storytelling in words and pictures: how to write graphic novels and comics

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STORYTELLING

in

Words

and

Pictures

STORYTELLING

in

Words

and

Pictures

Janet Stone

how to write

graphic novels

and comics

Birch Tree Press



Cover design: Glenna Collett

Cover illustration: Jesse Hamm

Book design and production: Glenna Collett

Art credits appear on page 105.

© 2010 by Janet Stone

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced

in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means,

including information storage and retrieval systems, without

permission in writing from the author, except by a reviewer

who may quote brief passages in a review. Send inquiries to

Birch Tree Press, 1A Kensington Heights, Worcester, MA

01602.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010910934

Birch Tree Press

1A Kensington Heights

Worcester, MA 01602

Printed in the United States of America

10 11 12 13 14 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ISBN: 978-0-615-38979-0



v

1

2

3

Introduction 1

1 Graphic Storytelling: Basic Terms and Tools 3

Graphic Story Panels 5

Pacing and Rhythm of Panels

Drawing Tools 8JumpStarts

2 The Art and Heart of Characters 13

Writing Lesson: Developing a Character 15

Drawing Lesson: Expressions and the Human Figure 19

Reading with an Artist’s Eye: Julius Caesar by William

Shakespeare 26

3 Dialogue: Graphic Words 27

Writing Lesson: Dialogue 29

Drawing Lesson: Lettering 33

Reading with an Artist’s Eye: David Copperfield

by Charles Dickens 41

ContentsContents



vi

4

5

6

7

4 Conflicts: Problems Characters Must Solve 43

Writing Lesson: Types of Conflicts 45

Drawing Lesson: Poses, Gestures, and Emanata 50

Reading with an Artist’s Eye: Moby Dick by Herman Melville 55

5 Setting: The Where and the When 57

Writing Lesson: Understanding Setting 59

Drawing Lesson: Depth and Perspective 61

JumpStartsReading with an Artist’s Eye: “The King of Mazy May”

by Jack London 69

6 The Plot Thickens 71

Writing Lesson: Developing a Plot 73

Reading with an Artist’s Eye: “Three Questions” by Leo Tolstoy 76

Drawing Lesson: Creating Thumbnails 81

7 Inking: The Final Stage 87

Drawing Lesson: Inking Your Sketches 89

JumpStarts

Reading with an Artist’s Eye: “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes 95

Further Reading 97

Glossary 99

Index 103

Contents



INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

Meet Maya and Chas. They like to read stories told in both words and

pictures, and are learning how to create their own. As you follow along with

them and complete the many activities in this book, you

will learn about the craft of storytelling and develop

drawing skills so that you can write your graphic

novel or short graphic story. The best way to learn

about literature is to write your own story. Do you

think you can’t create a graphic story? Think again!

With Maya and Chas as your guides, you will.

A graphic novel is a story that is told through words

and pictures. A graphic novel requires the same elements

that make up any story or novel. It has a plot, characters, and a problem

that characters must solve. However, unlike a narrative story, a graphic story relies on pictures to carry the narration. The story is told in panels that con-

tain words, pictures, or both words and pictures.

What makes a good graphic story is how the words and pictures are used.

Words and pictures work together in a special way. Readers move from panel

to panel, “reading” both the words and the pictures in sequence. The pacing

of the panels creates a rhythm that works with the content. A small panel

with just a close-up of a detail makes the reader pause and study the informa-

tion. You can use three or four panels in a sequence to convey a character’s

thought or emotion.

Maya and Chas introduce all the basic drawing skills you will need. They also

help you “read” graphic stories when they comment on the panels that open

each chapter.



2

You don’t have to be a great artist to draw your story. However, this book

contains clear step-by-step instructions that cover basic drawing skills. You’ll

learn how to draw faces and figures in proportion and use perspective to

show distance. There are lots of panels drawn in different styles to teach you

how to draw and improve your drawing skills. Some are sketched in pencil,

and others are finished works in pen and ink and brushes. As you learn from

the many panels in this book, think about the stories they tell. The panels aregood examples of storytelling, so be sure to give them a second look.

A good graphic story needs characters that readers care about. As you prac-

tice drawing characters that show real feelings, you will bring characters to

life through both words and pictures. Without interesting characters and a

strong plot that keeps readers turning the pages, a graphic story just isn’t a

story, no matter how well the panels are drawn.

Read the excerpts from well-known literature in Reading with an Artist’sEye, and think about how you would use the details to create “word pictures.”

Take time to visualize the story, almost as though you were watching a movie.

Then translate those “moving pictures” into drawings and dialogue and

narrative.

The more you understand what makes a good story, the stronger your graphic

stories will be. The more you understand how to use drawing tools and tech-

niques, the more interesting your panels will be. Now, get ready to tackle

telling stories in words and pictures!

Introduction



THE ART

AND HEART

OF CHARACTERS

THE ART

AND HEART

OF CHARACTERS

22



Stories are built around characters. Even before you have an idea

for a story, you can create characters. The characters can lead

you to a story. Ideas for characters are all around you. They are in the

people you know or hidden inside a part of yourself. They are waiting for

you to make them come to life.

First, you need to develop characters with personalities and real feel-

ings. The first half of this chapter helps you find ways to show what your

characters are like on the inside. The second half explains how to draw

what they look like on the outside. You will learn how to draw faces and

expressions that show what a character is thinking and feeling. Even just

a raised eyebrow can tell readers a lot. Understanding the proportions

of the human body will help you draw characters in motion. By the end

of this chapter, you will know how to draw and develop characters for a

graphic story.

Storytelling Terms

Writing

antagonist Drawing

character body language

character traits line of sight

main character posture

minor character proportion

protagonist

14 Chapter2



15 TheArtandHeartofCharacters

W riting Lesson

DevelopingCharacters

Characters are at the heart of a story. They can be any kind of

creature that you can make up. But whether they are human

beings or robots, there would be no story without them.

Characters grow and change during a story. They learn lessons

about themselves or the world, and we come to care about

them. Believable characters seem real and three-dimensional.

They have more than just one side to them; they have both

good traits and flaws. Readers can see a part of themselves (or

people they know, as Chas did) in these characters.



16 Chapter2

There are three ways to help a reader discover what a character is like:

1. what the character does and says

2. what the author tells us

3. what other characters say about the character

What did Maya learn about Maggie Finney in the lesson opener?

CharacterTraits

A character begins with a physical description—age, height and weight, color

of hair, and so on. Then it needs a personality and character traits to become

real to the reader.

Character traits are a pattern of behavior, a way of being. They are different

from feelings and emotions. A character who has traits of being happy and

fun-loving might feel sad sometimes but would not stay moody or depressed.

Feelings change but traits remain the same over time. Do you recognize any

of these character traits in you or in people you know?

selfish curious inventive

honest dishonest loyal

lazy hard-working plucky

mischievous stubborn serious

cruel dreamy greedy shy conceited cold

Look back at the boy in the panel at the beginning of this chapter. The picture

and words combine to tell us that he is proud and honest. Right away, read-

ers can predict how the boy might act or respond to events. Characters act

in ways that are consistent with their basic character traits. A confident boy

who is sure of himself wouldn’t bully a classmate. An honest character would

not decide to rob a bank. A fairy godmother wouldn’t turn Cinderella into a

pumpkin.




CharacterandActions

What a character does tells readers who that character is. Good writers show

rather tell what a character is like. What did Maggie Finney do in the open-

ing graphic story that showed you she was kind? In a graphic story, actions

can speak louder than words.

MainandMinorCharacters

The main character is the most important one. The main character, or the

hero, is called the protagonist. The protagonist may struggle against a

villain, or the antagonist. The antagonist does not have to be an evil villain

but must stand in the way of the main character.

Minor characters play a small part in a story but can still be important. A

minor character can advance the story events or give readers insight into the

main character. Brief encounters with minor characters give the main char-

acter a chance to act, speak, or learn.

What character traits

does this girl have?

What role might the art

teacher play in a story

about this girl?



Complete one or more these activities to get started

on developing your own characters for a graphic story.

Before you begin to write a story, know yourcharacters well. What are their strengthsand weaknesses? What do they enjoy doing?Even a nonhuman character or a superheroneeds a personality and a personal history to become real to the reader. Complete a

character chart like the one below for amain character. Think about all the thingsthat will help you get to know this character.The more you develop your character, thebetter you will be able to make this charac-ter seem real to you and the reader.

CHARACTER CHART

REVEALING A

CHARACTER

Create three panels aboutyour character. Each panelshould reveal your characterthrough one of these three

ways: (1) actions that show acharacter trait, (2) somethingthe character says, and (3)something that other charac-ters say.

DESCRIBING A CHARACTER

Believable characters are seldom completely goodor bad and often have more than one charactertrait. For example, Sherlock Holmes was a bril-liant detective but he was often rude and impatientwith Dr. Watson. Possibly he was so impatient

because of his brilliance. Explore your characterby creating a word web. In the center circle, writethe character’s name. Then fill in outer circles withdescriptive words and phrases about your charac-ter’s traits. Then decide which traits are the mostimportant ones.

J UMPstarts

18 Chapter2

Physicaldescription

Emerice, 15 yearsold, dark hair andblue eyes, averageheight and weight

Personalinformation

(friends, hobbies,and interests)

loves to draw andlisten to music; hasno close friends;spends a lot of time

sketching outdoors

Character traits (list at least

two traits that describe whatthe character is like)

quiet, a loner; daydreamsoften and finds it difficult toconcentrate on what is goingon around her; seems to belistening to an inner voice; often knows what people arethinking or are going to say

before they say it

Personal history (details about family,

education, wherecharacter lives)

lives with parentsand younger brother;family is noisy andcreative; lots of music playing whenthey are together; noTV allowed




Drawing Lesson

ExpressionsandtheHumanFigure

TheFace

Every face is different but all faces have the same proportions. A face can

be divided into thirds. If you measure your face, you will find that one third

goes from the nostrils down to the chin; one third goes from the nostrils to

the eyebrows; one third goes from the eyebrows to the hairline.

As Maya told Chas, the eyes

are in the center of your head.

The space between the eyes is

usually equal to the width of

one eye. The tips of the ears

line up with the eyebrows or

top of the eyes. Earlobes end

at the bottom of the nose.



20 Chapter2

Drawing a face is not as hard as you might think. Start with circles for the

eyes and eyelids and then fill in the circle with an oval for the eyes. Draw a

triangle for a nose, and an oval for a mouth.

Then add details. Make decisions about the facial features. Does your charac-

ter have a mean face, with thin lips and frowning eyebrows? Is your character

meek, with a small chin? Find ways to tell the age of your character. Chil-

around the eyes and mouth.

FacialExpressions

Facial expressions help convey what characters are thinking and feeling.

There are six basic facial expressions.

Manga in Japanese means

“whimsical pictures.” Manga

characters usually have large eyes

and small noses. However, even

though the eyes are exaggerated,

the facial features are still drawnin the same proportions. The

eyes are still in the center of the

face.



21TheArtandHeartofCharacters

Within these six emotions there are a wide range of emotions. For example,

surprise can range from interest to mild surprise to astonishment to shock.

All parts of the face can contribute to conveying an emotion. The eyes, eye-

brows, and mouths are very expressive, but even a nose can wrinkle when

you smile or frown.

TheFigure

Like the face, the body is proportional. Instead of measuring the body in

inches, you can use the size of your head as the standard unit of measure.

Most people are between six and eight heads tall. The ideal body proportions

are based on a human figure that is eight heads high.

The eyebrows, eyes, and mouth tell you that

this boy is feeling frustrated.

Males have broader shoulders

than females; females have

narrower shoulders and waists

and wider hips. Despite dif-

ferences in height, both males

and females have the same

proportions.



23TheArtandHeartofCharacters

Art supply stores sell moveable wooden mannequins in different sizes. Posi-

tioning the arms and legs in different poses gives you a “model” to draw.

PosesandPosture

Chin up! Shoulders back! Eyes forward! These commands tell a soldier how

to stand. That stance can convey pride, confidence, and courage. If com-

mands were given that mean the opposite—Chin down! Shoulders slumped!

Eyes down!—the effect would be the opposite. The stance would mean meek-

ness, insecurity, and cowardice.

The posture of a character carries a lot of meaning. Fear is conveyed not only

by a facial expression but also by the way a character is standing. The charac-

ter may be leaning backwards, hands up to ward off danger. An excited char-acter would not be slumped over. Think of other emotions and how body

language conveys them.



24 Chapter2

LinesofSight

A lot of information is con-

veyed in this scene. How can

you tell that the girl reading

the book is really listening tothe others? How can you tell

that the boy is more inter-

ested in her than he is in the

girl who is talking to him?

The direction of a character’s

gaze helps readers under-

stand characters. Characters

who are looking openly at

each other are engaged and

reacting to each other. A char-

acter who is looking away or

down at the floor might be

expressing boredom or shy-

ness or hurt.

The direction that a character

is looking is called the line of

sight. Readers automatically look at the direction the character is looking in.You can also use the line of sight to draw attention to another character or

detail in a panel.

Body language, too, carries information. Imagine a character who is looking

directly at another through narrowed eyes. The narrowed eyes may signal

suspicion. If that same character is looking away with narrowed eyes, readers

may suspect that the character is plotting something.




Degrees of Emotion

Draw an oval for a face. Divide itinto thirds, and then draw a linedown the center. Make at least sixcopies of it. Then practice draw-ing faces that show each of the sixbasic emotions. Choose one of theemotions and draw more faces thatexpress different degrees of the

emotion.

Lines of Sight

Draw a panel showing one character look-ing away from another character. Why might the character be looking away? Isthe character bored or annoyed or afraid?How does the other character feel? Add athought or word balloon for each characterto explain what each character is thinkingor feeling.

Attitudes

Make several sketches of a character indifferent poses. Draw each pose to suggestan attitude that tells what the character isfeeling, such as boredom, excitement, hap-piness, or sadness. Share your work with aclassmate to see whether your poses con-

veyed the feelings you intended.

Character Types

Some character types are instantly recognizable. A mad scientist haswild hair and wears a white labcoat. A nerd wears glasses andplain clothes, and probably has abad haircut. A hero is almost neverbald. These are called stock charac-ters. Draw two or three stock char-acters. Practice your skills at draw-ing faces and poses and the small

details that go with each stereotype.

Practice drawing faces and characters. Keep your drawings

in a sketchbook or portfolio. You never know when they

might suggest a story to you!

J UMPstarts



26 Chapter2

Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

In Shakespeare’s tragedy Julius Caesar, Julius Caesar directly describes Cas-

sius. Cassius is thin, observant, and humorless. Based on his appearance

and character traits, Julius Caesar believes that Cassius is a dangerous man.

As it happens, Caesar was right. Cassius was plotting to kill Caesar and he

persuaded others to join him.

CAESAR: Let me have men about me that are fat;

Sleek-headed men and such as sleep o’ nights:

Yond Cassius has a lean and hungry look;

He thinks too much: such men are dangerous.

He is a noble Roman and well given.

CAESAR: Would he were fatter! But I fear him not:

Yet if my name were liable to fear,

I do not know the man I should avoid

So soon as that spare Cassius. He reads much;

He is a great observer and he looks

Quite through the deeds of men: he loves no plays,

As thou dost, Antony; he hears no music;Seldom he smiles, and smiles in such a sort

As if he mock’d himself and scorn’d his spirit

That could be moved to smile at any thing.

Such men as he be never at heart’s ease

Whiles they behold a greater than themselves,

And therefore are they very dangerous.

From Words to Pictures

What kind of person do you picture when you read Caesar’s description of Cassius? Use this description to draw a panel of Cassius and Caesar. Where

might Cassius be looking? Would he be standing off to the side or behind

Caesar? Find ways to show that Cassius is dangerous and devious.

Reading with an Artist’s Eye



INDEXINDEX

103

Ames guide, 10, 35–37

antagonist, 17

balance, 84–85

balloons, drawing, 37–38

body language, 23, 24, 50

brushes, 10, 90

inking and, 92–93

characters, 13–18, 46–47

antagonist, 17

drawing, 50–53

in literature, Julius Caesar, 26

main, 17

minor, 17

motivation, 47

protagonist, 17

stock, 25

traits, 16

climax (see also plot), 75composition (see also panels), 83–84

conflict (see also plot), 43–49

character growth and, 48

character motivation and, 47

external, 46

in literature, Moby Dick, 55

internal, 46

setting and, 59–60

“What if” questions and, 47

contrast, 91–92

cross-hatching, 9, 91, 92

depth, creating, 62–64, 91

overlapping, 63

placement, 63

shading, 63

size, 63

developing a character

dialect, 31

growth, 48

making inferences about, 24

motivation, 47

traits, 16

dialogue, 27–32

writing, 29–30balloons and, 37–38

dialect, 31

in literature, David Copperfield, 41

drawing tools, 8–10

ellipse template, 37

emanata, 6, 53

eye levels

bird’s eye view, 67

human, 67

worm’s eye view, 67

face, measurements of, 19–20

facial expressions

six basic emotions, 20

feathering, 91

figures, drawing, 22–23, 51–52

flashback, 39

foreshortening, 67

gesture, 52

poses, 23, 50–52

posture, 23

guidelines

for lettering, 33–36

for perspective, 66

gutter, 6

hatching, 9, 91, 92



104 Index

human body

drawing action gures, 22–23

proportions of, 21–23, 51

inking, 87–94

brushes and, 10, 90

nib pens and, 10

layout, planning, 82

pauses, 7

rhythm, 7

lettering, hand, 33–40

bold, 34

italics, 34–35

lowercase and uppercase, 34

using Ames guide, 35–37

line of sight, 24

using to make inferences about characters, 24

line, types of

hatching, 9cross-hatching, 9

lines, Ames guide and, 10, 35–36

manga, 20

mood, 92

motivation, character, 47

narrative box, 39

pacing in panels, 7, 82

panels (see also composition; layout; pacing), 5

balance in, 84–85center of interest, 75, 83

close-up, 5, 61

inset, 6, 84

panorama, 5, 61

splash page, 5, 74

paper, 10, 89

pencils, 8–9

pens, 9–10, 90

inking and, 92–93

perspective (see also depth)

eye level and, 67

vanishing point, 64, 65, 66

one-point perspective, 64–65

two-point perspective, 66

plot, 71–80

exposition, 74

rising action, 74–75

climax, 75

falling action, 75

in literature, “ree Questions,” 76–79

resolution, 75

plot plan, 73poses, 23, 50–52

posture, 23

proportion

facial, 19–20

of human gure, 21–23, 51

protagonist, 17

reading panels, 5

setting (see also panels; plot), 57–61

importance in conict, 59–60

in literature, “e King of Mazy May,” 69sound effects (see emanata)

stock characters, 25

stock pose, 51, 54

theme, 48, 75

thought balloons, 38

thumbnails, 81–85

pacing, 82

tone, 91

transitions, 39

vanishing point, 64–66

wash, 91

word balloons, 5

drawing, 37–38

LiteratureExcerptsCharles Dickens, David Copperfield, 41

Jack London, “The King of Mazy May,” 69

Herman Melville, Moby Dick, 55

Alfred Noyes, “The Highwayman,” 95

William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, 26

Leo Tolstoy, “Three Questions,” 76–79

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