Creative warm upYou have 5 mins to choose an personal item

from your bag and turn it into a character

• Explain your character• Give your item a personality • Human characteristics• How does your character move• What relationships does it have?

Comics and Graphic novelsCreative thinking and analysis

Today’s aim:

come up with ideas.

Types of comic book and graphic novels

Comic strips• A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in

panels

• Usually short at a page or less

• display brief humor or form a story, often with text in balloons and captions.

• Strips are written and drawn by a comics artist or cartoonist.

• As the name implies, comic strips can be humorous.

• Traditionally printed in black and white in newspapers

• Daily strips are smaller

• Sunday strips are larger like this one

Comics• 64 to 96 pages

• Thinner and printed like a magazine with matte (not shiny) low quality paper

• Held together with staples

• Magazine with volumes and issue numbers (periodical)

• A comic book may contain a single story, 2 stories, or as many as 3 or 4 stories between its pages, which may or may not all have the same characters.

• Lower cost (£3.00)

Graphic Novels• A graphic novel is a book made up

of comics content.

• Graphic novels are larger in content with 60- 500 pages

• Often bound like books rather than magazine style

• Higher quality glossy paper

• Usually contain a single story with the same cast

• Single publication

• Higher priced (£10)

Digital comics

• Comics or Graphic novels which you can read using a digital device.

• You can read digital comics on a tablet, smartphone, or PC using a variety of comic book readers, some of which include their own integrated stores.

Motion comics

• A motion comic (or animated comic) is a form of comics combining elements of print comic books and animation.

• Individual panels are expanded into a full shot while sound effects, voice acting, and animation are added to the original artwork.

• Motion comics are often released as short series covering a story arc of a long running series or animating a single film of a graphic novel.

• Comics are converted episodes

Comic strips• A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in

panels

• Usually short at a page or less

• display brief humor or form a story, often with text in balloons and captions.

• Strips are written and drawn by a comics artist or cartoonist.

• As the name implies, comic strips can be humorous.

• Traditionally printed in black and white in newspapers

• Daily strips are smaller

• Sunday strips are larger like this one

Comics• 64 to 96 pages

• Thinner and printed like a magazine with matte (not shiny) low quality paper

• Held together with staples

• Magazine with volumes and issue numbers (periodical)

• A comic book may contain a single story, 2 stories, or as many as 3 or 4 stories between its pages, which may or may not all have the same characters.

• Lower cost (£3.00)

Graphic Novels• A graphic novel is a book made up

of comics content.

• Graphic novels are larger in content with 60- 500 pages

• Often bound like books rather than magazine style

• Higher quality glossy paper

• Usually contain a single story with the same cast

• Single publication

• Higher priced (£10)

Digital comics

• Comics or Graphic novels which you can read using a digital device.

• You can read digital comics on a tablet, smartphone, or PC using a variety of comic book readers, some of which include their own integrated stores.

Motion comics

• A motion comic (or animated comic) is a form of comics combining elements of print comic books and animation.

• Individual panels are expanded into a full shot while sound effects, voice acting, and animation are added to the original artwork.

• Motion comics are often released as short series covering a story arc of a long running series or animating a single film of a graphic novel.

• Comics are converted episodes

What are panels?

• How do we read them?• Why are they different sizes?• Are they different shapes?• What affect does it have on

the pace of the graphic novel?

How is Text used?

• Sound effects• Speech• Titles• Expressions and

emotion

How is the story told?

• Visually• With written text• Emotions• Characters

How is colour used?

• For mood• to create atmosphere• For contrast between light and

dark• In comparison to other comics• For continuity throughout• To identify objects and

characters

What do you think about the art?

• What is it? What is it about? What is happening?

• Is it a realistic depiction?• Have any parts been exaggerated

or distorted? If so, why?• How does it tell the story?• What is the medium of the work?

(paint, pen, pencil)• What is the shading like?

TASK: Individually write about the different types of graphic novel and comic book and Use examples that we have discussed

• Comic books• Graphic novels• Comic strips• Motion comics• Digital comics• panelling,• text, • storyline, • colour• visual storytelling• The art style

You should tackle your ideas like you tackle a problem….

Creating Ideas and concepts is about thinking of ways to make what seems impossible, possible.

What is a Concept?

It is a story

A concept is a story told with two major parts:

- Content (what story you want to tell)

- Form (how you want to tell it)

In design and animation, everything is a concept. Everything tells a story.

TASK: generate ideas

• Mind map ideas for your comic book/ graphic novel

• Fill out the story outline

Concept Designing

Concepts

TASK

Design a character using one of these shapes.

Brain writing (extending ideas not criticising)

• In your groups come up with 3 ideas each (describe or sketch)

• When I say you will pass your concepts to the right and that person will add, modify or extend your ideas.

• After a few rounds we will discuss ideas

Mind map out ideas for your comic/ graphic novel

• Come up with ideas for a comic book or graphic novel

• Think about:- Characters- Type of comic/ graphic

novel- Story- Setting- Styles (dark, humour, etc)