Comics: A Visual Style for Everyone

Graphic novels and comics can be about anything, and artists can illustrate them in any style. But a few styles are quite common. We asked former Scholastic intern, recent art school graduate, and aspiring cartoonist Austin Johnson to create four illustrations showing a student driver in action, each in a different style. Which example is your favorite? And which narrative is closest to your real-life experience?

The first scene shows a teen and an adult parked safely along the curb. They are focused on the car, probably discussing what to do first. The setting, colors, and perspective are realistic. Although Johnson includes the side of a building and some plants in the background, he directs the viewer’s eye to the car’s interior. The figures’ bright shirts pop against the gray road and muted blue car. This is probably a big moment for the student driver, but everything about this scene is calm and deliberate.

Key Visual Characteristics:

• Realistic perspective
• Lifelike color palette
• Natural facial expressions and body language
• Minimal drama

In this example, the driving lesson has gone awry. Johnson presents the moment after the action in this scene. The bright colors and generic suburban street place us in Anytown, USA, making the situation feel familiar. Both characters have exaggerated facial expressions and body language as they observe the damage. In a dialogue bubble, the young girl hesitantly suggests she deserves a do-over, adding a note of humor.

Key Visual Characteristics:

• Bubbly, cartoonish illustration style
• Bright colors
• Exaggerated facial expressions and body language
• Introduction of humor

The student driving the car in this scene might just fancy himself a superhero; his terrified-looking teacher seems to disagree. Johnson uses dramatic perspective to create the illusion of speed. He exaggerates the width of the front of the car, which makes it appear to lurch out of the panel toward the viewer. To add to the scene’s intensity, Johnson depicts a gust of wind rushing through a woman’s hair and nearly blowing off a man’s hat. Red flames race after the car down the street. Johnson uses converging lines to show extreme depth, creating the sense that the driver has a long straightaway to hit the gas. Meanwhile, sound effects make it clear that the cars in the background had to slam on the breaks as the determined student driver roared past. 

Key Visual Characteristics:

• Dramatic perspective and use of space
• Vibrant color
• Exaggerated facial expressions and body language
• Sound effects