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Graphic Novel Vocabulary
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Caption
Boxes containing text which provide narration, background information, or characters' thoughts.
Coloring
The process of adding color to the comic artwork.
Gutter
The space between panels.
Bleed
When a panel or image runs off the edge of the page, leaving no border.
Frame
The lines and borders that contain the graphics and text in a panel.
Close-up
A panel that shows a tight view of a character, typically focusing on the face.
Zigzag
A line of small angles, pointing in various directions, used to represent movement, shaking, or vibration.
Montage
A sequence of pictures that collapses time and space to convey a lot of information quickly.
Splash
A large, often full-page illustration which can contain little to no text.
Establishing shot
A panel that sets up a particular scene by showing the relationship between its important figures and objects.
Speech balloon
Graphic containers for characters' dialogue.
Narrative box
Rectangular areas, usually at the top or bottom of a panel, that provide the reader with information.
Background
The part of a panel or scene represented as being at the furthest distance from the viewer.
Sound effect
Text that represents an auditory experience in the narrative.
Foreground
The part of a comic panel that seems closest to the viewer.
Page layout
The way in which panels, images, and text are arranged on the page.
Manga
Comics or graphic novels created in Japan, conforming to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century.
Crosshatching
A shading technique that uses fine parallel lines drawn closely together to create the illusion of shade or texture.
Penciling
The process of sketching the initial drawings in a comic book.
Splash Panel
A large, often full-page panel that contains a single image; similar to a splash page but smaller.
Midground
The part of a panel or scene situated between the foreground and background.
Panel
A distinct segment of the comic, containing a combination of image and text in endless variety.
Thought bubble
A type of speech balloon used to convey the thoughts of a character.
Transition
The process of reading from one panel to the next.
Silhouette
An image of a person, an object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single color, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject.
Inking
The process of applying ink over pencil sketches to finalize the artwork.
Lettering
The process of creating the comic's text and dialogue within the artwork.
Graphic weight
A term that refers to the way some images draw the eye more than others.
Splash Page
A full-page drawing in a comic book.
Emanata
Lines and symbols that emanate outwards from cartoon characters to show emotion or state of being.
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