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OV E R V I E W
Unlike other forms of illustration (by this I mean narrative picture making) the comic cover is less
about telling a story and more about iconic imagery. You are generally telling less of a story than
trying to tap into something more primal. For me the goal is to conjure a form of modern mythology,
the characters should appear larger than life. To this end the artist should start with a powerful design,
The Thumbnail. The Thumbnail is less about coming up with one good idea, and more about
eliminating all the stale, boring, and even just bad ideas, then draw the one that is left. Idea generation
that is the name of the game. Sketch everything that comes to mind, and the one that turns you into a
a 12 year old boy again is the winner!

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

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MATERIALS

* Regular bond “printer” paper

* Graphite “sketching” pencil : B or 2B
* Kneaded eraser
* Black marker and straight edge for final cropping

SUGGESTED READING
- TIP -
* Rockwell on Rockwell: How I make a picture
Treat thumbnails as
Norman Rockwell
more of a design prob-
lem. Do not get too
* Picture This: How Pictures Work
caught up in drawing.
Molly Bang
Think shape and compo-
sition.
* Creative Illustration
Andrew Loomis

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

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When I sit down to come up with a new idea I am intimidated every time. I don’t think I have
ever just sat down and come up with a great idea. It is more common for me to beat my head
against the wall until the good ideas are forced from my head. There is no science to it really,
but there is a method to getting started, that is what I will cover here. When I sit down to
sketch thumbnails I am frozen with fear and need something to break down that wall. One
good way to do this is “Alpha-numerics” or basically just taking letter and/or numbers and
turning them into compositions. Sometimes these yield interesting results, but more often they
are just a good way to get the juices flowing. This method is particularly useful in the field of
comic or pulp covers because of the importance of iconic imagery. I doesn’t get much more
iconic than simple letters and numbers.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com
 PA I N T E D C O M I C C O V E R :
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- TIP -
The more characteristics your
design elements have in
common the more your com-
position will convey a sense of
calm or serenity. The more
these shapes differ the more
conflict will be created. If this
is pushed too far however
chaos will be created and the
design will fall apart.
a. b.

Some other methods I use to break down barriers are “shape juxtaposition” and “patterning”.
By shape juxtaposition I mean using contrasting or complimenting shapes to create harmony
and diversity. You may use interlocking shapes to create a harmonious pattern, such as parallel
lines or interlocking triangles. In the case of this image harmony is not my goal, it is conflict.
After all what brings out the hero more than a good conflict. To this end I used conflicting
shapes (a. circle vs. triangle) and converging or radiating lines (b.) this creates a more energetic
or frenetic pattern, that still brings order to the chaos.

Preserving the Traditions of the Masters

© Watts Atelier of the Arts, LLC, 2013 www.wattsatelier.com