How to Make a Stick Figure Storyboard (Template and Example)
How it works: split your story into beats, draw one panel per beat with simple stick figures, choose a shot size for each panel (wide, medium, or close-up), and write the action and dialogue underneath. Arrows show movement. That is a complete storyboard, and no drawing skill is required.
Professional studios storyboard with rough sketches for a reason: the goal is to test the story, not the art. Stick figures are the fastest way to do that for YouTube videos, short films, animations, ads, comics, and class projects.
Stick Figure Storyboard Example
Here is a six-panel storyboard for a tiny story: someone loses their keys, searches, and finds them in the last place they look.
Notice how little drawing it takes. Each panel has one job, the shot size changes to control attention, and the caption explains what the picture cannot.
How to Storyboard With Stick Figures in 6 Steps
- Write the beats. List each moment of the story in one sentence. One beat becomes one panel.
- Pick a shot size per panel. Use the table below. Changing shot sizes keeps a sequence from feeling flat.
- Draw the figures. Circle heads and line bodies are enough. Use a bigger head for close-ups and tiny figures for wide shots.
- Show action with poses and arrows. Bent knees for running, a raised arm for pointing, and arrows for movement or camera moves.
- Write notes under each panel. Action, dialogue, sound, and rough duration.
- Read it aloud. Flip through the panels while reading the script. If something is confusing now, it will be confusing in the final video.
Storyboard Shot Types for Stick Figures
| Shot | How to draw it | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Wide shot | Small figure, lots of background | Showing where the scene happens or a character feeling alone |
| Medium shot | Figure fills about half the panel | Conversations and most actions |
| Close-up | Only the head or a hand fills the panel | Emotions, reactions, and important objects |
| Over-the-shoulder | Back of one head in the corner, second figure facing you | Dialogue between two characters |
| Low or high angle | Draw the figure from below (looks big) or above (looks small) | Power, threat, or vulnerability |
Free Stick Figure Storyboard Template
Draw a grid like this on paper or in any slide app. Six panels per page is a good size for quick sketches.
| Panel # | Sketch | Shot | Action / dialogue | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wide | 3s | ||
| 2 | Medium | 4s | ||
| 3 | Close-up | 2s |
Turn the Storyboard Into an Animatic
Once the panels work, make an animatic: put each panel on a video timeline with a draft voiceover and play it back. For cleaner panels, build your main characters in the stick figure maker, export expression variants such as Neutral, Shocked, and Happy as transparent PNGs, and place them over simple backgrounds. This is often good enough to show a client or test pacing before full animation.
If you are making a YouTube video, the stick figure YouTube workflow covers the editing steps that come next.
Common Storyboarding Mistakes
- Too much detail. If you spend more than a minute on a panel, you are drawing, not storyboarding.
- Every panel the same shot. Mix wide, medium, and close-ups.
- Characters swapping sides. Keep each character on the same side of the frame during a conversation so viewers stay oriented.
- No notes. A panel without action or dialogue notes is hard for anyone else to read.
FAQ
Do I need to draw well to make a storyboard?
No. Storyboards only need to be readable. Stick figures with clear poses and short notes are standard practice for planning.
How many panels should a storyboard have?
Roughly one panel per shot or per major change on screen. A one-minute explainer often needs 10 to 20 panels.
What is the difference between a storyboard and an animatic?
A storyboard is the set of still panels. An animatic puts those panels on a timeline with sound to test timing.
Want cleaner characters for your boards? Make your stick figure cast free and export transparent PNGs for every expression.