OK, not really. But you have to start somewhere, right? A brief guide to what materials you need, the creative process, simple tips and techniques, and some practical ideas about how to market them.
Materials
You don't have to be Walt Disney to be a cartoonist! Just take a look at this classic from cartooning history:
That one was published in the English Magazine Punch in the 1970s, so you can see that what it takes to get published is a good idea - not necessarily a good drawing!
Some people find it much easier to draw using computers. A good graphics program will take care of lines, curves, corners and 'colorisation' for you. Computers do make drawing simpler, especially animation, but to use your whizzbang PIII 600, with 17" screen, color laser printer, touchpen, scanner and gigillion meg of memory to draw cartoons is, well, overkill.
Strangely enough, most cartooning you see in magazines and newspapers today is still done in the time honored fashion - pen and paper!
When you're getting started, everyone's a critic. So don't let anyone put you off. The best idea is to read, read, read. Immerse yourself in cartoons - cartoons in the newspapers, cartoons in the magazines, cartoon anthologies. Grab your pen and trace, copy, borrow and adapt the styles you see. And use them to develop a style that is uniquely your own.
There are as many styles out there as there are cartoonists: The Australian newspaper's Bill Leak is an accomplished portrait artist - others like the UK artist Purple Ronnie (you've probably seen his greeting cards) have made their fame drawing child like stick figures. You need to develop a style that appeals to you and suits both your drawing ability and type of humor.
Say it with a card
But you also need a goal, something to aim for with all this doodling. I suggest you start with something fun and personal - greeting cards. Instead of buying all those birthday and christmas cards this year, draw your own using cartoons you create yourself.
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Cartooning materials
The cartoons here were deliberately created using $5 worth of tools: namely white paper and a black felt pen.
So if you're getting started, grab a soft pencil, a good eraser, a black felt pen and some photocopy paper. Cool - you've got the tools of the trade!
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The creative process
Which comes first, the idea or the drawing?
Well, play around with the cartoonography kit and try for yourself. You'll see it works both ways!
If you have a funny idea rattling around your skull, it's a matter of moments to grab a pen and bring it to life. But if you're starting from the other direction it's a little harder, so here are some tips.
Pick the topic - e.g. Schools. Narrow it down - e.g. Bullying. Brainstorm a few ideas on a piece of paper before you even draw - it might go something like this (try to think laterally)...
Revenge on the bully, Revenge of the bully, Dweebs vs. Fashion Victims, Boys and Girls? Gender role reversal, What does it feel like to be a football?, The bigger they are the harder they fall, Nice guys come last, The little guy stands up for himself...
Maybe this brainstorming will be enough to get you started. If not....
Using the Cartoonography Kit, or cut-out pictures from a magazine, or doodles on a notepad, throw a few characters together in unlikely combinations and see if they relate to your topic. Sometimes the most bizarre combinations give the best results!
Here are two cartoons I came up with on this topic, using the Cartoonography Kit.
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Adding life - the eyes have it
Giving your faces the right expressions is simple - it's all in the eyes. Below is a wide range of expressions you can use:
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The key to giving your characters some life are 'wiffles', 'stinkles', 'puffles', 'whackos' and 'whooshes'. What?? See below:
Whooshes - strong lines that show where an object came from
Whackos - impact lines; something has hit hard!
Wiffles - whatever they're over, it's hot. Put a wiffle over someone's head, and they're angry
Stinkles - like wiffles, but if you add a couple of flies, then it's steamy, and smelly
Puffles - emphasis for Whackos
Steam - Puffles for the brain
The key to using these successfully, is not to use them! That is, don't overdo it. A single well placed puffle may be better than a combined whoosh whacko and wiffle!
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Marketing - the big sell
OK, you've been doodling around for a while and have an inch thick pile of cartoons. How can you get published?
Most of the advice you'll read or hear is about how to get yourself published in the mainstream media. Which is a very tight market.
But I have a suggestion for a more accessible market. Whereas there are a limited number of outlets for newspaper and magazine cartoonists - there are a million publishing houses, public relations firms, advertising firms and media consultancies small and large out there who need cartoons! Every day they're cranking out brochures, newsletters, posters, information kits, special purpose magazines and catalogues and they're usually hungry for something that can help lighten the page up a bit.
As a media consultant myself, I know I have an extra string to my bow in being able to offer my clients the bonus of a cartoon or two in their publication. If I couldn't do them myself, I would want to find someone who could. Someone who can be given a topic and a short brief, and then get back to me within two or three days with a selection of ideas to choose from.
So my advice is to compile a list of firms like those above, put your cartoons in a portfolio and go knocking on some doors! I think your chances as a beginner are much greater in this market than the ultra-competitive mass media.
If you are Australian, a good starting point (for info on which doors to knock on) is the Australian Media Guide, published by Information Australia, phone (03) 9654 2800. It's probably held at your local library. If you aren't Australian, then the web probably contains a similar resource for your country.
Good Luck!
Well, that's about it for lesson 1! I hope it has made you realise that cartooning can be simple. This site will be built on as my expertise in Web Publishing improves, so come back again soon.
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HOT TIP!
The scanner you have if you don't have a scanner...
Many of you probably don't have a scanner, so you're wondering how you can get your art into your computer or on a website. Well, there is another way!!
If you have a modem, you probably have a fax program on your computer. If you have a fax program it can probably convert an incoming fax into an image (PCX, GIF, TIF or some other format) which can be viewed and edited on a graphics program. So maybe you do have a 'scanner' after all!If you want to 'scan' images into your computer using your fax program, simply send them to your number from another fax machine. If that machine has a 'high fidelity', 'half tones' or 'high resolution' setting, all the better. Stick to simple line drawings in black and white, and you will get reasonable quality, black and white reproductions. Once they're on your machine you can play around with them, edit them, shade or colorise them.
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I hope you enjoy playing around with these sketches - with luck they'll spark your imagination in a way ordinary Clip Art can't. If you would like to get in touch with me you can do so at timslee@post3.tele.dk
This page was originally created using WEB Wizard
