Graphic Novel Terms

speech balloon

a graphic used to show the dialogue of a particular character

thought bubble

a bubble, usually sort of cloud shaped where the thoughts of a character are expressed.

establishing shot

A shot, usually involving a distant framing, that shows the setting in a scene.

full shot

a shot that shows the whole body of the individual

medium shot

A relatively close shot, revealing the human figure from the knees or waist up.

medium close-up

frames the body from the chest up

close up

framing technique that captures the head and shoulders of the subject

extreme close-up

a framing technique that cuts off top of head and chin of subject

background

elements in the image appearing far away; provides context

midground

the part of the image somewhere between the foreground and background

foreground

the part of a work depicted as nearest to the viewer

bleed

An image that extends to and/or beyond the edge of the page

breakout/panel break

when an image extends beyond the frame of the panel

emanata

Symbols that help show character emotion

motion lines

lines that are used to represent motion or movement in a drawing

graphic weight

the use of light or dark images that make a panel appear heavier or lighter; used to draw attention

sound effects (onomatopoeia)

When sounds are spelled out in words. Ex: Crunch! Boom!

splash page

a full-page drawing in a comic book

symbols

images used to symbolize an idea

caption

the narration, typically separated from the illustration with a straight line at the top or bottom of a panel

low angle

the audience looks up at subject

straight-on angle

the audience looks directly at the subject

high angle

the audience is above the subject

bird's eye

the audience is far above the subject

Dutch angle

Tilted sideways on a horizontal line. Adds tension to static frame. Sinister/distorted view of character.

collage

an illustration that shows multiple moments occurring at once OR multiple moments across time