Application for drawing comics on the computer. Comic software: what are they? How to create a comic strip effortlessly

I'll start from a little distance. One of my many hobbies is comics. For about the last two years I have been buying and reading the most worthwhile things that come out in Russian. Recently I started reading the legendary comic strip by Neil Gaiman "The Sandman". Now 4 volumes of this work have already been published in Russia.

But I would now like to dwell on the third. There are only 4 stories in it (usually 6-7), but as bonus materials there is a scenario of one of them. After reading it, I realized for the first time how hard and at the same time interesting work to write a comic book script. You need to fully think over the plot, describe the places of action, characters, their emotions, views, dialogues. It is necessary to tell the artist what to focus on and which details are better to be pushed into the background ... Gaiman writes that each artist also needs his own approach. The artist also has a difficult task - to bring what has been described to life!

Halftone 2 Comic Book Creator allows anyone with a tablet to be in the place of the creators of the comic. Come up with a plan and implement it right there in the program.

With Halftone 2, you can pin a friend:

Or come up with a story on the topic of the day:

Halftone 2 allows you to create albums in which pages can have unique frame arrangements in relation to each other.

You need to get used to the management. All actions are carried out through stylish panels. Although the program is in English, the interface is so friendly that even a child can figure it out.

The general principle of the program: you throw in suitable photos (or ready-made drawings), then add balloons (this is the name of the bubbles with text in comics). Callouts can be of different shapes and sizes. You can change the font, and the slope, and the size, and color, and the location of the leaders, as well as the slope of the inscriptions and even the structure of the paper ...

Almost everything that a novice comic book creator might need can be replaced ...

The comic is ready. It can be saved in video format or as a photo. If desired, pictures can be compressed into zip (or rar) on a computer, renamed to cbz (or cbr). And you will have a full-fledged file that all comic reading programs understand.

Halftone 2 has in-app purchases: collage structure upgrades, landscape format, and a sound pack (apparently for video). Purchases are optional.

Here's a comic from me, which I called: “An incident on the show What? Where? When?"..

Output: Do you like to create something new, create collages? Want to try making your own comic, greeting card, or fun collage? Halftone 2 is the app for you.

Making comics is fun and exciting. You can write an original story and breathe life into it with illustrations - what could be better! A good comic strikes readers emotionally and visually by combining great storytelling with vivid imagery. This genre allows you to show readers the characters and convey the atmosphere of the story in colorful detail. With a little thought, drafting and editing, you can create a comic that is sure to win the hearts of readers.

Steps

Brainstorm ideas

Make a plot outline. A good comic strip starts with a strong story that forms the basis of the plot. Outline the main events in the comic using a six-part plot diagram:

• Exposition. This is the intro to the comic, which includes the setting, protagonist, and conflict. For example: a young alien living in a small town falls in love with a girl of the human race.
• The tie. This is an event that changes the life of the protagonist. For example: a human girl breaks up with her human boyfriend and looks for a couple for the school disco.
• Development of action. This is where you develop characters and explore their relationships. For example: An alien starts spending time with a girl after school when she prepares for an important exam.
• The climax. This is the climax of the story, where the protagonist must make a major choice or decision. For example: an alien decides to ask a girl to dance during one of the training meetings. She agrees, and now the alien must figure out how to behave on a date at the disco.
• Curtailing action This is the moment where the protagonist faces the consequences of his decision and, as a rule, this is accompanied by action and intrigue. For example: an alien and a girl go dancing, but everyone else is hostile to them. Then the alien has to deal with an angry crowd of people chasing him and the girl at the dance.
• Interchange. This is the moment when the reader will know where the protagonist ends up, and whether he succeeded or failed in achieving his goal or desire. For example: a girl stands up for an alien and they fly away together on a flying saucer.

1. Focus on an interesting protagonist or cast of characters. Create a memorable and unique protagonist. Give him special character traits and a unique view of the world. Avoid trivial characters or those that may already be familiar to the reader.

   • For example, you can create a protagonist who was born with a secret superpower and tries to hide it from others. Or the protagonist might be an alien trying to win the heart of a person.
   • You can also focus on the composition of the characters to make the comic more meaningful (for example, add information about family or a group of friends).

2. Explore your surroundings. Choose a setting that adds depth and visual interest to the comic. Choose a slightly surreal world so that you can add landscapes that will be interesting for the reader to look at. You can also choose a familiar setting and make it a little odd or distorted.

   • For example, a comic book may take place on a planet similar to Earth, but inhabited by aliens, not people. Or you can add surreal elements to your hometown and make it a setting.

3. Choose a specific painting style. Make your comic strip stand out by choosing a drawing style that you like and do well. Manga or American comic style can be used as inspiration. Or maybe you should challenge yourself and try a new drawing style. Choose a unique style that matches your ability and vision as an artist.

   • In addition, it is worth choosing a drawing style that will not be difficult and time-consuming for you. After you've sketched the comic, you can always go back and make changes.

4. Draw a storyboard comic book. Draw small panels (from the English. panel panel - a separate picture, usually one of several others on the comic page; inside the panel there is a picture and text) on a blank sheet of paper. Then select a comic scene and draw it panel by panel. Add text to the bottom of the panels. Think about how you are going to represent the setting and characters in the scene. Then you can try storyboarding a few scenes to get a better understanding of how the comic will look on the page.

   • You can make the panels the same size or experiment with panels of different sizes.

5. Read comic book examples. To get a better understanding of the genre, read comics that have been published with great success. You can explore options with different styles to find what you like and resonate with. You can read:

   Create a draft

   1. Introduce characters and setting. The first few pages of your comic should tell the reader who and what it will be about. Start with a scene that shows the main character in action in the world around him. Or start with dialogue and images that tell the reader a little about the conflict between the protagonist and another character.

      • For example, you can start with a scene where the main character is going to school. Then you can show his alien habits and imagine the school as the main setting in the comic.

   2. Add conflict between characters. A good story revolves around opposition and tension between characters. Don't be afraid to put your main character in a difficult or confusing situation. Set a goal for him, and then put obstacles in his path so that it is difficult for him to achieve it. You may also have a conflict between the main character and his environment.

      • For example, you might think of a disagreement between the protagonist and his boss. And then show the main character coming into conflict with his boss, or even beating him with his superpower.

   3. Keep character traits consistent throughout the comic. Once you start drawing a comic, focus on a few key character traits and try to portray them in the same manner each time. From panel to panel, keep the same features of the heroes so that the comic is coherent.

      • Draw the opening panels of the comic with a pencil so you can adjust and maintain consistency as needed.
      • For example, you can come up with a characteristic hairstyle for the main character. Make sure to draw her the same or as similar as possible each time the character appears in the comic.

   4. Make the setting detailed and eye-catching. Immerse the reader in the story by adding interesting elements to the scene. Pay as much attention to the setting as to the characters. Include furnishing items. This will help build the world of the story and keep the reader's attention.

      • For example, if the setting is in an alien high school, you can add items such as flying saucer parking spots, Pretending Human textbooks, and times for different time zones in the universe.

   5. Add dialogue that will develop the character and the further course of the story. Dialogue in a comic should more reveal the speaking character to the reader. They also need to move the story forward on a plot level. Avoid casual remarks like "Hello" or "How are you?" Better to add phrases that characterize your heroes.

      • So, you can endow the main character with a catchphrase, which he will often pronounce when frightened or surprised, for example: "Damn it!" - or: "Holy alien!"
      • Some comics have very little or no dialogue. This is your comic and it's up to you to add dialogue to your characters or convey speech through illustrations.

   6. End with a denouement or a dream come true. Like any good story, your comic should end with a problem solution. As a result, the main character can get what he wants, but at the cost of something. Or he may understand something about another character and thus let go of the situation. The story needs to be closed for the reader to enjoy the ending.

      • You can add pictures to demonstrate the resolution of the conflict. Or insert a conversation between the main character and another character, where they both realized their mistakes or dealt with a misunderstanding.

   7. If your comic is part of a series, use a twisty ending. If you are writing a single issue in a comic book series about the same character or setting, leave the reader in limbo. You can end with the phrase "To be continued ..." or a picture that will show the reader that the story of the characters or the world you created is not over.

   Edit the draft

   Show the comic to others. Ask friends, family, and peers to read your draft. Get feedback from them on what they found interesting and original. Ask them if they found the illustrations fun or entertaining. Be open to constructive criticism from other people, as this will only make your work stronger.

There are a number of software applications available to enhance student creativity. Making comics can be a good way of developing fantasy, writing, constructing various dialogue situations.

Among the large number of online comic book designers, we are primarily attracted by those that recognize Russian text. Unfortunately, this problem is encountered quite often.

Other constructors may come up for "ideological reasons".

1. In my opinion, it is worth using the constructor carefully RAGEMAKER.

The frightening appearance of the "monsters" can scare off children, especially the younger grades. Although it has the ability to enter Russian text.

2. The designer has great capabilities.

Using the tools of this program, creating comics is available to anyone, regardless of artistic ability. You can set the mood for the characters, change the background, work on the gestures and facial expressions of the characters. A few clicks and your comic becomes interactive.

The features of the program are well presented in this video:

The problem with entering Russian text is solved as follows.

You must enter text edit mode and click change font... In the pop-up menu, change unicod... Then the Russian text will appear in “bubbles”.

3. WRITE COMICS is completely free software.

It has a lot of templates, backgrounds. It may well come in handy in foreign language lessons. However, Russian text does not support.

4. Professor Bill Zimmerman is a big proponent of using comics in teaching English as a foreign language.

Today the editors of the App Store have awarded the status of "App of the Week" program for creating comics "". The app will be free to download for a week.

»Makes it easy to create comics and photo collages. To do this, just select a page layout in the program, process the images with filters and effects, add captions and save the result as a multi-page file or video.

The application has more than 30 unique types of signatures, a wide selection of thematic fonts with the ability to customize them (shadows, color, location, etc.).

Images can be added to the program directly from personal photo albums on the gadget or from social networks. In addition, for greater accuracy, the background texture settings are provided, which will look like real paper.

You can also save the results of your creative research in the form of a video. To do this, the program is equipped with a set of 50 sound effects (you can buy 50 more), virtual camera movement settings and the ability to add soundtracks from your own media library. Documents can be saved in JPG, PDF, CBZ and MP4 formats.

Nowadays it is fashionable to portray everything in the form of comics. Every minute, flipping through the feed of social networks, you come across these colorful pictures. They often seem silly and uninteresting. But there are also quite witty, useful and informative ones. Since this is fashionable, then it's time to learn and master programs for creating comics.

What are they like? After all, there is an opinion that drawing on a computer is very difficult and not accessible to everyone. And this is not necessary. In special programs, comics can be created from ready-made

Creaza Cartoonist

In this program, fairly voluminous comics can be created with small means. To get started, you just need to choose a suitable template from the proposed ones or create your own. Next, the application contacts the storage of photos, which are dragged and dropped into the application. You can add text fields, any cues and graphic design to them. Drawing on a computer doesn't come in handy here. The finished comic can be saved in the computer memory or on a USB flash drive, sent to the mailbox or published in one of the social networks. The release of the update promises that Comic Life will recognize text and select the appropriate pictures.

Make beliefs comix

Create a comic

Another comic making app is Create a Comic. It looks very simple, easy to learn, and it is convenient to start acquaintance with it for young users. It contains an extensive library of all sorts of items and characters. The basis is made up of simple but well-known comic book characters. The process of creation is outrageously simple - the background is selected, after which the heroes are added. Then bubbles are inserted into which the replicas fit. The result is sent directly to social networks or to an email inbox. Since the program is free, there are some limitations: floating ad banners. The downside is the failure to work without an Internet connection.

These are the best and most convenient comic programs. Which one should you choose? It depends on the goals, amount of time and skill of the artist. Everyone will choose an application to their liking and will be able to plunge into the world of drawing comics. And if people like the work, then you can become famous and even make money on this business.