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Learn how to use visual storytelling and editing techniques to create a compelling wordless story with Jonathan Hill.

You can pick up a copy of Jonathan's book Odessa, Volume 1 from our friends at , where proceeds will help benefit The Believer and independent bookstores.

Watch the video of the livestream below, and follow these steps to make your own comic.

For this workshop, you will need something to draw with and 8 small 'panels' to draw on. You can use post-its, index cards, or a piece of paper that you cut into 8 equal pieces!

Panel 1: A character walks down the street. Think about how you can use visual details on the street to convey information .

Panel 2: The character notices a box on the ground .

Panel 3: The character opens the box.
Note: We don't want to see what's in the box! Just them opening it .

Panel 4: The character reacts to the contents of the box. They can scream, or react in whatever way you want.
Remember: We still don't want to see what's in the box!

NOW: Take eight minutes and draw two more panels . You can add them anywhere you want in the sequence, and they can be of anything you want .

Next: Draw one more panel, which can go anywhere in the story.

Finally: Set all of your panels in front of you and look at the story you've created. Which panels can you remove while still keeping the essence of the story? You can also rearrange the order of your panels!

We'd love to see what you made! Share your comic on social and tag @believermag and @oneofthejohns. This workshop was supported in part by Zappos.
contributor

contributor

Jonathan Hill is a Vietnamese American, Ignatz Award-nominated cartoonist living in Portland, Oregon. His first two graphic novels were published by First Second Books, and he has forthcoming graphic novels from Oni Press and Walker Books. He teaches comics in the Illustration Department at the Pacific Northwest College of Art and serves on the board of directors of Literary Arts.

More by Jonathan Hill

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Creating Comics Without Words with Jonathan Hill - Believer Magazine

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Learn how to use visual storytelling and editing techniques to create a compelling wordless story with Jonathan Hill. You can pick up a copy of Jonathan's book Odessa, Volume 1 from our friends at Bookshop, where proceeds will help benefit The Believer and independent bookstores.

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one of the johns - the website of Jonathan Hill, a cartoonist and illustrator living in Portland, OR.

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Over winter break, my husband, my dog and I went on an adventure for 20 days and lived in a van. We camped in the van staying outside palaces, camping in desserts, and seeing so many of the beautiful sights of India including many camel along the way!

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Two people playing poker

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Be better at drawing

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In Goa we had lots of drinks and these where one of them

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Sighting a humongous plant from a distance, looking at it through binoculars.

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Mor details

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Santa clause

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Plane crash explosion moment (yes I’m not good at digital drawing)

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Spend a lot more time drawing

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Here’s a sketch of a person throwing ashes into the ocean (its not done)

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Two people fighting at the parking place because they had conflict

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Two people having an all night call

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Mine is a made up story of a explorer (also I know he’s armless I’m not done)

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Spend some more time on it

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Put more contrast

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Make the scenery more detailed and frame on the person

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You can impress on...

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You can impress on...

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Spend some more time on it, try giving it a little more detail

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Try making the details more distinct; work on shadows.

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Give more details to my drawing.

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When I was in Jaisalmer my family and I spent the night in the dessert and rode camels which was super fun.

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A drawing that I’m in balcony.

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Try to put some more details and objects.

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Spend many times and draw slowly.

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I draw my favorite cup.