According to Graphic Design: The New Basics, a frame creates the conditions to allow the audience to understand the image. Framing changes a picture and focuses an audience’s attention to the work. When framing

Pg. 55 The Near-Sighted Monkey Book Picture This By Lynda Barry

an image you can add so much to the image that enhances and builds more meaning.

In this example from Lynda Barry’s graphic novel, The Near-Sighted Monkey Book Picture This, she is using the outline of an animal which is upside down to frame the head of the dog and different types of bones for a dog. Her margins for the image is the outline of the animal and the images inside bleed out of the outline in order to change the way we see the images inside.

Also on page 55, the images surrounding the outline could be seen as an implied frames because they are separate thoughts and images that connect with the images meaning of learning how to draw and sketch which is what the overall graphic novel is trying to teach you.

Not only that but the whole page presents framing with the outside margins scaling the combined images to be one and using the purple background to focus your attention on the content of the page.  Lynda Barry uses framing in multiple ways throughout her novel, the scaling of her images are defined by the lines that encompass each of the different pieces on the page. The size and the shape of each of the frames are different but not drastically, only enough to keep the page pleasing to the reader.

Using all of the different aspects of framing, the page brings out more details that would not be seen or understood otherwise. The lines and the details that centralize your attention to a certain area enhance the overall layout.