Saturday, March 22, 2008

How I layout out my comics pt. 1



I get asked about my process pretty often, mainly because I think people believe I have some trick to making a comic and keeping it on time. I don't have "tricks" so much as a work flow that changes with the need of the project.

The foundation of any page is the layout. That's where you figure out the camera angles, panel composition, and pace of the panels. It's also where you're going to make the most mistakes, and where you can cut them off before they grow on the actual page.

The size of the layouts vary for me, from half the page size to as small as 2 x 3 or so. I do them VERY quickly, either with a pencil or digitally using my Wacom tablet, after I've read the script a minimum of three times to get my head around it. I try to pick a focal scene, one that is the most important or interesting on the page. I'll then weave the other panels around it. I also try and keep in mind the amount dialogue will be on an individual panel, and plan around the balloons.

I also try and position certain elements on the page so that the eye naturally flows from one panel to the next. I'll post more about that on another day.

Best,
Mike

3 comments:

Patrick Hoover said...

Thanks Mike! It's great that you continue to share your process. I know for me, I like to see what other artists do so I can look for ways to improve my own processes. And it seems that not all pro artists are very open about sharing how they work with other artists, so it's great that you're doing so.

Mike Hawthorne said...

No problem man. I had the same trouble, and felt I had to sorta fight my way through some sort of working method. I still change the process and try and find ways to make it better.

My main point is to show people what I do, and let them figure out ways to make it work for them.

Best,
Mike

Mike Hawthorne said...
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