Kara is framed by a pop up gingerbread house's open door way. Frames are useful for leading the eye, creating depth, and creating paths for the reader to visually explore. There are various types of framing devices one can use- foreground frames (in front of the subject), background frames (behind the subject but still framing). Creates depth, drama, and structure, focusing the reader's attention to a single area. In images where little is going on, the line becomes the dominant part of the photo, creating a divide between sky and landscape.Ĭan frequently refer to the use of windows, doorways, arches, or natural elements to create a frame within your panel borders. In composition, 'when a frame is divided by a single dominant line, this line is usually a horizon' ( source), and these are common in outdoor imagery. Horizons, horizon lines, and perspective lines give the reader a better understanding of the environment the characters are inhabiting, and the world the story takes place. ![]() Gives the audience the viewpoint of being in the scene with the characters, but still safely removed.įrequently referred to as the horizon line, these are particularly important when planning environments and utilizing perspective grids. Most common view you will see in movies and comics. This is your opportunity for experimentation with the least amount of effort, so consider drawing and redrawing tricky panels until you hit on something that resonates and suits your story. Your mind's eye and your pencil control your camera angles, and while you can opt to change them at any step of your comic making process (some artists will even redo entire chapters of their work after it's been released), I recommend finding the right shots and camera angles during your thumbnailing stage. Similar structure to a play, a movie, or a novel.Įverything from the materials you use to the shot choices you employ will depend on what type of comic you're creating, and what you hope to convey to the audience. Generally part of a longer narrative, frequently broken up into chapters. Select pages from Pretty Paladin Critical Missy, a comic in the Chainmail Bikini gaming anthology. It could be a shot of a hand reaching for a doorknob, or a vase of flowers- the text gives the shot context. An inflected panel frequently features the characters engaged in some sort of action, particularly if the action has importance to the story, such as one character pointing a gun at another.Īn uninflected panel has no set meaning or context without the dialogue or narration. ![]() It is intended to encapsulate the entire story.Īn inflected panel has innate context and meaning, and may be able to stand on its own, without text, as part of the story. Unless otherwise noted, all art used in this post is my own. It helps to understand the basic vocabulary of comics as a whole so that you can start thinking about the works you consume analytically, and consider your own work and choices critically. Once you're armed with the vocabulary, you can start to dissect what you consume, and put that information towards your own creations. Your brain will absorb information and inspiration. The best advice for ANY creator is to consume media. This is a rich field, and this post barely scratches the surface, but it may give you the vocabulary you need to get started. I'll go over a few that are relevant, and I highly recommend you check out my Sources and Recommended Reading sections to continue your journey. When honing your comic craft, you have one foot in illustration, another in film, but you need to keep in mind that all actions should go towards serving the story- from character design to choice of materials, to your shot choices. It helps to keep in mind that comics borrows much of it's vocabulary from plays and movies. ![]() This is a fairly dense post, so if you're not able to read it all now, I recommend book marking it for later! These are areas I wish to grow in as well, and I thought it might be helpful for everyone if I share some basic definitions and examples of comic craft, storytelling tools, and compositional techniques. In last week's Making Comics and Zines class, several students brought up questions regarding storytelling, shot choices, and composition.
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