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 8
JumpStarts
2 The Art and Heart of Characters 13
Writing Lesson: Developing a Character 15
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Drawing Lesson: Expressions and the Human Figure 19
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Reading with an Artists Eye: Julius Caesar by William
Shakespeare 26
3 Dialogue: Graphic Words 27
Writing Lesson: Dialogue 29
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Drawing Lesson: Lettering 33
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Reading with an Artists Eye: David Copperfield
by Charles Dickens 41
Contents
Contents
vi
4
5
6
7
4 Conflicts: Problems Characters Must Solve 43
Writing Lesson: Types of Conflicts 45
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Drawing Lesson: Poses, Gestures, and Emanata 50
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Reading with an Artists Eye: Moby Dick by Herman Melville 55
5 Setting: The Where and the When 57
Writing Lesson: Understanding Setting 59
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Drawing Lesson: Depth and Perspective 61
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JumpStarts
Reading with an Artists Eye: The King of Mazy May
by Jack London 69
6 The Plot Thickens 71
Writing Lesson: Developing a Plot 73
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Reading with an Artists Eye: Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy 76
Drawing Lesson: Creating Thumbnails 81
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7 Inking: The Final Stage 87
Drawing Lesson: Inking Your Sketches 89
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JumpStarts
Reading with an Artists Eye: The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes 95
Further Reading 97
Glossary 99
Index 103
Contents
INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
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 cant 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 characters
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 dont have to be a great artist to draw your story. However, this book
contains clear step-by-step instructions that cover basic drawing skills. Youll
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 are
good 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 isnt a
story, no matter how well the panels are drawn.
Read the excerpts from well-known literature in Reading with an Artists
Eye, 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
2
2
S
tories 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

Writing 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 descriptionage, 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 wouldnt bully a classmate. An honest character would
not decide to rob a bank. A fairy godmother wouldnt turn Cinderella into a
pumpkin.
17 TheArtandHeartofCharacters
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 your
characters well. What are their strengths
and weaknesses? What do they enjoy doing?
Even a nonhuman character or a superhero
needs a personality and a personal history
to become real to the reader. Complete a
character chart like the one below for a
main character. Think about all the things
that will help you get to know this character.
The more you develop your character, the
better you will be able to make this charac-
ter seem real to you and the reader.
CHARACTER CHART
REVEALING A
CHARACTER
Create three panels about
your character. Each panel
should reveal your character
through one of these three
ways: (1) actions that show a
character trait, (2) something
the character says, and (3)
something that other charac-
ters say.
DESCRIBING A CHARACTER
Believable characters are seldom completely good
or bad and often have more than one character
trait. For example, Sherlock Holmes was a bril-
liant detective but he was often rude and impatient
with Dr. Watson. Possibly he was so impatient
because of his brilliance. Explore your character
by creating a word web. In the center circle, write
the characters name. Then fill in outer circles with
descriptive words and phrases about your charac-
ters traits. Then decide which traits are the most
important ones.
JUMP
starts
18 Chapter2


Physical
description
Emerice, 15 years
old, dark hair and
blue eyes, average
height and weight
Personal
information
(friends, hobbies,
and interests)
loves to draw and
listen to music; has
no close friends;
spends a lot of time
sketching outdoors

Character traits (list at least
two traits that describe what
the character is like)
quiet, a loner; daydreams
often and finds it difficult to
concentrate on what is going
on around her; seems to be
listening to an inner voice;
often knows what people are
thinking or are going to say
before they say it
Personal history
(details about family,
education, where
character lives)
lives with parents
and younger brother;
family is noisy and
creative; lots of
music playing when
they are together; no
TV allowed
19 TheArtandHeartofCharacters
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-
dien have iound faces and small noses. Oldei people have wiinkles and lines
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 drawn
in the same proportions. The
eyes are still in the center of the
face.
21 TheArtandHeartofCharacters
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.
22 Chapter2
To draw a body, begin by drawing
an oval about one inch long for the
head. Then below it, lightly draw
seven heads and short horizontal
lines across your paper, about one
inch apart. These sections will serve
as a guide as you draw the human
figure. Think of the body as a skel-
eton. The top half is composed of a
head, torso, and pelvis. The bottom
half is composed of the legs and feet.
Arms bend at the shoulders and
elbows; legs bend at the hip, knees,
and ankles.
Using the head as a standard of mea-
surement helps you avoid making
two common errors: drawing a head
that is too large and legs that are too
short.
ActionandMovement
After you have drawn a human figure standing straight up, practice drawing
that figure in different positions that show movement.
23 TheArtandHeartofCharacters
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 oppositeChin 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 to
the 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 characters
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.
25 TheArtandHeartofCharacters
Degrees of Emotion
Draw an oval for a face. Divide it
into thirds, and then draw a line
down the center. Make at least six
copies of it. Then practice draw-
ing faces that show each of the six
basic emotions. Choose one of the
emotions and draw more faces that
express 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? Is
the character bored or annoyed or afraid?
How does the other character feel? Add a
thought or word balloon for each character
to explain what each character is thinking
or feeling.
Attitudes
Make several sketches of a character in
different poses. Draw each pose to suggest
an attitude that tells what the character is
feeling, such as boredom, excitement, hap-
piness, or sadness. Share your work with a
classmate to see whether your poses con-
veyed the feelings you intended.
Character Types
Some character types are instantly
recognizable. A mad scientist has
wild hair and wears a white lab
coat. A nerd wears glasses and
plain clothes, and probably has a
bad haircut. A hero is almost never
bald. 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!
JUMP
starts
26 Chapter2
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
In Shakespeares 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.
ANTONY: Feai him not, Caesai; he's not dangeious;
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 mockd himself and scornd his spirit
That could be moved to smile at any thing.
Such men as he be never at hearts 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 Caesars 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 Artists Eye
INDEX
INDEX
103
Ames guide, 10, 3537
antagonist, 17
balance, 8485
balloons, drawing, 3738
body language, 23, 24, 50
brushes, 10, 90
inking and, 9293
characters, 1318, 4647
antagonist, 17
drawing, 5053
in literature, Julius Caesar, 26
main, 17
minor, 17
motivation, 47
protagonist, 17
stock, 25
traits, 16
climax (see also plot), 75
composition (see also panels), 8384
conflict (see also plot), 4349
character growth and, 48
character motivation and, 47
external, 46
in literature, Moby Dick, 55
internal, 46
setting and, 5960
What if questions and, 47
contrast, 9192
cross-hatching, 9, 91, 92
depth, creating, 6264, 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, 2732
writing, 2930
balloons and, 3738
dialect, 31
in literature, David Copperfield, 41
drawing tools, 810
ellipse template, 37
emanata, 6, 53
eye levels
birds eye view, 67
human, 67
worms eye view, 67
face, measurements of, 1920
facial expressions
six basic emotions, 20
feathering, 91
figures, drawing, 2223, 5152
flashback, 39
foreshortening, 67
gesture, 52
poses, 23, 5052
posture, 23
guidelines
for lettering, 3336
for perspective, 66
gutter, 6
hatching, 9, 91, 92
104 Index
human body
drawing action gures, 2223
proportions of, 2123, 51
inking, 8794
brushes and, 10, 90
nib pens and, 10
layout, planning, 82
pauses, 7
rhythm, 7
lettering, hand, 3340
bold, 34
italics, 3435
lowercase and uppercase, 34
using Ames guide, 3537
line of sight, 24
using to make inferences about characters, 24
line, types of
hatching, 9
cross-hatching, 9
lines, Ames guide and, 10, 3536
manga, 20
mood, 92
motivation, character, 47
narrative box, 39
pacing in panels, 7, 82
panels (see also composition; layout; pacing), 5
balance in, 8485
center of interest, 75, 83
close-up, 5, 61
inset, 6, 84
panorama, 5, 61
splash page, 5, 74
paper, 10, 89
pencils, 89
pens, 910, 90
inking and, 9293
perspective (see also depth)
eye level and, 67
vanishing point, 64, 65, 66
one-point perspective, 6465
two-point perspective, 66
plot, 7180
exposition, 74
rising action, 7475
climax, 75
falling action, 75
in literature, ree Questions, 7679
resolution, 75
plot plan, 73
poses, 23, 5052
posture, 23
proportion
facial, 1920
of human gure, 2123, 51
protagonist, 17
reading panels, 5
setting (see also panels; plot), 5761
importance in conict, 5960
in literature, e King of Mazy May, 69
sound effects (see emanata)
stock characters, 25
stock pose, 51, 54
theme, 48, 75
thought balloons, 38
thumbnails, 8185
pacing, 82
tone, 91
transitions, 39
vanishing point, 6466
wash, 91
word balloons, 5
drawing, 3738
LiteratureExcerpts
Charles 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, 7679