Draw a one-page comic

Make it: A six-panel lost-key comic

Start here · 45 minutes

Gather: A4 paper, pencil, eraser, and pen

Step by step

1. Fold or rule a page into six panels. Write one beat above each: arrive, search, wrong place, clue, find key, leave.
2. Sketch tiny figures and the key before adding faces or clothes. Keep the key on the same side of the scene until it moves.
3. Put one short line of dialogue in only the panels that need it. Leave enough empty space around every balloon.
4. Ink the main shapes, then show the page to someone without explaining it. Ask which panel made them stop.
5. Redraw the confusing panel and photograph the whole page in even light.

You're done when: A new reader can explain how the character found the key by following the panels.

Next project: Tell a story without dialogue

90 minutes

1. Write a new action with a visible change, such as repairing a broken object. No speech balloons are allowed.
2. Thumbnail eight panels and vary wide, medium, and detail views to show the problem and solution.
3. Draw a complete page, using hand position and object placement to link each action across panels.
4. Show it to a reader without a title or explanation; redraw the panel where the action becomes unclear.

You're done when: A reader can follow the action and ending without words.

Course plan

1. Pick a small moment
2. Thumbnail the page
3. Stage readable action
4. Letter and ink
5. Test the story

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