How to Create a Comic (with Pictures)

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-19 08:07

The influence of comics on our emotions is undoubted - good humor, sadness, excitement, curiosity. Creating one is a fulfilling and simpler experience than you can imagine.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Developing a Comic

Step 1. Outline the basics

A comic, in most cases, is a narration through sequential images, called frames or panels. Even a single frame comic must give a sense of movement. In this sense, a comic does not differ from any other form of story and must therefore follow certain conventions.

• Setting. Each story is set in a certain place. Even a white background determines a setting. This is the scenario of your characters' actions and, depending on the story, can be a key part of the narrative.
• Personages. You need it to be able to create a story. They are the ones who direct the action, dialogue and connect you to the reader. Develop them over time; this is particularly important for strips that result in longer narratives.
• Conflict. Each story is based on a conflicting event that "moves" the characters. It can be something as simple as checking your mail, or something more complicated, like saving the universe.
• Themes. The theme of your comic is what drives creation from day to day and what will determine your audience. If you are writing a humorous strip, what is the nature of the jokes? If you are writing a fictional story, what are the lessons to be learned about love?
• Tone. It's about the atmosphere of your comic. Are you writing a play? Is the story more than dramatic? Maybe these are political cartoons. The possibilities are endless. Combine comedy and drama, make it darker or more playful. Write a novel or a gripping political thriller.
• Your tone will be expressed through dialogue, narrative text and visual effects.

Step 2. Write what you know

One of the best ways to make your comic "real" is to write what you know. This will also help you keep your personal style in what you write and keep you from copying too much from other comics.

Step 3. Decide on a style

Since you are creating a comic, the visual style will be the first aspect of your work that the reader will encounter. Choose a style that matches the tone of your story and the image you have of it in your head.

• Experiment with various styles until you find the one that feels natural to draw and write for. Try practicing with different popular styles which you can then adapt to your needs. Here are some examples:

  • Manga
  • American Superhero
  • Leprechauns clip art
  • Noir
  • Stylized little men
  • "Sunday" strips
• Intense and dramatic stories usually require a more elaborate visual style than a comedy. There are exceptions to this, however, as with any rule when it comes to creating something.

Step 4. Choose a format

There are no prepackaged solutions when it comes to formats, although comics generally fall into three categories: single-frame, strip, and page-length (comic book). Experiment with different formats until you find the one that best fits your story, characters and setting.

• A single-frame comic is usually reserved for comedies. It doesn't require excessive preparation and relies on visual gags and a line or two of dialogue. It can be difficult to form a narrative using single frames, so for the most part they can be read in any order. Political cartoons typically consist of one or two frames.
• A cartoon (strip) is a sequence of frames. There is no fixed length for a strip, although many are usually made up of one or two lines with 2-4 frames each. It is one of the most popular formats for many comics on the web and for those published daily in newspapers, because they allow for some narrative development, but are still short enough to create them on a regular basis.
• A comic page is a far more demanding activity than a strip. Having a full page to work on gives you more freedom in frame manipulation, but it also means you need to have more content for each page. Creating full pages is usually the result of creating a comic book or novel, in which a longer, more cohesive story can be told.

Part 2 of 4: Creating a Draft

Step 1. Write a script

The length and detail accuracy of the script depend on the comic style. A single frame, for example, requires only one or two lines of text. Either way, write it down to help you gauge how well the story reads.

• Write the script in the form of a sequence of frames, which you will treat individually as if they were small separate scenes to help you manage the flow of the story.
• Make sure that the dialogue does not dominate the graphics. Comics are a visual medium and therefore the implicit meaning of the story should emerge from the illustrations. Don't let text affect more than images.

Step 2. Make a draft of the frames

Don't worry about the accurate size, details or quality. Create a storyboard with thumbnails. Do this while writing the script. This very rough draft will help you visualize the flow of the comic.

• Focus on how to insert the characters into the frame, where the actions will take place and how the dialogue will adapt to the graphics.
• Create your thumbnails, you can try to change their order or make changes to change the impact of the strip.

Step 3. Make sure the overall graphic arrangement makes sense

The layout should guide the reader's eyes naturally through the page. Always remember that readers move across the page from left to right and top to bottom, except with manga, which is read from right to left. Use different sizes and shapes for the panels to help guide the reader.

Step 4. Experiment with different uses of text

In addition to dialogue, text can be used in many different ways. They include:

• The thought bubbles for the inner reflections of the character.
• The narrative boxes that allow the narrator to set a scene or describe some aspects of the story.
• The sound that can be represented through the use of sound effect words.
• The exclamations that can appear outside the speech bubbles to add more impact.

Step 5. Ask yourself if every single frame makes sense

In a movie, you would never hold an unimportant scene. The same goes for a comic. If the frame does not advance the story, the comedy or the conflict, then cut it and replace it with something effective or delete it permanently.

Step 6. Experiment with the frame structure

Many successful comics manage to break frame conventions. If you're planning to publish the comic yourself, feel free to explore as many options as you like. Remember, however, that any stylistic choice must always be at the service of history.

Part 3 of 4: Drawing the Comic

Step 1. Create frames on suitable paper with a ruler

For frames that don't fit into the general flow, you can use separate sheets and then merge everything after scanning.

• If you are looking to create a comic that will be published in a newspaper, the overall standard size is 13 "x 4" with four 3 "frames. The newspaper strips are drawn to double the actual printed size, so the finished comic would be in. reality size 6 "x 1.84". Double size work makes it easier to draw details.

• Web comics can be of any size, although you should keep the viewer's typical view size in mind. If you draw your comic to be viewed on a monitor with a resolution of 1024 x 768, most users will have no problem.

  Many readers don't like to scroll horizontally across a web page to view a comic. Keep this in mind when creating it. Vertical scrolling is generally much more acceptable

Step 2. Start adding content to your frames

Draw in light pencil, so you can easily erase and make adjustments. Continue until you have the draft to go over in pen.

Make sure you take into account the space needed for dialogue. Leave some space to include speech and thought bubbles, narration boxes, exclamations and sound effect words

Step 3. Draw the final strokes

Many cartoon artists go over pencil lines with ink. This allows the artist to erase the remaining pencil lines. Take some time to make sure the final strokes are clean.

If you write the dialogues by hand, it's time to add them. Make all final revisions to the dialogue and text as you enter the script on the page. Things may change when you go from script to comic

Step 4. Scan the balloon

Once the ink is dry, you'll need to scan the comic to put it digitally on your computer. This way, you can add text and use graphics software to color the comic if necessary. This process also makes online publication easier.

• Scan images at 600 DPI (Dots Per Inch). This resolution will keep the lines of the design intact and sharp.
• If your comic is too large to scan in one go, work by dividing it into sections and using Photoshop's Lasso tool to move and recombine the different frames.
• When scanning black and white images, be sure to choose grayscale. This is very important, especially for images with a lot of shading.

Step 5. Clean the image

Once scanned, you can use Photoshop to erase small mistakes or pencil strokes you may have forgotten. There are tools that are used to add more shading and thicker lines as well.

Step 6. Create your own font

One way to make your comic stand out from others is to use a custom font. There are many programs online, free or paid, to create fonts. One of the most popular is FontCreator.

Create a font that complements the tone of the writing but also the visual style. It is possible to use different characters for different characters, although too many variations can be distracting

Step 7. Add dialog bubbles with Photoshop

Use the Layers tool in Photoshop to create a layer for the text and another for the speech bubbles. Both layers should be separated by a third, containing the drawing.

• The text layer should be on top, followed by the cloud layer. The one with the design should be at the bottom.

• On the cloud layer, open the Blend option. It will create an outline for the bubbles at the end of the process. Select Stroke and set it like this:

  • Size: 2px
  • Position: Internal
  • Blend mode: Normal
  • Opacity: 100%
  • Fill type: Color
  • Black colour
• Insert on the Text layer the writing to be inserted in the bubbles. Use the font created earlier or select one that is appropriate for your visual style. Comic Sans is very popular.
• Select the level of the bubbles. Use the Ellipse tool to create bits of bubbles around the written text. Place the cursor in the center of the text and, while dragging the mouse to create an elliptical selection, hold down the Alt key.
• Select the Polygonal Lasso tool and hold down the shift key as you click to create a pointed triangle in the selection.
• Select White as the background fill color.
• Press alt="Image" + Del to fill the selection on the bubble layer. The outline will be created automatically and the speech bubble will be ready.

Step 8. Color your comic

It is optional, because many successful comics are in black and white. There are two options. You can color directly on the page, using real colors or you can color with your computer in digital format after scanning the comic.

• Comics are increasingly colored with digital means. There are programs, such as Photoshop and Illustrator, that make the coloring process less and less tedious than in the past.
• Remember that the reader will see the comic as a whole but also fragmented into its frames. Try to stick to a consistent color palette throughout the story to avoid distractions.

• Use a color wheel to make sure they fit together harmoniously - it helps you navigate the millions of shades available on modern computers.

  • The colors placed opposite each other on the wheel are complementary. They are for high contrasts and should be used sparingly to avoid excessive effects.
  • Analogous colors are contiguous on the color wheel. They are usually very pleasing to the eye.
  • The color triads are placed at regular intervals on the wheel. Usually one of the three colors is used as the dominant and the other two to accentuate.

  Part 4 of 4: Publishing the Comic

  

  Step 1. Upload the comic to an online image storage service

  If you just want to share your comic with friends and family, upload it to a free image hosting service - it's the easiest and cheapest way. Create an account with PhotoBucket, ImageShack or Imgur and upload your creation to us.

  Send links to as many people as you want, post them on your social network feeds, tweet their URL to anyone who wants to read your comic. Find forums of passionate about the subject and post your links so that they are clearly visible to anyone

  

  Step 2. Create an account on DeviantArt, which is one of the most popular sites for posting art

  They have an entire section devoted to cartoons and comics. When you post your creation, fans can leave a comment, giving you a way to interact with your audience.

  Interacting with other artists on DeviantArt can offer you new ideas and perspectives on your creations

  

  Step 3. Create your online comic page

  If you feel you have enough content to share with the world, start with your own comic web page. It's the best way to grow your audience without having to go through traditional publishing channels. It will take more time and dedication than simply using an image hosting service, but the benefits will be greater.

  • Create a website that looks and functions flawlessly. If a site doesn't perform well and doesn't fit the aesthetics of your comic, you will reject your readers. Spend some time evaluating how successful web comics have integrated their style with the site's aesthetic.
  • Have your site created by a professional designer. It can be cheaper than you think - use resources and services like DeviantArt to find the right person.
  • Make updates often. It is important that people come back to visit your site on a regular basis. Try to predict specific times. If readers know when to find the new episode, they'll come back often even without you needing to advertise it.
  • Interact with your readers by taking the time to write blog articles and respond to their comments. It will help you advertise as a comic creator and form close bonds between you and your audience.

  

  Step 4. Send it to a news agency if you think your comic is suitable for a newspaper

  These are groups of publishers who distribute their comics to newspapers around the world. They get thousands of requests every year and usually only choose 3 or 4 strips. The major news agencies are:

  • Creators Syndicate
  • King Features Syndicate
  • Washington Post Writers Group
  • Tribune Media Services
  • United Feature Syndicate

  

  Step 5. Send it to a publisher

  If it is a strip or a comic not from the newspaper. You may want to consider sending it to some traditional comic book publishers. This industry has had a significant expansion in the past few decades and now includes all kinds of graphic story and comic book collections. Note that DC and Marvel do not accept unsolicited submissions. You'll have to make a name for yourself somewhere else first. Here are the major publishers:

  • DC Comics
  • Marvel
  • Image Comics
  • Dark Horse
  • In addition to the most famous publishers, there are many independent publishing houses that are always looking for new proposals.

  

  Step 6. Publish your comic yourself

  The more self-publishing has spread, the easier it is with which the material is published. There are resources like CreateSpace that automatically publish your comic on Amazon and only print copies based on orders received. This allows you to avoid all the distribution work.

  Advice

  • Ask another person's opinion. Sometimes, a second opinion (but also a third, fourth, etc.) often serves to focus ideas and, perhaps, identify errors that you had not noticed. When you fully immerse yourself in a project, you risk ignoring even the most glaring imperfections, so you may receive helpful tips.
  • Don't get too stressed out if your first comic isn't great. Only practice makes perfect!
  • Draw what you do best. It will be much easier and more relaxing than struggling to create something you have never done before.
  • Consider the audience the comic is targeting. If you create something for teens, don't turn the project into a children's comic or vice versa.
  • Find inspiration by reading your favorite comic. If you haven't defined your own style yet, you can imitate another designer's stroke.
  • You can choose to make the story intricate or simple, based on your preferences. After all, you are the author!
  • If you want to create a strip, over the years you will perfect the style, which will become more and more fluid. It happened with Garfield as well as with the Peanuts.
  • Before you start, plan out most of the things. Make some sketches and jot down some ideas before you get to the last page. It would be best to fix most problems early on, as it will be easier to make changes and find a good solution.
  • Check the spelling! Have a doubt dictionary handy. You could write the dialogues with a spelling program to check the spelling. Don't underestimate this aspect as it can affect the overall quality of the comic!
  • To draw quickly, you can use "stick" figures. Use this technique to define some broad ideas. If you prefer, you can continue to use this style, but you also need to find ways to make it unique and interesting.

  Warnings

  • Be careful not to copy another person's work! Getting inspired by other comics doesn't mean copying other people's ideas. Try to be creative and, sooner or later, you will find an original idea!
  • It may take some time for someone to notice your comic. Don't give up right away!