#thumbnailing

PAGE ONE:

For most projects I pick a "base" panel grid for normal pages that don't need extra emphasis. For Saachi, that was a 6 panel grid. I made a digital template to drop in every page. There are easy variations that include an establishing shot (single tier on top, middle, or bottom). Shifting the gutters to give some panels more space. Occasional 3 panel tier. Dropping panel borders.

4 tiers-used for a specific character or when Saachi is uncomfortable.

9 panels- used for phone calls and hard, wordy conversations. I like to alternate characters in 9 panel grids to create a checker pattern.

In grids I also like to alternate close-ups with medium or long shots on diagonals or patter speaking characters on diagonals.

Fantasy pages! Some pages contains stories, daydreams, or poems and these break out of the grid entirely and often have no borders!

PAGE TWO:

I use a large panel on top with just two below, or two on top and one below, when introducing a new setting- big establishing shot

The fight scene gets diagonal gutters- rare.

A fairy tale gets rounded panel borders.

Sometimes I "shrink" the last panel on a page at the end of a scene to transition to a new setting. Two times I used 4 tightly packed panels in combo with border-less panels in storytelling-mode.

There are only 5 full page images in the book. First & last are in the "real world" and the middle 3 are in Saachi's "poem world"

Most used Saachi page layouts- 181 of the 253 pages fall into these 8 categories:

85- 6 panel grid but with adjusted size

52- even 6 panel grid

20- even 3 tiers

5- full page

5- even 4 tiers

5- square 4 grid

5- establishing shot either above or below an even 6 tier grid