How to Draw Comic Book Action

Comic books tell stories. Most comic books are filled with action and adventure. Even though authors tell these stories with still drawings, comic books must give the allusion of movement and action. Drawing a comic book action scene takes skill and practice. You need to draw in a way that successfully depicts movement and allows the reader to "see" the action that transpires.

Things You'll Need

• Sketchpad
• Pencils
• An active imagination

Instructions

1. Know the storyline and the reason for the action. Most successful comic book artists do more than simply draw a scene; they conceptualize a whole story. This makes an action scene more realistic.

2. Act out the scene in reality. For example, if the scene calls for a sword fight, use sticks and simulate a sword fight. Take pictures and draw sketches. Observe how the body moves during a swordfight.

3. Begin with the line of motion. If a character is jumping up, start with a line for the spine. If a character is throwing a punch, start with a line for the extended arm.

4. Sketch the scene roughly. Use stick figures. Slowly work in more defined shapes as the scene begins to form in your mind--and subsequently on the page.

5. Fill in details. If, for example, there is a broken window, add pieces of glass on the floor. Such details allow a reader to visualize the action that resulted in the window being broken. You can add pieces in the air falling to the ground to further give the allusion of a window breaking.

6. Make sure one scene follows into the next. For example, if the hero is throwing a punch at the villain in one panel, have the villain falling in the next to follow through on the movement.

Tips & Warnings

• Study various body movements to get an idea of how the body bends and stretches to perform different tasks.