Comics as a Tool for Visual Storytelling and Expression

Comics help convey a narrative through time, space, emotion, and rhythm

Comics have existed as a tool for visual storytelling for many years. They are used for entertainment as well as educational purposes. It is interesting how comics function — telling stories through a collection of panels, all arranged sequentially and purposefully, to guide the readers' eye across the page, and by doing so, visually narrating the story to them.

Apart from standard guidelines, comics don't have a particularly established style or format. It all depends on the artist who decides how to lay out panels, whether to add colour, or even text, to tell a story.

For example, Western comics often use vibrant colours in their pages, still or dynamic panels, and familiar styling of speech bubbles and lettering. This is evident in many popular comics of today that are published in the US, and even in countries such as India.

In the example below, taken from Archie Sonic Comics, the panels follow a layout concerning the placement of the characters Sonic, Sally, and Mighty.

Page from Sonic the Hegdehog #266 (Archie Comics)

The first panel drives the reader forward with the placement of Sonic in the front, and the blue background behind him guides the reader's attention to Sonic, who is also blue, as he is leading the scene within this particular panel. Although it is not directly implied, the horizontal background behind these characters gives the sense of a forward motion leading to Sonic, with Mighty following close behind Sonic and Sally taking the end.

The reader then, through the careful placement of the speech bubbles, is led to the next panel where Sonic takes the background. The speech bubble placement guides the reader to Mighty the Armadillo, who takes the lead in this second panel. The landscape panel was perhaps chosen to accommodate all three characters, and also to complement the first panel.

The last three panels are similar in size and style. Events in the near past have been faded out to denote to the reader that it is from another time, and focus is brought upon relevant characters. 

Point to note: When deciding on the placement of characters within a panel, always consider their importance in that section of the narrative. Emphasize them accordingly.

The last panel brings the reader's attention back to Mighty (who is present in the happenings on this particular page and time), thereby making it clear to them that the flashback is nearing its end.

On the other hand, we have Japanese Comics, known as Manga, that don't use colour. They use dynamic panel layouts and even lettering, and make unique use of the white space available to convey the visual narrative. Overall, they follow a more minimalistic art style. In the example below, taken from the manga Horimiya, we can see how the artist made use of white space to convey emotion and rhythm to the reader.

Page from Horimiya by HERO and Daisuke Hagiwara (Square Enix)

The first panel shows the heroine (Hori) clasping hands with Miyamura (the hero). The subtle addition of artistic elements, the focus on the two hands with no other elements present, and also no visible panel borders, conveys the feeling of something important and precious, lasting and memorable. It makes the reader focus on those hands alone and nothing else, thereby making them understand how important his relationship with Hori is to Miyamura, and how she has changed him.

Another point to note is that the text "You made it all disappear" is relevant to the image drawn by the artist. If we look carefully, it is Hori's hand that is holding Miyamura's, not the other way around, thus making it visually clear to the reader that Hori's connection to Miyamura made something from his past disappear.

This panel then leads the reader's eye to the next one, a point in time from the past captured by the artist. The subtle use of a gradient helps denote the rhythmic feeling that this scene in the panel is indeed taken from an earlier issue, thereby taking the reader down Miyamura's memory lane.

I particularly love how the last panel has been encapsulated by two pieces of text on either side.

This again drives the reader's attention to a smiling Hori pictured in the panel. She is framed by those pieces of text, and it gives the impression of how some photographs have memorable text printed or written beside them. Similarly, Miyamura is framing his affectionate thoughts around Hori, and this artistic decision taken by the artist makes us understand how important she is to him. 

The white space surrounding the panel is provided to imply to the reader that they are reading Miyamura's thoughts as he is solely focused on Hori and nothing else, as he recounts what Hori did for him from the time they first met, and of him wondering if he has done anything for her in return. If they were contained within a speech bubble, perhaps the effect wouldn't have been the same, as it would mean they are detached from the frame in the center.

Moreover, if the artist had omitted the white space around the text by adding other artistic elements within these panels on either side, the reader's focus would have wandered off to those other details, which would have caused them to miss the tenderness of the character's (Miyamura's) thoughts.

Overall, this page from Horimiya follows a gentle rhythmic structure in narrative storytelling. The use of white space, the subtle addition of artistic elements, and the framing of panels with text is unique and visually engaging. The thoughts and feelings of Miyamura are not just read and seen, but also felt. The reader understands what Miyamura feels, and is drawn to know more by turning the page.

Final thoughts

Comics serve as a visual medium to not only convey the story artistically, but also empathetically. Reader engagement with the story and their connection with the characters is amplified when the characters' feelings, thoughts, and emotions are captured brilliantly through sequential art. This can be attained through the careful and intentional placement of panels and text, followed by the purposeful arrangement of artistic elements within those panels. The use of white space can also drive meaning when done carefully.

When planning the layout of panels and the arrangement of text in comics, it is important to think critically about your artistic decisions. Why did I draw this panel this way? Why place it here and not there? What impression am I passing onto the reader? Does my panel and text arrangement help convey my story and the character's emotions correctly to the reader?

Remember: We as comic book artists are drawing for the reader. If the reader doesn't understand what you are trying to convey through your comic, then we must try harder.

Your turn

Are there any comics whose panel layouts have particularly struck you? Any artists you know who employ dynamic visual layouts for optimal narrative experience?

Comment down below to let me know your thoughts. Also, if you think I have made any mistake, or want to add more information to what I've interpreted, let me know in the comments 😄