Practical starting points for comic-making: clear references, readable scenes, and an honest account of how the work was made.
Guide · 01
Build a character reference
Give yourself something concrete to compare each new panel against.
- Set down the essentials: silhouette, face, clothing, colors, and distinguishing features.
- Keep front, side, and three-quarter views together. Include details that matter in close-ups.
- Separate costume changes and different ages into clearly labeled references.
- Compare every new panel with the reference before lettering. Fix drift while it is still easy to see.
Guide · 02
Check the scene before the polish
Check character positions, actions, and background geometry across your panels.
- Sketch where the characters, entrances, and important objects are before staging the scene.
- Keep track of screen direction, eye lines, and which hand is holding what.
- Read the panels in sequence. Check whether the actions and camera changes still make sense.
- Check hands, props, clothing, and background geometry separately. Then preview the page at reading size.
Guide · 03
Make your process understandable
Describe who did what, and which tools were used.
- Say how the writing, artwork, editing, and lettering were made. These can have different answers.
- Distinguish human work, AI assistance, and generated material rather than treating them as one thing.
- Credit collaborators and describe the tools or references that materially shaped the result.
- Use the comic’s existing AI-use disclosure when publishing. A more detailed Spellbook is planned.
