Comics present artists with a unique platform for expression and storytelling. Rather than using words, the stories are told using a string of related images put together like pieces of a puzzle. Like any story, a lot of planning goes into a comic beforehand.
A helpful planning tool for preparing a comic is the 6-panel grid. This specific layout allows the artist to visualize different angles of the story as well as introduce all of their characters. Furthermore, the 6-panel grid lets the artist add depth and drama in their story with pauses between panels. This grid layout can help artists capture different feelings and their intensities to produce compelling, page-turning narratives.
Watch Matt Silady, Chair of the MFA Comics Program at California College of the Arts, create a thumbnail draft of a comic using this 6-panel grid layout.
If you want to know more about creating comics, you can enroll in the free course Comics: Art in Relationship below, or take a look at the first session here.
Comics: Art in Relationship
California College of the Arts