The SEQA DOJO: Rhythm and Pacing

Part of the Prime Vice Studios mission is to share knowledge about the sequential art medium and encourage artists to always develop their talent. With this in mind I’ve established the Seqa Dojo™ (Short for Sequential Art Dojo).

The SEQA DOJO Web series

This web series is a continuation of the Prime Vice Studios tutorials proudly sponsored by plash’s Comic Draw app. Please enjoy, participate, and share. 

Rhythm & Pacing Tutorial

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Whether you are working directly from a writer’s script or your own notes page layout is all about rhythm and pacing. 

Effective page flow demonstrates your abilities as a good sequential artist. You are going to want to frame the action in a manner that guides the reader in a smooth way.

Setting up your page flow

Comic Page flow is about laying out a sequence of panels to convey a series of moments to  tell a story.

Think about the flow of your panels before drawing them in. Divide your page up in a rhythm that     reflects the flow of the story. Storytelling first, artistry second in sequential art.

The most important & impactful image stands out as the largest.

* After setting up the flow with the panels think about what is happening in each panel.

Consider where the reader’s eyes need to focus in each panel. Think visually first when composing. Show over tell is the best policy.

Key Take Aways

Look over your page and ask yourself:

* Is the storytelling clear?
* Does the Rhythm of the panels go with the pace of the story?
* Are there elements that need to be included or taken out?

Thank you for checking out this tutorial. I hope you’ve found it useful and inspiring. Below you’ll find a downloadable cheat sheet of this tutorial and additional resources that you can purchase.

Prime Vice Studios is available to book for private lessons and workshops.

Peace,

Loso Perez, MFA

@loscomic
@prime_vice

Book a lesson or workshop

Download Cheat Sheet

Additional Resources