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What is Sequential Art?

Sequential art is a term for art forms that use images in a specific order to tell a story or communicate information. It’s most familiar in comics, manga, webtoons, and graphic novels, where panels guide the reader’s eye and build a narrative through juxtaposed images, often with text. Coined by Will Eisner, it’s about using a deliberate sequence of pictures (and sometimes words) to create meaning, movement, and emotion, making the invisible space between panels crucial to storytelling.

Images arranged in sequence tell a story.
Images arranged in sequence tell a story.
Meaning emerges between panels.
Meaning emerges between panels.
Panels, gutters, and eye flow guide reading.
Panels, gutters, and eye flow guide reading.
Juxtaposition creates context.
Juxtaposition creates context.
Comics, manga, and graphic novels use sequential art.
Comics, manga, and graphic novels use sequential art.
Text complements images: speech, narration, thought.
Text complements images: speech, narration, thought.
Webtoons flow vertically on mobile.
Webtoons flow vertically on mobile.
Plan thumbnails and pacing before drawing.
Plan thumbnails and pacing before drawing.
Closure: readers infer actions between panels.
Closure: readers infer actions between panels.
Splash pages emphasise impact.
Splash pages emphasise impact.
Panels can compress or expand time.
Panels can compress or expand time.
Different shots shape emotion.
Different shots shape emotion.
Reading direction varies by format and region.
Reading direction varies by format and region.
Transitions guide story flow.
Transitions guide story flow.
Bleed panels break the frame boundaries.
Bleed panels break the frame boundaries.
Images alone can carry the story.
Images alone can carry the story.