Writing and Illustrating the Graphic Novel: Everything You Need to Know to Create Great Graphic Works

By: Mike Chinn

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Synopsis: Dramatized sequential illustrations with dialogue—an art form once confined to production of comic strips and comic books—has recently graduated into the popular, fast-growing, and often financially rewarding genre of the graphic novel. Writing and Illustrating the Graphic Novel is an authoritative instruction manual suitable for formal art class or for self teaching on the part of ambitious self-starters. Beginners who have artistic and storytelling aptitudes learn the basics of graphic novel creation, from first conception of a story idea to publication of a professionally produced book. An introductory chapter describes the widely differing graphic novel sub-genres and the appropriate styles for each. They include superhero, gothic tale, adventure/action story, sci-fi, crime story, and literary fiction. A succeeding chapter discusses and shows examples of picture panels, speech bubbles, layout, and characterization of works in progress. Subsequent chapters offer advice on finding inspiration for stories and explanation of the technique of writing for graphic novels. A variety of illustration and layout styles are shown with reference to ways in which each fits a different sub-genre. A final chapter presents practical tips on getting a graphic novel published. More than 400 illustrations take students step-by-step through the process of creating a graphic novel.