How to Make a Comic Book Step by Step

Comic books tell bold and exciting stories with a combination of colorful characters, speech bubbles and bright colors. Creating your own comic book is a dream that many young authors and illustrators carry within them. However, creating a comic book can be done regardless of age or skill level. All you need is a love of storytelling, brave heroes and heroines and a fantastic adventure. Once you have put together your own comic book you can give copies to your friends to show them your unique comic book.Step 1Research what comic books you like. Note the style of the illustrations and what types of heroes and heroines are in these comic books. Comic books can vary widely, from futuristic space operas, to detective dramas, even to medieval adventures. Note the style of drawings and which ones seem to leap off the page at you. Strive to emulate the best parts of the comic books you love while creating your original world.

Step 2Create the characters for your comic book. Draw a blueprint for each major character so that you can use this as a reference while drawing your comic book. Create these characters using a basic frame. Draw an oval for the head, rectangle for the chest and an upside down triangle for the pelvis. Create the legs and arms with simple lines. Layer on muscles with oblong football shapes. Major muscles like the pectorals and quads can be drawn with large oval shapes. Smaller muscles like biceps and triceps can be done with smaller, more-round oval shapes.

Step 3Create the costume for your hero. Take into account what kind of hero or heroine you are creating. For instance, if your character is stealthy and lurks in shadows, then dark masks and black clothes should be used. If your character is a bold and strong hero, perhaps consider bright colors and a flashy cape.
Step 4Lay illustrations on a comic book page. These should be on pages that are 11 inches wide and 17 inches long. This will allow you to draw larger than needed and reduce the image, which will improve the quality. Lay out your comic book panels using a "Z" format that allows a reader to follow the action from left to right, diagonally left and then right. Another way to lay out a page is to start with a large picture showing a lot of action and then continue diagonally left and to the right for smaller frames that help support the main action.
Step 5Ink your pages using a black ink pen. This will help the illustrations remain crisp and highly detailed even when they are reduced in size. Place thicker lines of black wherever there is a shadow. Let each page dry completely and then carefully erase your pencil strokes with a kneaded eraser.
Step 6Color each page using art markers. Make a photocopy of your inked work before coloring the comic book to preserve a black and white copy of the book. Once the comic book is completed you can take each finalized page to any copy shop and have the book bound and printed. Keep in mind that a black and white comic book will be much cheaper to print than a color comic book.