboard, jetpack, etc.
- Familiar organic = sailboat, horseback, walking, swimming, inside the mouth of a whale, etc.
- Imagined organic = riding a fantasy creature, characters have the ability to fly or teleport, etc.
FOOD
Is the food plant and / or animal based… or does energy come by some other means, like a battery, a pill, or some sort of charging mechanism, etc…
Food plays an important role in my story, so I spent extra time creating unique foods in order to make my fantasy world seem more believable. Here are some of the unique foods from my fantasy world.
TECHNOLOGY
- What purpose does the technology serve? Warfare, transportation, sustain / improve life, entertainment, etc…
All of these details can make the difference between understanding where your story takes place and having your readers feel like they’ve been transported to your world. Science fiction and fantasy stories usually require more lavish attention to the details of the environment(s), whereas stories about relationships (focus on characters) may only need occasional environmental details and more attention to the emotional landscape. (Scott McCloud, 2006) Unless you are blessed with having a photographic memory or a very detailed imagination, I recommend using photo reference when you draw. Using reference is very advantageous when creating original characters and designing locations. (Shawn Martinbrough, 2007). |
When creating and designing the images for your story, DO RESEARCH and work from multiple REFERENCES. I can not over emphasize just how important this is!!! “If you copy from one artist it’s plagiarism, but if you copy from many, it’s research.” (Austin Kleon, 2012)
Questions To Consider
- Does the visual style match the type of story you are telling?
- Does your character’s outfit and mode of transportation match their social class / profession / personality / etc?
- Besides characters and settings, what additional world building details help establish your story? (transportation, food, technology, etc)
Pro Approach
- Thumbnails are small sketches used to generate visual ideas quickly. They allow you to create multiple versions of specific panels or entire comics pages in a short time.
- The reader absorbs mood and other abstracts through the artwork. If your mark making is very clean, it presents a different mood than if it is loose or sloppy. It might be appropriate to use both styles in your story depending on what your character is doing or thinking.
- Remember a picture is worth a thousand words!
Extra Tip
One of the most effective tools I’ve ever seen to help students develop their creativity is called the G.E.D.R. process. Every single time I am working on a creative project I implement this process. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
GATHER - Collect things you like from a variety of places or sources.
EXPLORE - Cultivate playful curiosity and examine a wide range of possibilities.
DEVELOP - Choose a direction and progress towards creating a finished product.
REFLECT - Review what’s working well and what needs improvement, then make the necessary adjustments..
WHERE TO FIND INSPIRATION
- Observing and recording... There's no substitute for watching & listening to real people.
- Artists should build up a reference library of images. (Pinterest, digital file folder, etc)
- Keep a notebook, write down anything & everything that comes to you.
- Take lots of photographs of lots of different things.
- Absorb what has gone before in a variety of art forms: movies, music, books, fine art and of course comics, graphic novels & manga... AND check out the content under the INSPIRATION tab here on this website; there is a lot of beautiful work to get your creative juices flowing!
SEQUENCE
“Before a story is composed, it exists in the abstract. At this point, it is still a lot of thoughts, memories, fantasies and ideas floating around in one's head, waiting for a structure. It becomes a story when told in an arranged and purposeful order.” (Will Eisner, 1996) So, your story isn’t a story until it has a sequence. Design the overall telling of your story intentionally by communicating specific information at the best time, in the best way to maximize suspense, emphasis and pacing.
"The fundamental function of comics art is to communicate ideas and/or stories by means of words and pictures involves the movement of certain images through space. To deal with the encapsulation of these events in the flow of the narrative, they must be broken up into sequenced segments. These segments are called panels or frames." (Will Eisner, 1985). The spaces in between the panels — the gutters — indicate a change: in how time is passing, in where you are, or in whom you’re looking at or talking to. What happens in the “gutter” is much of the magic and mystery at the heart of comics. (Scott McCloud, 1994)
When creating your panels there are 3 main aspects to intentionally consider and design, they are:
1. REDUCTION
2. ENCAPSULATION
3. JUXTAPOSITION
REDUCTION
Even if the creator wanted to, showing all of the story's events in relative real time would be impractical and might result in boring storytelling... And thus, a major part of a comics creator's work consists of selecting "snapshots" from the overall narrative to show the reader. This is reduction… the act of intentionally deciding WHAT to include and what to leave out. (Scott McCloud, 1994)
For the artwork below, I needed to reduce all of the text into a single image. I decided the most important thing to show was the Gugglebum snail, since it is a make-believe creature and because it plays a significant roll in my story.
ENCAPSULATION
The process of placing or containing visual information within a specific space. This happens within a single panel and on an entire page. Encapsulation has a lot to do with HOW you are presenting your subject / information.
The process of placing or containing visual information within a specific space. This happens within a single panel and on an entire page. Encapsulation has a lot to do with HOW you are presenting your subject / information.
- How close or far is the “camera” from the subject?
- At what angle is the subject(s) seen?
- Which subject(s) is the primary focus?
- How is the subject or scene cropped / framed?
- How is the subject lit and rendered?
- What size & shape are the panels and how do they fit together?
In the artwork below notice how the angle, focus, sizing and overall composition contribute to the emotion of the moment.
JUXTAPOSITION
Placing two or more things side by side often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect. You can juxtapose imagery within a single panel, juxtapose words and images in a panel and / or juxtapose multiple panels on a single page. The juxtaposed information could be redundant, complementary, contrasting or unrelated. Using juxtaposition in your storytelling can be a powerful tool for influencing your viewer's thoughts and feelings, but it requires you to become a conscious organizer of your content.
Placing two or more things side by side often to compare or contrast or to create an interesting effect. You can juxtapose imagery within a single panel, juxtapose words and images in a panel and / or juxtapose multiple panels on a single page. The juxtaposed information could be redundant, complementary, contrasting or unrelated. Using juxtaposition in your storytelling can be a powerful tool for influencing your viewer's thoughts and feelings, but it requires you to become a conscious organizer of your content.
Notice in the artwork below that page 1 leads you to think and believe certain things about Bart, but on the very next page things go in a completely different direction. These two contrasting depictions of the character are intentionally juxtaposed to create humor and grab the reader's attention.
Questions To Consider
- How does your content interplay to engage your audience?
- Are there any images without any panel borders at all?
- What sounds do you see? How are each of the sounds written—does the way it’s written reflect what it actually sounds like?
- Are both the images and words contributing something of value to each panel and are they taking turns leading the narrative?
Pro Approach
- Think like a movie director. Use a variety of different "shots": establishing shot, close-up, extreme close-up, long / middle distance, panoramic, panning / tracking (movement) & top hat (looking down)
- A basic concept you should use when designing your panels is to "guide the viewer's eye." In the United States we read from left to right, so your primary goal is to advance the viewer's eye from left to right… Every gesture your character makes, every direction they look, every direction a car drives, every direction a character runs should be designed to lead the viewer to the next panel. (Shawn Martinbrough, 2007).
- Another element you must consider when you design your panel and page layout is the dialogue. When you compose the images in your panels, you need to leave room, or "negative space," for the words.
- Maintain your unique approach, voice & style in writing, illustrating and telling your story!
Extra Tip
When you are creating your sequence / panels, research storyboarding and do thumbnails to help eliminate issues later on. It may take a little extra time upfront but will be worth it in the end, with more dynamic compositions and a natural flow when reading your story.
Following is the first chapter of a story I'm writing & illustrating. I hope it serves as inspiration for you to see how WORDS, IMAGES and SEQUENCE work together to create the pillars of visual storytelling.
The use of this material outside of educational purposes and especially for profit is prohibited.
Copyright - T Braun Studio
Copyright - T Braun Studio
CONCLUSION
Throughout my career in art education I've heard numerous times that great art should have The 4 C's: CONCEPT, CRAFT, COMPOSITION & CREATIVITY.
If the answer to any of these questions is not yet, that's ok. Know ahead of time that in order to create an original comic or graphic novel, it takes time and is a process. Anticipate that you will need to make many revisions to both the text and the artwork during this process. Keep in mind that most of the graphic novels you've read, have an author as well as a handful of professional artists to create that story. So remember, if you work hard, seek feedback from others and create the type of story you would like to read, then you're on the right track... JUST KEEP GOING!
Throughout my career in art education I've heard numerous times that great art should have The 4 C's: CONCEPT, CRAFT, COMPOSITION & CREATIVITY.
- When it comes to visual storytelling I associate CONCEPT to WORDS… What is the overall idea, purpose, or meaning of your art / story?
- CRAFT, I connect to IMAGES... Have you put in the time to develop your skill and form your style?
- COMPOSITION is linked to SEQUENCE… How are you arranging & designing the telling of your story?
- And CREATIVITY runs through all of it... Is your plot interesting? Are your characters & settings visually unique? Is the sequence and flow of your story functional and inspired?
If the answer to any of these questions is not yet, that's ok. Know ahead of time that in order to create an original comic or graphic novel, it takes time and is a process. Anticipate that you will need to make many revisions to both the text and the artwork during this process. Keep in mind that most of the graphic novels you've read, have an author as well as a handful of professional artists to create that story. So remember, if you work hard, seek feedback from others and create the type of story you would like to read, then you're on the right track... JUST KEEP GOING!
REFERENCES
DeTora, L., & Cressman, J. (2021). Graphic Embodiments : Perspectives on Health and Embodiment in Graphic Narratives. Leuven University Press.
https://eds.s.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=9&sid=fe1fba88-256d-4049-b99b-b6036ea897f6%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=2710586&db=nlebk
Eisner, W. (1985). Comics And Sequential Art. W.W. Norton & Company
Eisner, W. (1996). Graphic Storytelling And Visual Narrative. W.W. Norton & Company
Garrison, Wulff & Lymn (2021). Using graphic novels, zines and libraries to reimagine literacy in a diverse classroom. Practical Literacy: The Early & Primary Years, Vol. 26 Issue 3, p 43-54 https://eds.s.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=fe1fba88-256d-4049-b99b-b6036ea897f6%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=eue&AN=153353909
Kleon, A. (2012). Steal Like An Artist. Workman Publishing
Martinbrough, S. (2007). How To Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling. Watson-Guptill
McCloud, S. (1994). Understanding Comics. William Morrow Paperbacks
McCloud, S. (2006). Making Comics. William Morrow Paperbacks
Movshovitz, D. (2015). Pixar Storytelling: Rules for effective storytelling based on Pixar’s greatest films. Independently published.
DeTora, L., & Cressman, J. (2021). Graphic Embodiments : Perspectives on Health and Embodiment in Graphic Narratives. Leuven University Press.
https://eds.s.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=9&sid=fe1fba88-256d-4049-b99b-b6036ea897f6%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#AN=2710586&db=nlebk
Eisner, W. (1985). Comics And Sequential Art. W.W. Norton & Company
Eisner, W. (1996). Graphic Storytelling And Visual Narrative. W.W. Norton & Company
Garrison, Wulff & Lymn (2021). Using graphic novels, zines and libraries to reimagine literacy in a diverse classroom. Practical Literacy: The Early & Primary Years, Vol. 26 Issue 3, p 43-54 https://eds.s.ebscohost.com/eds/detail/detail?vid=4&sid=fe1fba88-256d-4049-b99b-b6036ea897f6%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=eue&AN=153353909
Kleon, A. (2012). Steal Like An Artist. Workman Publishing
Martinbrough, S. (2007). How To Draw Noir Comics: The Art and Technique of Visual Storytelling. Watson-Guptill
McCloud, S. (1994). Understanding Comics. William Morrow Paperbacks
McCloud, S. (2006). Making Comics. William Morrow Paperbacks
Movshovitz, D. (2015). Pixar Storytelling: Rules for effective storytelling based on Pixar’s greatest films. Independently published.