STORYTELLING WITH YOUR THUMBS
Last week I wrote about my general thoughts on why thumbnails are important. So now let’s talk a little about the specifics of how I make thumbnails.
Working from Gibson's script, the first thing I do is read the whole page and note how many panels there are. This takes a step out for me in having the panels already broken out, and lucky for me, Gibson is very good at this. Occasionally I will add a panel or two for a beat, but for the most part his breakdowns are what I go by. I’d love to talk about how I do my own page/panel breakdowns in the future, but for now, let’s stick to Wuthering Heights.
After reading the page, I have an idea in my mind’s eye about the most important thing to convey in each panel, if there are any moments that need a dramatic panel, what the rhythm is, and how much space is needed for dialog. (This is very individual! Some folks find it works better to do this figuring on paper. It’s all good! but don’t forget the dialog.) Details aren’t important unless they are, that is, unless they are the Most Important Thing about the panel. This thing can be anything, an expression, where a character is in relation to their environment, an action, etc. This helps inform the size, shape and framing of the panel, but at the same time every panel must work with those around it as a page, and every page with its facing page, a spread (this is why I say thumbnails are the hardest part, at least for sheer amount of active brain work). With all this to consider, you can see why not having to fret about secondary details is essential.
Wuthering Heights thumbnails with the script pages underneath. I like to maintain momentum, so I make a lot of notes like “zoom out” and indications of details too small for thumbnailing.
I have no hard and fast rule about how I compose a page. For my process, I look at every new story as of itself, and all my decisions, though they share the style of coming from me, as bespoke to that story. But one guideline I try to follow is not to spend too long on a thumbnail. generally they take about 15-30 minutes per page. Don’t panic if yours take longer, I’ve been doing this for a while and everyone’s time will be different. It’s more of a personal goal of: is this, for me, a brief sketch? Am I avoiding rumination on small details? Am I keeping it broad and breezy?
An important part of this ”keeping it broad” process is “done is good.” For me it’s really important to maintain momentum, just as you want a story to flow, and a reader to catch that flow and not let go, don’t get stuck. I often come to frustrating pages. For these I layout as best I can, even if it’s boring, and mark it to come back to. I find it saves time to do this rather than obsess over it for hours. I get it done in 15-30 minutes, and then when I come back, things often seem crystal clear, and I redo it in the same 15-30 minutes. Same idea for simple changes like “zooming out or in” on a scene, moving figures, etc I will make a note instead of a redraw. Keep the momentum going!
And that is, in broad strokes, my process. Thanks for reading, I hope it’s offered some insight and inspiration, and maybe a newfound respect for the humble thumbnail.