With the likes of Marvel, DC, and The Walking Dead dominating pop culture, it’s only natural to wonder if you have what it takes to write the next hit comic strip. Find collectibles stores near me to get the best collection of comic books for inspiration.
But even so, drawing is one skill. And writing an engaging story is another.
Whether you’re planning a weekly webcomic strip or a full-on comic book, we’ve got four comic-strip-making tips you can use to bring your stories to life.
Tip #1: Start With the End In Mind
Have you ever read a book or watched a movie that didn’t seem to have a plot? You probably had a hard time staying interested in the story, right?
As a comic writer, you don’t want your readers to click away from your page while saying things like “This author clearly has no clue where this is going.”.
That’s why it’s important to have your punchline or your conclusion decided on before you start drawing. Your readers will thank you and with all the background information informing your story, your comic will be a little easier to write.
Tip #2: Use a Storyboard
You wouldn’t expect a construction crew to build a skyscraper without a scaffold, most comic strips don’t go straight from concept to completed panel.
So how do the pros know exactly what angles and shots to draw? How do they know exactly how to position everything?
They storyboard.
With this strategy, you don’t have to waste your time drawing panels that lead to nowhere. You can test out your ideas until you’re happy.
Tip #3: Try To Use Simple Designs
It’s said that Michelangelo needed four years to paint the Sistine Chapel.
When you’re publishing a comic strip or a comic book, your readers will want to see a consistent and reasonably short publication schedule. In other words, a panel every four years isn’t going to cut it.
Sure, you can use a comic strip template and a few other tricks to speed up your production time. But it still pays to think about how much detail is necessary for your comic before things like character design and background rendering start to consistently slow you down.
Tip #4: Use Other Visual Elements To Tell Your Story
At the end of the day, comics are a visual medium. You’re not constrained to just using your script or your pictures to tell develop your plot.
Can you use the body language and expressions of the other characters to support your point? Maybe the color scheme can be used to reflect the feelings of your main character. You can surround a speech balloon with hearts and stars to add that emotional element.
Once you get the ball rolling with these, you’ll find all sorts of opportunities to use unconventional parts of your comic to tell your story.
Use These Comic-Strip-Making Tips to Make Your Stories Stand Out
What separates a sketch artist from a comic strip author with legions of adoring fans and a thriving Patreon page?
In many cases, the ability to tell an awesome story.
With the help of the comic-strip-making tips that we’ve just provided, however, you’re well on your way to learning how you can become an expert storyteller with your comic strip.
Want to learn more about writing stories and publishing comics? Check out our site for more information.
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