While I was working on this, I jotted down some notes about paneling that I noticed from reading some mangas and stuff. :V Idk, this probably won't make much sense, but.... HERE'S SOME STUFF ABOUT PANELING THAT MAY OR MAY NOT ACTUALLY BE TRUE! I'll put some "translation notes" in brackets, because why not. YEAH. Also, I made up most of this terminology (save for beat, and maybe some other things;;;) SO YEAH, yeah.
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NOTE: DESPITE ALL OF THIS, READABILITY VARIES FROM PERSON TO PERSON!! None of these are steadfast rules, and everyone has their own preference for tone in comics.
[[this was a note I left to myself at the top of the document, haha. xD]]
Last panel: somewhat dramatic, dragged out longer, has a longer time feeling to it. Can have a feeling of conclusiveness. Large last panel = a "ta dah," especially if previous panels are cut aways and last panel is a reveal.
[[Can't quite remember, but I think by "cut away," I meant panels that are of the scenery, or the camera focus is on something other than what the dialogue/characters are focused on.]]
First panel: adequate for casual "mood change" or "topic change" Can be large, adequate for dramatic suddenness since there's a slight pause between the last panel on the previous page and the first panel on the next page.
--Or, can be used as transition panel between "beat" last panel and "follow up" 2nd panel. (Not sure if this is more adequate for serious situations or not)
--If drama used in first panel, 2nd panel makes good beat panel.
[[a beat panel is a reaction panel, with no dialogue on it.]]
It's good to add long horizontal panels to break up the blockiness of the page. Maybe split the 3rd row into two, with one horizon, sometimes? Less-dramatic horizon panels in the middle. More dramatic horizon panels attached to the top or bottom of page. Bigger horizontal = more drama
[[horizontal panels are panels that are horizontal rectangles rather than squares; here, I'm talking about panels that take up the entire width of the page. I also mention rows, here. I generally divide comic pages into three rows (like here), and then break up those rows into smaller panels by adding horizontal and vertical lines. this sort of page has its rows broken up pretty much by a vertical line down the middle (which is the easiest, most basic paneling for me to do), while this page is the same set up but with a horizontal panel in the middle.]]
Several horizon panels subsequently reads like 4-koma style. Good for snappy back and forth dialogue, possibly, rather than conversational. (Adds more beat/drama in between panels.)
Good for dramatic monologe, as well. More dramatic than side by side panels.
Not sure if my paper is big enough for 4 row style.
[[Like I said, I break my pages into 3 rows. I read some comics that break the page into 4 rows and have more panels, but I think my sketchbook paper is too small for that;;;]]
Vertical rows are also useful for adding interest. Should be attached to either the top or the bottom of the page; not in the middle. As last panel, probably comes off as dramatic, but somewhat transitional. (not conclusive)
[[A vertical panel is a rectangle that's longer on the sides. I ended this page with a vertical panel.]]
Scene transitions in middle of page: Big horizontal white space. (More effective than vertical white space.)
quadrant cut into two horizontal panels adequate for choppy, comical dialogue. (Quick give and response)
[[By quadrant, I think I meant the area of one panel in a "simple paneled" page... either that, or I meant 1/4th of a page, where the page is broken into fourths by a horizontal and vertical line.]]
three panels side by side = quick read, a bit quicker than 4 koma. Keep related things in these panels, though. (Usually same face, or something; middle panel can be something different.)
[[I tried this on a couple pages: here, here, and here.]]
If a panel is not related to a speech bubble, don't let them touch it. If a panel is related to a speech bubble, the panel and bubble should touch or have the bubble inside of the panel.
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...AND THAT'S EVERYTHING I CAME UP WITH SO FAR! Yeah. Not sure how accurate any of this is, but it was fun to try and figure out why certain panel placement made me read the comic a certain way. MAYBE THIS'LL HELP YOU? MAYBE IT WON'T?
Regardless, I'm gonna go translate some Japanese reading I have, now. PEACE. >B|
