50+ Art Styles for Your Graphic Novel: Noir, Manga, Ligne Claire, Risograph and More

The short answer

Novvel offers more than 50 art styles for turning your story into a graphic novel: 25 on Starter and 50+ on Studio. They range from Noir and Manga to Watercolour, B&W Ink, Ligne Claire and Risograph, and you can preview your own story in several styles before you commit.

Six of the most popular styles

Here is how six styles change the feel of the same story. The suggestions are starting points, not rules.

• Noir: Hard shadows, rain-slick cinematic mood. Often chosen for crime, mystery and thrillers.

• Manga: Screentone shading, kinetic Japanese lines. Often chosen for action, fantasy and coming-of-age stories.

• Watercolour: Soft, painterly washes and gentle pigment. Often chosen for children's stories, memoirs and quieter literary fiction.

• B&W Ink: Bold brushwork, pure black and white drama. Often chosen for horror, historical and high-contrast drama.

• Ligne Claire: Crisp even line, flat colour — the clear-line classic. Often chosen for adventure stories and European-style albums.

• Risograph: Retro spot-colour print with halftone grain. Often chosen for indie, zine-style and retro-flavoured stories.

How to choose

• Start with your free preview. It includes three visual directions for your story, so you compare styles on your own characters rather than on samples.

• Pick from finalists matched to your story, browse the wider catalogue, or use your own reference.

• Choose once. Your style is locked for the whole book, so page 40 matches page 1.

Frequently asked questions

How many art styles does Novvel have?

More than 50. Starter includes 25 styles; Studio includes all 50+ and can set a custom style for your book.

Can I try different styles before I pay?

Yes. Your free preview includes three visual directions, so you can see your own story in different styles before choosing one.

Can I use my own reference for the style?

Yes. You can pick from ranked finalists matched to your story, browse a wider catalogue, or use your own reference.

Can I change the style halfway through?

No. Once you choose a style it stays locked for that book, so every page matches. You can order a second version of the whole book in another style; the price depends on the book's length.

Does Novvel do Ligne Claire, risograph or black-and-white ink?

Yes. All three are among Novvel's styles, alongside Noir, Manga and Watercolour.