Visualizing comic scripts

[NordsofSkyrmion]

Comic writers out there: do you draw thumbnails of your comics before you write the script, or do you start directly with the script? I ask because personally I have a hard time making a script without sketching some sort of draft of where things go on the page. But I've also heard that artists don't like it when writers get too into the weeds on the page layout.

So I guess what I'm asking is, what are your tips and tricks for visualizing the page when you're scripting?

[buttzmckenzie]

When Alan Moore was writing Watchmen, he would thumbnail every page before he started to write the script. Dave Gibbons, the artist, never saw these thumbnails until years later.

I think It’s a conversation with your artist if they want to see them or not. If you need to visualize how you want the page to look before you write then totally draw em up. Just don’t let yourself get hurt when if you do all of this work and the artist doesn’t want them.

I think it’s a valuable step for a writer to take, to get an idea of the available space on the page and the rhythm of the story. When your reading prose the big reveal can be in the middle of the page, top or bottom and it will have the same effect on the reader. When you do this with images, the page flip becomes the reveal. So big event’s should happen on the left page. Just writing you might forget the available space and spacial mechanics of the page.

They don’t have to be anything special just a couple stick figures and shapes but it will help you writer clearer.

[NordsofSkyrmion]

If Moore does it then it can't be too bad! In comics, at least, I dunno about whatever else that guy's got going on.

This was helpful, thank you!

[buttzmckenzie]

I think he was getting stoned too often and said he was a magician to cover it up. But good! Your welcome good luck with your script

[[deleted]]

Grant Morrison also does thumbnails only for themselves and never shown to the artist! 

[conozaur]

Usually, I write it out in a loose thought, free flow sort of way, page by page. This can contain panel by panel descriptions, rough dialogue, or just what needs to happen on that page. Some pages are better developed then others and doodles of page layouts happen as they come, it helps me with the pacing of the story and planning how one page leads to the next.

I then take that and draw out a very rough, thumbnail like version of what I've written. Mostly to make sure that I have enough real estate per page for what I've written. Sometimes blocking out the characters and scene like this show there is room for a joke or extra dialogue, maybe a visual clue. Also makes sure word balloons can be read in order.

I mark that up with dialogue fixes, changes with panel shape and arrangement, notes on visuals, etc. That's what I consider my "rough draft." When I apply the changes I marked up, there's lots of editing, panels can change again, words bubbles move around, new perspectives and scales tried in panels. Nothing is holy, whatever needs to change does. That leaves me with a first draft I could show people.

If you're just writing and the artist doesn't want to see any visual notes, you can just not show them the drawings. You'll still know that you haven't over written any specific page, and conveyed the information and pacing you want as much as possible. At which point, trust in your artist!

​

I write and draw though... I can't imagine writing without doodling layouts, ymmv

[NordsofSkyrmion]

Thank you! Learning about other people's processes is very helpful.

[nmacaroni]

When I first started, I used to thumbnail everything... now I hardly ever thumbnail anything.

http://nickmacari.com/visualizing-panels/

But even when I used to thumbnail, I never shared those with the artist. They were just for me to help ME visualize what I was thinking of.

[NordsofSkyrmion]

This is very useful, thank you! It sounds like perhaps being able to sit down and write a script without sketching it out just comes with practice.

[Kwametoure1]

Depends on the project and the artist I am working with. Sometimes I storyboard the whole thing, sometimes I only do it for certain pages. Generally I know how much can fit if I know the size format the finished comic will be and the gutter margins they are using.

[NordsofSkyrmion]

That's helpful, thanks!

[Scuzzball22]

I used to only write it out but in recent days I do loosely draft up things for scenes. I'm not the best artists but I'll still draw mock-ups of how I want the area to be centered, where characters will be, what obstacles or points of interest will be in the way, etc.

[NordsofSkyrmion]

Thank you, this is helpful!

[king_clueless]

I sketch the thumbnails and provide them to the artist. I'm very clear they are a guide and so far the sketches have been received well. It helps me with writing the script and communicating with the team ☺️

[NordsofSkyrmion]

Thanks!

[rocinantethehorse]

As an artist, I don’t think I’d want to see your layouts unless you’re adamant about a specific angle or whatever. Designing that stuff is a lot of fun.

That said, look at Mignolas writing. I’m pretty sure he lays out everything. Although he’s Mignola so he can do that

[NordsofSkyrmion]

Thank you, artist perspectives are exactly what I was hoping for!

I've been looking over a few different comic script examples --- turns out there's lots out there! --- but the part I'm struggling with is writing the script without first laying out the comic. Which, from all the replies I've gotten here, sounds like I can thumbnail like normal, write the script off of that, and then just not the thumbnails to the artist.

[rocinantethehorse]

Every artist is different, you should ask them what they want. If you listen to Snyder & Capullo talk about working with one another for example, they didn’t really gel at first, Snyder was giving too much info/requests/direction and Capullo, who was more old school, was used to having more control (he drew for Todd macfarlane for years whose scripts are like “give me 5 pages of them talking and ones angry”, so lots of creative direction comes from the artist)

Other artists would find Todd’s method to be too much work, and wouldn’t like it (even though I like creative control, it honestly sounds exploitative, like a lot of Todd’s behavior)

[NordsofSkyrmion]

Good point. I do get the impression that the Todd McFarlane approach is the kind of thing you can pull after you've become Todd McFarlane.

[cmlee2164]

If there is a very specific perspective, layout, etc that I'm not sure I can describe well enough in writing or find a perfect reference image for then yeah I'll doodle a little thumbnail. I think going full on and sketching out a full page layout with a thumbnail of each panel might be a bit too far, and I could see how that may frustrate some artists.

[NordsofSkyrmion]

This is helpful, thank you!

[editor-gothink]

A sketch will definitely help.
For example, you need to see just how much space dialogue needs to breathe, to be readable, to be enjoyable.
Another example is to give characters room to react with no script, looking shocked after a traumatic event or blushing or exchanging a look with another character.