How to be Your Own Storyboard Artist

How to Create Your Own Storyboards

So you’re looking to make a video and need to hire a storyboard artist? Don’t worry – we can help. Nowadays with the benefits or modern technology it’s easy to create your own storyboards whether or not you’re a gifted artist. This is great because there are many advantages to being your own storyboard artist including:

• Saving Money: Hiring a storyboard artist can cost anywhere from $50/hour to $200/hour (or more). If you hire an artist, you’ll want them to take their time, and show you a few examples. After all their hours of hard work is added up, it can take a big chunk out of your budget, leaving less for the actual video production. Being your own storyboard artist simply requires a subscription to Storyboard That which starts at only $14.99/month.


• Saving Time: Hiring a storyboard artist is extremely time-consuming. First, having to view multiple artists online, check out their work, and then decide which one is best takes away a considerable amount of time from your video marketing project. Then, actually going back and forth with the artist explaining your vision and reviewing their work can take weeks, or even months. Being your own storyboard artist eliminates both of these steps entirely and allows more time to create the video.


• Perfecting Your Video: Even after spending the time and money hiring a storyboard artist, their work could still disappoint you or not match your video vision at all. It can be extremely difficult to communicate your exact vision to the storyboard artist so they are able to put your thoughts into pictures; but when you’re your own storyboard artist, you won’t have to worry about this. You know your vision and with Storyboard That you can easily create and edit a storyboard that lines up perfectly with the goals of your marketing video.

I know what you’re thinking now – “this all sounds great, but I don’t know the first thing about making a storyboard!”


Don’t Worry – Storyboard That does all the work for you!

Storyboard That provides already completed artwork and all you have to do is simply drag and drop your characters and scenes into the blank cells. Storyboarding has never been easier, and to make it even simpler here are three cool tricks to make your storyboards look professional.




Adding Depth

The goal of your storyboard is to have each frame captivate the feeling of what the final product will look like, and an easy way to do that is by making each cell appear three dimensional. Adding depth into your scenes is a simple trick that goes a long way in making your storyboards seem more professional. Here’s how you do it:

Simply crop your character and move them to the front of the cell. Then layer them so they are the first object to appear. Here is an example of a scene with no depth vs. a scene that has depth.



Depth

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Adding Filters and Effects




Another cool trick to make your storyboards seem more professional and to make them stand out is to explore our options for filters and effects. Adding a filter or an effect to a scene is a simple one click edit that changes the feel of your storyboard entirely. All scenes can be filtered by clicking the “Filters” option when the scene is highlighted. Feel free to test out a few effects and see which one fits best. Here are some examples of how adding filters and effects can convey certain moods:



Filters and Effects

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Changing Character Positioning

Lastly, a cool and easy trick to make your storyboards seem more professional is to edit your characters positioning so their emotion is clear to the viewer. Storyboard That makes is very easy to edit any of our characters' poses:

Simply choose a character, drag them down to the cell, and click “Edit Pose”.

This allows you to edit which way the character is facing, their leg and arm positioning, and their facial expression. Here is an example of ineffective character posing vs. effective character posing. You can also give it a try yourself and create your own storyboard!

Effective Character Posing Storyboard

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Congratulations! You’re now ready to be your own storyboard artist! Start creating your own storyboards here or use some of our video marketing templates to help you get started.

How Tos about How to be Your Own Storyboard Artist

1

How can I use storyboards to plan a lesson or classroom activity?

Create a visual outline for your lesson by sketching key scenes or steps in a storyboard. This helps organize content, clarify objectives, and engage students with a clear structure.

2

Choose a topic or activity for your storyboard.

Select a lesson, project, or story you want students to explore visually. Pick something with multiple steps or stages for the best results.

3

Break your lesson or activity into main steps or scenes.

of your lesson as a separate scene. These could be instructions, discussion points, or moments in a story.

4

Sketch each step in a storyboard frame.

to fill each cell with visuals, characters, and props that represent each step. Simple stick figures or icons work great!

5

Share and discuss your storyboard with students.

at the start of the lesson. Invite students to predict, ask questions, and follow along as you move through each scene.

Frequently Asked Questions about How to be Your Own Storyboard Artist

How can I create my own storyboard if I'm not an artist?

Creating your own storyboard is easy with tools like Storyboard That, which provide drag-and-drop characters, scenes, and ready-made artwork. You don't need drawing skills—just arrange elements and edit poses to bring your story to life.

What are the benefits of making your own storyboard for a video?

The main benefits include saving money on hiring artists, saving time since you control the process, and ensuring your vision matches the final product. You can easily edit and perfect your storyboard as you go.

What tricks can I use to make my storyboard look more professional?

Use these three tricks: add depth by layering characters, apply filters and effects to set the mood, and edit character poses for clear emotion and action. These techniques quickly elevate your storyboard’s quality.

Is it faster to make your own storyboard or hire a storyboard artist?

Making your own storyboard is usually much faster. You skip the time-consuming process of searching, hiring, and communicating with an artist. Online storyboard tools let you start and finish your project on your own schedule.

What is Storyboard That and how does it help teachers create storyboards?

Storyboard That is an online storyboard creator with pre-made characters, scenes, and easy editing features. Teachers can quickly build visual stories for lessons without needing artistic skills, making it perfect for classroom use.