Speech bubbles and other such times

In comics there are four main forms of lettering that take place.

1.       Speech bubbles – shows what people are saying. Often straight lined balloons.

2.       Thought bubbles – shows what people are thinking. Often cloud shaped balloons.

3.       Narrative boxes – Help tell the story. Often caption shaped boxes in the top left sections of panels.

4.       Lettering – the sound effects. Come in a wide range of forms and covered in a later post.

The composition of speech bubbles is covered in an earlier post. This is just about some tips.

To make speech bubbles and other lettering you should really follow this process:

1.       Work out where the speech bubbles and other forms of lettering will go on the panel.

2.       Type the writing to fit in the panel how you have planned it. (Then print it)

3.       Draw the speech bubble around the lettering.

4.       Cut the speech bubble out and glue onto your comic once you have finished either the inking or colouring stage. Ensure the speech/thought/narrative sections are straight.

This will make your graphic novel look tidier, more professional and will be easier to follow.

Look at this example below and you can clearly see how the speech bubbles and narrative boxes were placed after the inking had been completed, allowing them to be laid over the drawings.

You can use speech bubbles in creative ways. You should also consider the font and how this can further convey the tone, feeling, pace and volume of the dialogue. As demonstrated here:

You can also be quite creative in omitting speech bubbles, thought bubbles or narrative captions and using the placement of the words within the image to help convey ideas: