DEADLINE: 12/02/2023 - PLEASE SUBMIT WORK BY 12/02/2023 IF YOU WANT A CHANCE TO BE FEATURED IN THE CRITIQUE VIDEO
It’s time for your assignment!
Your first step to making your own comic page is to piece together your layout with thumbnails. You’ll be making a lot of decisions here so keep your sketches simple and focus on how you can enhance the storytelling visually.
Use the scripts we provided and try out several different layouts for each, piecing together your thumbnails like a puzzle. Even without any drawings in them, the panels should flow from one to the next, and read in the correct order that you intended. Working at a small size will help you see larger storytelling problems before moving on, so If anything is feeling ambiguous, try another layout.
Once you’ve chosen your favorite layouts, it's time to draw a reduced-size layout for those pages! For the reduced-size-layout, draw it at about one-third the size of a page, or about four inches by six inches. Draw in your panels first with a ruler, and don’t forget to account for the trim and panel border safe zone at the edges. Then go over your scripts again to make sure the important details are included in your page. Start with a rough-in that lets you place all the elements in each panel, and then clean it up. Don’t go overboard with the details at this stage, just make it as clear and readable as possible so we don’t cause any problems for ourselves when we move to the full-sized page.
If you’re working on a page from a different script, be sure to include that script in your submissions so we can see what you’re working with. Good luck!
I did the exercises suggested in the first lesson on panel composition and finished them completely. I didn't know there was a subsequent lesson on planning with those same scripts. So I've done the sketches my way, without following the "Assignment - Reduced Size Layout" lesson.
I did them in a small notebook because I was away from home with my mother who was hospitalized.
But after the "reduced size layout" lesson, I realized that planning them in detail is the best way to do them much better, considering the order, cleanliness, efficiency, and time saved.
Explanation of the attached images:
In the sketch of the robbery scene, I didn't bother framing it; I had a separate outline of how the panels would go and just focused on the idea. I also followed David's suggestion. Later, I made two more sketched proposals with pencil and marker. In the last one, which I didn't get to complete in a big way, I deliberately broke the rules of panel composition to see if something could be done with that composition. As I said, I never got around to it.
In the laboratory scene with the mad scientist, I decided on a fish-eye overhead view. Proko's poster subtly includes Skelly.
In the three-panel parking lot scene, I was clear that the last panel should be like an explosion after a tense calm. The first two are a close-up of the character, and my intention was to convey a sense of being cornered. Given the three-panel limitation, the shooting and hiding actions had to be in the same panel.
In the final versions, there were significant changes.
I'm learning a lot from this course.
These are really excellent reduced-size layouts! Great expressions, and character staging. I really like your shot variety, and use of warped perspective in the explorations! This is really solid, looking forward to seeing the full-sized pages!!
Sorry, but I only had time to do one layout, I hope that's okay.
I chose a script from on line, of a comic I have never seen, to see what I could come up with myself. I found myself being too influenced by what you did (because they are awesome of coarse).
Thanks in advance :)
I tried to draw the second script before seeing the lessons about that script. I thought in this way I forced myself not to Copy the panel structure and layout used in the lessons
I'll make an effort to squeeze this in, I've got a big assignment for the Kubert School I'm working on as well. I'd still appreciate a response even if I don't make it to the critique. Thanks David this course has really helped
I’m a comic book artist for Image, Marvel, DC, and others.
Help!
Browse the FAQs or our more detailed Documentation. If you still need help or to contact us for any reason, drop us a line and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible!
DEADLINE: 12/02/2023 - PLEASE SUBMIT WORK BY 12/02/2023 IF YOU WANT A CHANCE TO BE FEATURED IN THE CRITIQUE VIDEO
It’s time for your assignment!
Your first step to making your own comic page is to piece together your layout with thumbnails. You’ll be making a lot of decisions here so keep your sketches simple and focus on how you can enhance the storytelling visually.
Use the scripts we provided and try out several different layouts for each, piecing together your thumbnails like a puzzle. Even without any drawings in them, the panels should flow from one to the next, and read in the correct order that you intended. Working at a small size will help you see larger storytelling problems before moving on, so If anything is feeling ambiguous, try another layout.
Once you’ve chosen your favorite layouts, it's time to draw a reduced-size layout for those pages! For the reduced-size-layout, draw it at about one-third the size of a page, or about four inches by six inches. Draw in your panels first with a ruler, and don’t forget to account for the trim and panel border safe zone at the edges. Then go over your scripts again to make sure the important details are included in your page. Start with a rough-in that lets you place all the elements in each panel, and then clean it up. Don’t go overboard with the details at this stage, just make it as clear and readable as possible so we don’t cause any problems for ourselves when we move to the full-sized page.
If you’re working on a page from a different script, be sure to include that script in your submissions so we can see what you’re working with. Good luck!