Key Steps to Creating Comics

Aims of the tool

The aim of this tool is to assist in creating comics to work with young people in an effective and creative way.

Description of the tool

Choose an idea you believe in – IDEA LAB

Start with an idea that you strongly believe in. Starting a comic requires a significant time commitment, so you want to make sure you have enough interest in your characters and storyline to see your project through to the finish.
The brainstorming phase looks a little different for everyone, but you can expect your original idea to evolve a bit as you’re just getting started. Be sure to keep a notebook on hand to jot down dialogue, sketches, and story ideas when they come to mind.

Brainstorming
Community based need assessment (Millennium goals)
Choosing top 3
The best one

Write the story first (Creative writing)

One of the most common mistakes is to start drawing your comic book before working out your story. While you may feel like grabbing a blank sheet of paper – or launching your favorite drawing app – and just diving in, by doing so, you're likely setting yourself up for failure.
Take the time to write a script. It doesn't need to be fancy and you don't need an expensive app to get it done. A simple text editor will do.
When it's time to write your script, there are four main points to keep in mind:
Know your genre
Understand your main character's goals/challenges
Create a believable setting
Include a beginning, a middle, and an end

(Consider the following story elements as you start writing your comics:
Setting: Is there a clear sense of time, place, and overall mood?
Characters: Are the main characters fully developed and believable? Do they have distinct personalities, motivations, and challenges?
Plot: Does the story follow a natural sequence or arc (background information, rising action, conflict, resolution)? Are there any gaps in information that might confuse readers?
Narration: Is the point of view consistent?
Theme: What lessons do the characters learn?)

Research the craft of making comics
You may feel like you’ve consumed enough comics to know how to make your own. However, there is always plenty to learn from more experienced illustrators. In between your own creative work sessions, read books, interviews, and blogs by your favorite comic book creators to discover their tips and techniques.
+You can also do research from your own bookshelves. Think about what draws you to a particular comic series, and study it from a creative and technical standpoint. Notice the decisions the artist made regarding layout, drawing style, color, character, and story. Understanding which elements you find intriguing or effective in another person’s work can help you develop your own skills and style.
Plan the layout
Once your script is complete, it's time to start drawing. Well... it's almost time to start drawing.
When working on the layout, your goal is to keep the reader interested. One way to do this is to end each page (maybe not all, but some) with a cliffhanger. Draw the reader in! Let them know something interesting is about to happen, but don't reveal what that is until they turn the page.
I find the most efficient way to 'work out a layout' is by using thumbnails. Thumbnails, which are similar to storyboards, help work out any composition problems before you invest time into inking and coloring your drawings. Think of them as a very (VERY!) rough draft of your drawings, and of course, your layout.
Note: Don't forget to leave room for the dialogue!
You want to make sure the text and illustrations fit each panel while also creating momentum in the story to keep readers interested. Does the dialog work? Is the action clear? Is there too much or not enough happening on each page? Too much text, or too little? Think about how you might create suspense at the end of a page, so the reader is compelled to keep going.
If you find problems in your first round of thumbnails, simply toss that page out and create a new sketch. This part of the creative process can involve a lot of trial and error—that’s ok! It’s always better to figure out how the story progresses before you spend time inking and coloring your comic book drawings. Otherwise, you’ll be setting yourself up for potential frustration later.
Draw the comic

Create a set of rules for drawing
One recommendation from experienced comic book artists is to establish a consistent style of illustration that is doable and efficient for the scope of your project. That could mean assigning specific textures, shading, or coloring effects to certain characters or backgrounds. Or you may decide to limit the number of frames per page. These are your personal guidelines to create visual continuity and to avoid making drawings so complex that you cannot replicate the look and feel.
For beginners, it’s especially important to know your strengths and master the drawing techniques you’ll be using before getting too far along with your comic book. You don’t want to be learning the basics or trying to draw figures you’ve never attempted before while also making your first comic. That is a recipe for slow, frustrating work sessions! Also, if you experiment too much while creating your comic, the evolution of your drawings will show in the finished version. The first few pages will look drastically different from later panels, where you’ve perfected your style.
Whether you're working traditionally or digitally, drawing the comic can feel like a daunting task. But at this stage of the process, your work doesn't need to be perfect. Focus on getting your comic drawn; you can work on perfecting it later during the inking stage.
Choosing the right tool (personal preference)
You’ve done all the pre-planning and troubleshooting, so here’s the moment you’ve been waiting for! The process of drawing will look different depending on whether you use pencil and ink, tablets, or drawing apps and software. No matter which drawing method you choose, you can find countless blogs, tutorials, and forums to answer your questions along the way.
Generally, you will follow these steps to complete your comic book illustrations:
Drawing: If you choose to work on paper, the first step will be drawing in pencil. If you are using digital drawing tools or applications, begin by outlining your illustrations. On this first pass, try not to stress about making each drawing perfect just yet; there will be time to add all those details. Just remember to leave space for any captions or text!
Inking: Fill in the drawings, adding texture, depth, and shading effects. (Remember the rules you set for yourself in step 5!)
Coloring: Select the color palette for your entire project—keep it simple. Then assign colors to each character or scene, and be sure to use the same colors every time those elements repeat. Continuity is a big part of visual storytelling!
Lettering: Decide whether to use hand lettering or installed fonts on a digital device. Regardless, your text needs to be legible in order to make an impact. (If you want to digitally add text boxes to your layout, you’ll have a chance to do that in step 8.)

Choose a format
With print comics, the format you select contributes to the overall reading experience. Blurb’s Magazine format is a classic choice for comics. You get plenty of space on each page, and you can print a high volume at a low cost.

Select a (bookmaking) tool and publish (marketing)
Once you know your format, decide which publishing tool fits your skill level. Here’s where the pace of your comic book project really starts to pick up, and you can see the finished product within reach!
If you created illustrations by hand, the fastest and simplest way to make a book is Blurb’s PDF uploader. Scan your pages and cover to create PDFs, select a trim size, and upload your PDFs to create a print-ready comic book!
If you already used Adobe InDesign to create your comic book layout, use our free plug-in to set up your book. It provides trim and bleed guidelines for each book size and format.

It’s time to release your creative vision into the world! Order copies of your comic to share with family and friends, host a comic book launch event or sell your comic book online.
Now that you know how to start a comic book and self-publish it, the creative power is in your hands!

Creating a comic book or graphic novel takes a lot of work. If you have the skills and the time to tackle this task on your own, great! If not, don't be afraid to collaborate with another artist. And don't be afraid to ask questions.

Are you ready to get started?