Posts Tagged: theory

Comic Review Checklist, Part 2: Words

Hi again everyone!  This is the second part of my comic review checklist, which has three parts: everything that relates to the “flow” of the pages, everything that relates to the words on the pages, and then everything else. This is part two!  (more…)

You Have a New Idea! So What?

No one ever says to the surgeon, “You know, I think I’d really like to try performing a kidney transplant sometime.” Meanwhile, there is no professional or aspiring professional writer who has not heard, at least once, upon explaining his or her vocation, “You know, I think I’ve got a novel in me, somewhere.” It’s infuriating. (more…)

WRITING TROPES: EXPOSITORY DEVICES

Tropes are storytelling devices. Used well, they enrich a story; used badly, they result in the dreaded cliché. This series of articles takes a closer look at some major tropes relevant to comics and the pitfalls they may present.

Exposition

“Exposition is a literary tool that is used to give information to the audience through dialogue, description, flashback or narrative.” Source: tvtropes.org

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Elements of Gesture

In my opinion, there are three phases to drawing the figure: gesture, construction, and rendering. None of these phases is independent from the others. Gesture captures the essence of the figure’s pose — it records the kinetic energy of a moment in time. If anything can be said to breathe life into a drawing, it’s gesture. Construction is the phase where knowledge of shape and anatomy are employed to methodically build a three-dimensional figure within the page. This is the part of figure drawing where many of the visual “problems” of the figure — problems that involve not just anatomy but perspective — are solved. Rendering draws focus to issues of appearance, primarily lighting. Proper lighting grounds the figure and accentuates depth.

Often, these phases overlap. Gesture and construction can happen at the same time, with rough lighting and shadows added before either phase is fully resolved. Some people skip construction entirely and rely on rendering to establish the form. However you choose to approach things, know this: gesture is the most important. More than a rough sketch or plan to be finalized later, it is the soul of your drawing. Everything else builds off of it and threatens to diminish its impact. (more…)

What To Read? Touchstones For Comic Makers

Samuel Beckett hit the nail on the head when he said: “The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading.” Indeed, it’s only after we’ve studied the work of masters that we are able to amass a foundation from which we can create our best material. However, if you’re new to the world of comics, you may find some of the “classic masterpieces,” such as Watchmen or Maus, a bit advanced as teaching aids or references. I know I’ll get some hate mail for excluding these classics from the list, but hear me out. Though they are definitely ranked among the more important comic books, it takes time to really appreciate exactly what it is that makes these comics so important that they’re studied even in ivy-league colleges. For this reason I think it’s probably a good idea for newer readers and writers to begin their journey by sampling the best of a diverse array of genres. The goal is, of course, to saturate yourself with quality content by deconstructing the the comics themselves and finding out what makes them “tick.”

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Starting Off Right: How To Troubleshoot Common Issues

You have an idea. You’ve sketched out the main characters of your story and you’re chomping at the bit to begin your comic. Fantastic!

Let’s slow down for just a second.

The most important thing, as we’ve covered in other articles, is just to start. Beyond that I want to give you some preventative medicine. If you’re new to this (and let’s be honest, we all are at some point) there are a few hidden landmines you might not have considered that could tank your comic.

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