1 of 66

How do I make a comic?

Just start!

NIF 2026

Now what?

Take my hand, we're going to turn this excellent piece of advice into a comic. Step-by-step!

Prompt for the beginning of the stream: what has stopped you from making a comic?

So you’ve asked your favorite comic artist how to start making a comic, and they told you "just start". Now what? Let’s take this advice and turn it into a comic!

—-

Presentation description: So you asked your favorite comic artist how to start making a comic, and they told you "just start". Now what? Take my hand, we're going to take this excellent piece of advice one step further.

I'm going to show you a step-by-step practice I use to get comics started, and show you how to transform this practice into something that helps you build sequential art skills and the habits you need to keep your comic going. You will leave this panel knowing how to get past over-thinking and self-doubting, and just start your comic!

This panel is for comic beginners, but if you're someone whose been stuck on starting a new comic this process might be for you too.

We will *not* be covering how to write a comic--folks interested in this panel are encouraged to have a story in mind already!

2 of 66

What has stopped you from making your comic?

NIF 2026

“My art’s not good enough”
“I’m afraid no one will read it”
“I don’t have enough time”
“I don’t know how to make good pages”

3 of 66

This presentation is for:

NIF 2026

beginners

Folks looking to test out new characters and stories

Anyone who feels stuck on a comic

4 of 66

This presentation is for:

It is NOT:

NIF 2026

❌

❓

❌

beginners

Folks looking to test out new characters and stories

Anyone who feels stuck on a comic

This presentation is NOT about monetization, marketing your comic, or how to write one.

Most people don’t want to go through the agony of creating a comic unless they have a story they really want to tell, so I am assuming you’ve already got one.

I originally had a note in here about how this isn't about being a good artist, which is theoretically true. Nothing you learn here will show you how to make "good" art. But I strongly believe that the process of making a comic will do so much for your artistic skills. (go look at any webcomic that’s been online for a year or more and you’ll see what I mean). So even though we're not talking about improving your art, your art will still improve if you start making a comic.

So let’s focus on what it takes to start a comic. Spoilers: it’s not a lot!

5 of 66

NIF 2026

boney hag

she/her

adult comic artist,

webcomic creator & enthusiast

🔞

@boneyhag

on bluesky

on comicfury

Been drawing webcomics on and off for about 10 years
Currently have one ongoing webcomic at 400+ pages
Just finished another that I got printed
Lots of mini comics and fan comics

6 of 66

Just start!

NIF 2026

Why is this advice so common?

You can’t learn the skills to make comics unless you start making them.

7 of 66

Just start!

NIF 2026

Demonstrate a comic-making method that makes starting a comic less intimidating
Look at examples
Set you up to leave this panel �and just start!

In this panel we will:

8 of 66

What you will need to start:

NIF 2026

A story you want to tell
Something to draw on
A little determination

9 of 66

How to start

How to start:

Get your comic script

Generally speaking, a written description of the actions and dialog taking place in your comic.

This can be as detailed or loose as you’d like.

10 of 66

How to start

How to start:

Get your comic script

Top: Am élie and Nephezeem

Middle: Neesi, me, Legré

11 of 66

NIF 2026

How to start:

Thumbnails

Thumbnails are simple layouts of your comic panels and/or pages.

They ensure the information you need on a comic page is planned out before you start.

Credit: Neesi

12 of 66

NIF 2026

How to start:

Thumbnails

Thumbnails are simple layouts of your comic panels and/or pages.

They ensure the information you need on a comic page is planned out before you start.

Source: Amélie

13 of 66

NIF 2026

How to start:

Thumbnails

Thumbnails are simple layouts of your comic panels and/or pages.

They ensure the information you need on a comic page is planned out before you start.

Source: Nephezeem

14 of 66

NIF 2026

How to start:

Thumbnails

Thumbnails are simple layouts of your comic panels and/or pages.

They ensure the information you need on a comic page is planned out before you start.

15 of 66

What to think of when doing thumbnails:

NIF 2026

How to start:

Thumbnails

Readability

Composition

Word bubble placement

16 of 66

NIF 2026

source

Line of action

Silhouettes

Screen direction

Readability

Composition

Word bubble placement

17 of 66

NIF 2026

Fibonacci spiral

Rule of thirds

Dynamic symmetry

How to start:

Thumbnails

Readability

Composition

Word bubble placement

18 of 66

NIF 2026

How to start:

Thumbnails

Readability

Composition

Word bubble placement

19 of 66

NIF 2026

source

How to start:

Thumbnails

Readability

Composition

Word bubble placement

20 of 66

Let’s make a comic!

How to start

21 of 66

Let’s make a comic!

How to start

22 of 66

3 panel method

How to start

23 of 66

Examples

24 of 66

Examples

25 of 66

Examples

26 of 66

Examples

Line of action

Readability

27 of 66

Examples

Silhouettes

Readability

28 of 66

Examples

Silhouettes

Readability

29 of 66

Examples

Screen direction

A

B

A

B

Readability

30 of 66

Examples

Composition

31 of 66

source

Flow

Word bubble placement

And then we talked about word bubble placement, so now is a good time to bring up “flow”.�

Flow is the way a reader’s eye travels throughout the page, and it’s determined by comic devices like panels and speech bubbles. Whenever you see a comic page that’s confusing to read, it’s probably because something in the flow isn’t intuitive.

You can use flow to manipulate how a page feels to a reader. On the left you can see the flow is fairly simple, running straight down the page. This can make a page feel like it’s happening faster because the eye moves less while reading it. Compare that to the page on the right, where the reader’s eye is guided all over the page.

Seeing these side by side, even though they have the same panel layout, the flow makes them read completely different.

32 of 66

33 of 66

34 of 66

How to start

Why 3 panels?

35 of 66

How to start

Why 3 panels?

Emphasis on composition and pacing

source

1

36 of 66

How to start

Why 3 panels?

Simplifies the process, letting you get started

a comic

rectangles

comic

2

37 of 66

How to start

Why 3 panels?

Get creative with constraints and problem solving

3

38 of 66

How to start

Why 3 panels?

Can apply story structures to individual pages

Setup. Something is coming.

Confrontation. The nuns are gathering, heading into the distance.

Resolution. The main character is pulled to join them.

But where are they going? Don’t you want to keep reading to find out?

example from:

The Second Safest Mountain by Otava Heikkilä

4

39 of 66

Examples

Lucifer’s Garden

Tiger, Tiger

When Death Comes, I Will Follow

40 of 66

Examples

Lucifer’s Garden

Tiger, Tiger

When Death Comes, I Will Follow

41 of 66

Examples

Lucifer’s Garden

Tiger, Tiger

When Death Comes, I Will Follow

42 of 66

Now

you have a comic!

If you’ve followed these steps then…

NIF 2026

43 of 66

How to start

Watchmen

Calvin and Hobbes

44 of 66

How to start

Goodbye, Eri

45 of 66

But boney

I wanna learn how to do cooler paneling :(

NIF 2026

46 of 66

Examples

47 of 66

Examples

48 of 66

Examples

49 of 66

Examples

50 of 66

Examples

51 of 66

How to start

In summary:

Start with the 3 panel layout and focus on your page composition
As you draw, break the mold where it would elevate your page
Remember that these are tips to get you started.

52 of 66

How to start

In summary:

Start with the 3 panel layout and focus on your page composition
As you draw, break the mold where it would elevate your page
Remember that these are tips to get you started.

53 of 66

What has stopped you from making your comic?

NIF 2026

“My art’s not good enough”
“I’m afraid no one will read it”
“I don’t have enough time”
“I don’t know how to make good pages”

54 of 66

NIF 2026

For experienced comic creators:

I use the 3 panel method when I need to get ideas across quickly, or when I want to play with art styles and characters without worrying about composing new layouts every time.

If there’s one thing you leave this presentation with, �I want it to be this:

If you start drawing your comic today, a year from now you’ll have a comic you can look back on. �If you wait until you’re “ready” to start your comic, then a year from now you might not have anything.

55 of 66

Tips

Tips & Tools

Witch Hat Atelier

⏳

Comics demand a lot of time. Be nice to yourself.

🖼

Not every panel needs to be a banger. Neither does every page.

56 of 66

Tips

Tips & Tools

Don’t start with your darling.

💀

📚

Read lots of comics!

🤝

Genuinely befriend other comic artists.

57 of 66

Tips

Tips & Tools

Finishing something is a skill you can build.

🏁

58 of 66

Tools

Tips & Tools

“Framed Ink” by Marcos Mateu-Mestre

“Making Comics” and “Understanding Comics” by

Scott McCloud

Do not feel like you need to read these before starting your comic!!

59 of 66

Tools

Tips & Tools

Blambot.com - comic fonts, most are free for independent use

Anatomy of a Storyboard

Panel layout - the golden ratio

CSP tips for webtoon drawing

How to make a doujinshi

comicsdevices.com/

Making of a webcomic (+ slides)

Do not feel like you need to read these before starting your comic!!

60 of 66

Tools

Tips & Tools

How to format, print, and bind a zine

Comic panel variation

Comic sfx library

Dynamic Symmetry

Join Cartoonists United!!

A volunteer labor organization for anyone who uses sequential art to tell stories ✨

Do not feel like you need to read these before starting your comic!!

61 of 66

Why should you make your comic?

NIF 2026

62 of 66

NIF 2026

thanks :3

1 of 66

2 of 66

3 of 66

4 of 66

5 of 66

6 of 66

7 of 66

8 of 66

9 of 66

10 of 66

11 of 66

12 of 66

13 of 66

14 of 66

15 of 66

16 of 66

17 of 66

18 of 66

19 of 66

20 of 66

21 of 66

22 of 66

23 of 66

24 of 66

25 of 66

26 of 66

27 of 66

28 of 66

29 of 66

30 of 66

31 of 66

32 of 66

33 of 66

34 of 66

35 of 66

36 of 66

37 of 66

38 of 66

39 of 66

40 of 66

41 of 66

42 of 66

43 of 66

44 of 66

45 of 66

46 of 66

47 of 66

48 of 66

49 of 66

50 of 66

51 of 66

52 of 66

53 of 66

54 of 66

55 of 66

56 of 66

57 of 66

58 of 66

59 of 66

60 of 66

61 of 66

62 of 66

63 of 66

64 of 66

65 of 66

66 of 66