Composition and framing: where to place the subject and how to frame it

The rule of thirds

1. Step 1A grid of nine

   Mentally split your frame into three, in width and in height. You get four lines and four crossing points.

2. Step 2The subject on a strong point

   Put the face or the important element on one of the four points rather than in the center. The image breathes and feels more alive.

3. Step 3The horizon on a third

   Put the horizon line on the top or bottom third, never in the middle: otherwise the frame looks cut in half.

4. Step 4Room in front of the gaze

   Leave more room on the side the character looks or moves toward. Pressed against the edge they face, they seem stuck.

Shot sizes

• Wide shot: the whole setting, the characters small. To set a scene.
• Full shot: the whole character, head to toe. To show a pose or an action.
• Medium shot: from the head to the waist. The dialogue shot.
• Close-up: the face. For an emotion.
• Extreme close-up: an eye, a hand, a detail. For a moment of tension.

Guiding the eye

1. Step 1Contrast attracts

   The eye goes first to where the contrast is strongest: a light face on a dark background, a black spot in a light setting.

2. Step 2Lines that point

   Background lines, an outstretched arm, a gaze: everything that points leads the eye. Make them converge on your subject.

3. Step 3Less detail around

   Keep the detail on the subject and simplify the rest. A busy background steals the attention.

Studying a pro's panel

Mangaka learn by taking apart other artists' work. A pro's panel is a free composition lesson.

1. Step 1Find the subject

   What does the panel want to show? A face, a gesture, a place? Write it down in one word.

2. Step 2Trace the structure

   On a layer or a copy, trace the horizon, the main lines and the grid of thirds in a few strokes. See where the subject falls.

3. Step 3Find the values

   Fill the big areas in three tones: white, gray, black. You'll see how the contrast leads the eye.

4. Step 4Redo it differently

   Redraw the panel changing a single thing: the shot, the angle or where the subject sits. Compare what you lose and what you gain.

The coach's tips

• Make three small thumbnails before each illustration, with three different compositions, and keep the best one.
• Flip your drawing horizontally: an unbalanced composition jumps out.
• When a character is cut by the edge of the frame, cut between two joints, mid-thigh or mid-arm, never right at the knee or the wrist.
• Avoid tangents: two contours that just barely touch are confusing. Overlap them clearly or move them apart.
• Before tracing a character in the app, decide on its final framing: full shot, medium shot or close-up.

Practice right now

Once the lesson is read, draw this exercise: it takes about 15 minutes.