Panel Breakouts? Highlighting Important Moments?

[digitalvalium1]

When and how do you use panel breakouts in your own work? Which panels/series/artists do you look to when you need guidance or inspiration on how to use breakouts effectively?

Feel free to share your own work, or point to specific pages of another's work that you feel is exceptional. It is easier to see than explain, after all. Well, at least it is for me. I need some... fresh visual and emotional fodder. I have a panel that's being obtuse. That's not a pun. But, you know, I suppose it could be.

[keii4ii]

Are we talking about objects breaking the panel border, or borderless panels? Or both?

[digitalvalium1]

Breaking the panel border specifically, but I'm always willing to learn and expand my repertoire.

[Ambat]

Honestly I do it as a stylistic choice pretty regularly... That might be a "taboo" or whatever but I've been liking the way it looks! If a bubble doesn't fit comfortably in the panel, I push it out of the border--if a composition looks better with a character popping out of the border, I do that as well. I don't really put a bunch of emphasis on using it as a tool of highlighting important things, but I will experiment with it in the future I'm sure!

[digitalvalium1]

Could you link your work for me please? I would appreciate it.

[Ambat]

No worries! My comic is Nocturne--I start making these choices after PG7 of CH2.

[Michelle]

They can add a cool flair to a panel, but always be careful that it doesn't interrupt the overall flow of the page. Sometimes panel breakouts can accidentally draw the reader's eye in the wrong direction and it makes for a confusing layout. But, if you use a panel breakout and that breakout leads you seamlessly to the next panel, that can be interesting.

It's a neat effect if used strategically-- like anything else, overuse makes it loses its punch.

[Shanny8]

I started out trying to keep all my dialogue & word balloons inside the panels, but occasionally, I will let a couple slip outside when it deems necessary. My last project(the Valentine's Day one) I just went bonkers with the balloon placement, not caring if it broke the panel- as long as it the page was still readable and had the flow I need it to have.

As for artwork breaking the panel- will do it from time to time when I feel I need to, but that is a device I dont go slap-happy with. Like @Michelle stated- you have to be careful or it will make a page confusing to follow.

[punkarsenic]

i guess breakouts are good for, generally, making things closer. this can be for a feeling of intimacy, or action. sometimes, ill have entire characters break out of their panel, to make them feel bigger and closer to the reader. otherwise, just breaking out a part of a character or object gives a little more life to their movement, when its needed.

[Lindsette]

I use breakouts frequently in my comic Fear Full. I do it because that's how I've always made comics. Before I started posting here I used to take my poetry and make short comics with them, and I adapted the style to help flow and make sense of my dumb poetry.
When I started making my comic I adopted the style because it grew on me. Since my comic is short stories, it translated well. For highlighting things, I just make full pages or maybe 2-3 panels. It all depends on the story you wanna tell