Graphic novels are stories that are composed of drawings and dialogue. For example, Marvel comic books are graphic novels, really anything in a comic-script style is a graphic novel. They are fun to read and they pass the time, but creating one is so much more fulfilling.

Creating a graphic novel requires work but can be completed by people at any skill level. In this tutorial you will be taught the in's and out's of how to create a graphic novel page. I'd love to show you guys how to make the whole thing but that would be overboard!

To make a graphic novel you will need:

Paper, pencils, pens

and I will be doing this digitally afterwards so I will be using a Wacom tablet, again this is optional

Step 1: Brainstorm and Sketch!

The first thing you need to do is brainstorm an idea for a story, mine is about a super hero girl that has hair that connects to whatever she loves so it connects to the bones of her past lover (a little morbid I know).

After you have an idea you need to execute it! Using human proportions correctly can help, also for your first novel using reference images will be very helpful.

Also when sketching be sure to keep in mind that the images have to tell a story, the words you will insert later will not do all of the story telling by themselves.

Use this link for basic human proportions:

http://www.realcolorwheel.com/human.htm

Step 2: Setup for Comic Page

When setting up where what scenes should go where keep in mind that the action shot, in my opinion, should be the biggest image. Emotional scenes will be just as attention grabbing as any action too. This is all about what you think looks good, draw the squares (or triangles, rectangles, ect.) however you like.

So get setting up where each image will go!

I did this step digitally, remember this will work just as well in pencil as it does digitally!

chick16.tif
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Step 3: Story Time

When the page is setup begin inserting the sketches into the boxes in pencil (OR do it digitally like I did). After that trace your pencil sketches with pen to give it that clean look. Be sure to leave room for words.

Step 4: Writing!

Many people may not agree with me, but I like drawing first because when telling a story in pictures you don't leave out any images that may otherwise make the comic better. Also, when looks back at the images it gives you something to write about!

Try to use short thought provoking sentences. Example,"I will never let go" next picture,"my love will not allow it."

Leave some of the story up the the pictures to tell.

Step 5: Digital Step!

This step is necessary only if you wish to complete this digitally like myself. You take a pictures of your drawings and arrange them on a digital canvas. After you do that you can lower the opacity of the pictures. Create a new layer, and begin going over the pen lines digitally.

Congratulations, you completed the first page of your graphic novel!