A successive sequence of panels or gutters that expand in size, to slow down pacing or evoke a specific effect.
Panel expansion
Succeeding panels become smaller in size (height and/or width).
Expanding panels produce particular evocative affects. Often it increases the sense of scale, shows off more background ane evoke , among other outcomes.
Panels expand as the animal shelter character releases a feral cat, representing its newfound freedom.
A character reaches out for an apple. The panel expands and the gutter contracts to accommodate her attempt for the apple, but it’s not enough to reach it. There is an alternative solution to the layout for this sequence.
Gutter expansion
Succeeding gutters become larger, sometimes to the point of panels becoming divorced from each other, or swallowed into the edges of the page/screen.
Contracting gutters slows down pace. Time moves slower, progressing towards asynchronity.
Childhood friends drift apart. The gutter expands to represent their growing physical and emotional distance.
-
- Childhood
-
- Pre-teen
-
- Teen
-
- Late teen
A Note on Gutter Size:
Gutter size often determines a panel’s relation to each other and therefore, the flow, especially in manga. The closer two sets of panels are, the stronger is their relationship. The panel with the smallest distance from the previous panel is the one that should be read next.
Pay attention to how Panel 1’s gutter is closer to Panel 2, Panel 2 to 3, Panel 3 to 4, working together with the art and speech bubbles to subtly guide the reading flow.
