Are you looking for a fun, easy way to express yourself, entertain your family, or capture a memory? Creating your own family comic strip is a great way to do just that! From learning about traditional comic strip format and artwork, to building and releasing your finished comic strip, this how-to guide will help you get started in the exciting and rewarding process of creating your own custom family comic strip.
1. Introduction to Creating a Family Comic Strip
Creating a comic strip to capture the everyday lives of your family and the shenanigans that they get up to can be incredibly rewarding. Not only is it a fun way to capture and share memories, but a family comic strip also makes for a great keepsake.
Creating a family comic strip on your own is easier than you can imagine. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:
- Digital art tools of your choice
- Pen & paper
- An energetic imagination
- Pictures of your family
Before you start, it’s always helpful to do some research into the style of comic strips you would like to emulate. Looking at your favorite cartoonist’s work and seeing how they incorporate funny puns, interesting characters and panel layouts can help give you a better understanding of the medium.
Once you have the reference materials and tools ready, it’s time to start thinking of storylines for your comic strip. What kind of comedy do you want to achieve with your strip? Do you want to shoot for a more abstract style or a realistic one? Then, start listing down ideas and amusing anecdotes that your family might have.
Finally, when it’s time to draw your comic strip, all you need is a little practice, patience, and some good old fashion creativity. Before you know it, you’ll have a unique comic strip of your own that shares special moments with your family—for decades to come!
2. Outlining the Comic’s Story
Now that you’ve determined the characters and setting of your comic, it’s time to plan out the story details!
- Start by choosing what sort of obstacles the characters will face: physical, emotional, mental, etc.
- Brainstorm ways to bring the obstacles to life in an exciting and funny way
- Write several possible storylines, and pick the one that you feel resonates most strongly
Once you’ve picked a storyline, start thinking about how the comic strip will flow from beginning to end. In your outline, it’s important to define how the plot will unfold, the key points and what will be featured in each of the comic strip’s individual panels. It also helps to divide the storyline into arcs, or chapters, that make sense. Make notes of each event that will take place, so that you know which ones you want to highlight. For example, if the comic revolves around a birthday celebration, list out the activities that will take place while also considering how to make these activities entertaining for your intended audience.
- Outline each comic strip by listing out the events that will take place in each panel
- Organize the individual comic strips into arcs or chapters based on the storyline
- Write out dialogue for each character to help bring the story to life
Creating your own family comic strip is a great way to add a little whimsy to your day, and planning out the story ahead of time helps to make sure everything comes together without major setbacks. Once you’ve outlined the story, then you can move on to designing the comic strip panels!
3. Designing the Characters
Designing your characters is an important step in creating your family comic strip. Good character design should always reflect their personalities, so start by writing down the key traits of each family member. Now it’s time to bring your characters to life!
- Construction: Decide on the size and shape of the characters, such as their height and facial features.
- Outfits: Assemble an outfit for each character that reflects their personality and lifestyle choices.
- Expressions: Add facial expressions and changes in body language to your characters to convey emotion and emphasize ideas.
The key to creating great characters is to keep them consistent. Make sure you are familiar with the “rules” for each character, such as their clothing choices, hairstyle, and mannerisms. This way, your characters will be recognizable each time they appear in the comic strip.
In order to make your characters come alive, make sure you draw them in movement and action. Even small changes, such as the tilt of the head or a crossed arm, can have a significant impact on the dynamic between your characters! Above all, have fun with the design process, and don’t be afraid to experiment with different designs.
4. Layouts, Panels, and Cell Shapes
Now it’s time to create your comic strip layout. You can use any combination of frames, panels, and cell shapes to create your comic strip.
- Layouts: You can choose from a variety of layouts available on a comic strip creator website. A layout defines the overall shape of your comic strip and you can select one that best suits your needs.
- Panels: You can create one or more panels in your comic strip. It might be helpful to use lines to separate panels or use decorative frames to differentiate them.
- Cell Shapes: You can add more visual interest to your comic strip with a variety of cell shapes. Try experimenting with ovals, circles, squares, triangles, or rectangles to create symmetrical and asymmetrical looks.
Once you have selected your layout, panels, and cell shapes, you are ready to apply your characters, backgrounds, speech bubbles, captions, and other elements to create your unique comic strip. Get creative and have fun!
5. Adding Dialogue and Captions
Dialogue and captions can make your comic strip come to life! They can be used to give context or a brief description of the character’s thoughts. Here’s how to incorporate them into your comics:
- Start by brainstorming what characters might say. Dialogue can help to advance the plot and add fun to your strip.
- Write the dialogue in thought bubbles. Thought bubbles consist of one or more ‘clouds’ coming from the character’s head, like in the Sunday comics.
- Captions are often used to provide context as well as indicate the passage of time. Captions appear outside the comic panels, and should not be confused with dialogue.
- Decide how to format the dialogue to make it stand out. Italicized fonts are often used for dialogue, as are different font sizes and colors.
Keep in mind that you can also use dialogue and captions to add some humor to your comic strip. Think about what conversations your characters might have and let these ideas guide your writing. Clear and witty dialogue can help to make your comic strip one-of-a-kind!
6. Finishing Touches
1. Add Extra Doodles or Details: You could also add some extra drawings or details to further bring to life your comic strip. Experiment with different items or figures to convey your story more aptly.
2. Colors: Colors bring your comic strip to life. A splash of color makes your story more vibrant and can add to the overall story. You can choose whatever color scheme you want – traditional black and white, retro-inspired, or colors that signify the mood or setting that you’re trying to tell.
3. Frames: To wrap up your comic strip, you can choose to add some fun frames around the edges of your plot. Have fun with it. Consider adding some bubbles, banners, or stars around the edges of your comic panels. You can always erase a details if it doesn’t go with the flow.
4. Props: Props can always help to tell a story. Consider adding a few items such as a coffee mug, one of the family members’ favorite toy, or even a favorite chair to the plot. These could help to bring about an emotion or just make your comic strip more interesting.
5. Captions: To tie everything together, you could consider adding captions, word bubbles, or sound effects to your comic strip. With these, you can emphasize a particular moment or sound in your plot.
: Finally, you could personalize your comic strip even more by adding small touches such as:
- Your family members’ names
- The place that your comic strip is taking place
- Unique elements that correspond to your family’s culture or interests
And you’re done! Congratulations and enjoy your educational and entertaining creation!
7. Making the Comic Strip Your Own
Personalize It
Now that you’ve got the basics of creating your own family comic strip, it’s time to let your creativity flow. To ensure your comic strip is truly unique,:
- Experiment with different embellishments, like speech bubbles, overlapping images, and graphic elements;
- Incorporate customized characters that represent your family members;
- Change up the colors and tones to reflect the personalities of your family members;
- Include sound effects or catchphrases to accompany your comic frames.
Above all, make sure the comic strip is reflective of your personal family humor and style. With a bit of trial and error, you’ll have an entertaining, unique strip your family will love.
Share It
Once you’ve finalized your comic strip, it’s time to share it with your loved ones. Not only are you likely to get an instant burst of proud satisfaction from creating and sharing it with family, you can also use social media or email to spread the hilarity further. However you choose to share it, you’re guaranteed to get an enthusiastic response.
Creating your own family comic strip can be an enjoyable and rewarding experience for the whole family. With the tips and tricks outlined in this guide, you should be able to get started and create your own creative comics that bring laughs and lighthearted fun to your home. Good luck and enjoy the process!