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The Little Book of Cartooning & Illustration: More than 50 tips and techniques for drawing characters, animals, and expressions
128Overview
- The squash and stretch principle
- Exaggerating details
- Rendering faces and expressions
- Anthropomorphizing inanimate objects
- Creating original characters
- Mastering body shapes and movement
- Writing gags and jokes
With so many tools at your disposal, why wait any longer to start animating? Get started, get drawing! The Little Book of ... series focuses on delivering fun, approachable, and interesting art instruction in a fresh, portable format. With its contemporary design, open practice pages, creative exercises, and prompts that encourage interactivity, beginning artists learn the fundamentals of their craft, often with immediate results.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781633226203 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Foster, Walter Publishing, Incorporated |
| Publication date: | 12/04/2018 |
| Series: | Little Book of ... Series |
| Pages: | 128 |
| Sales rank: | 620,736 |
| Product dimensions: | 6.70(w) x 9.40(h) x 0.50(d) |
About the Author
Clay Butler is the creator of the weekly alternative political comic strip Sidewalk Bubblegum, co-founder of Claytowne Productions documentary video production company and creator of the online PC Technology humor magazine Pctyrant (an oldie but a goodie), A darn good illustrator, cartoonist, graphic designer, web designer, concert photographer and writer, Clay has been working professionally since 1984.
Jim Campbell is a professional comic-book letterer, one-time writer (perhaps again in the future) and occasional artist—although his enthusiasm rather outstrips his actual ability. He knows more about print production than mortal man was meant to know and has scanned more images than you’ve had hot dinners. Unless you’re 90 years old.
Dan D'Addario has been drawing as far back as he can remember. It wasn't until he was in college, that one of his art instructors encouraged him to try doing caricature drawings for a High School Graduation party. He was hooked! Since then Dan has never looked back! Dan is an illustrator and caricaturist in Macomb Township, Michigan. His career spans almost 30 years as a graphic designer in the automotive field. From 1996 until 2008, Dan drew editorial cartoons for Crain's Detroit Business Magazine.
A native of the United Kingdom, cartoonist Alex Hallat has never had any art training—just a limited attention span, a love of comics, and a tendency to doodle in lectures at college. She started cartooning fulltime in 1999 and was immediately hired as the cartoonist for Brighton's daily newspaper. In 2003, Alex immigrated to New Zealand but currently lives in the leafy bayside suburb of Elwood, Melbourne in Australia. She has clients in the UK, New Zealand, and Australia and works with the American syndicate King Features, who distributes her comic strip, Arctic Circle.
Joe Oesterle is an award-winning writer and illustrator. He has worked as the Art Director of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle apparel division and performed double-duty as Art Director and Senior Editor at National Lampoon. His work has appeared on television, radio, books, magazines, and websites. Joe is especially proud of the fact that a humorous animated short he wrote, directed, and voiced has been on display at the Smithsonian Institution since 2001. Visit www.joeoportfolio.com.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
PART 1
LEARNING THE RULES
IF YOU WANT TO BREAK THE RULES, you must first know the rules. Otherwise how would you know you're breaking them? That means you'll need to learn to draw a traditional face on an oval-shaped head-because that's what the rules would have you do.
STEP 1 Draw a midline from top to bottom, dividing the faces into halves. Next draw a horizontal center line from left to right.
STEP 2 Now you will divide the lower half of the oval into thirds.
STEP 3 As you can see, these guidelines show you where to place the eyes, nose, and mouth.
STEP 4 Sketch in the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
STEP 5 Now darken and refine your facial features, and you've got yourself a very traditional drawing of a head.
YOUR TURN!
Use this template to practice drawing in facial features.
BREAKING TME RULES LET TME FUN BEGIN!
SOMETIMES A REGULAR "FOLLOW-THE-RULES" face is okay, but you didn't set out on this journey to be just okay. You want to be exceptional and stand out from the crowd! You want noses to be longer than cucumbers, mouths to be smaller than coins, and eyes to be different sizes. In the examples below, you will still use the traditional oval head shape, but you will place the features in nontraditional places. Welcome to real cartooning!
HEADS
Much of a character's personality, attitude, and feeling is captured by a simple shape. Try drawing a shape on your paper, and then see what kind of character jumps out. Try as many shapes as you can. Take a look at the many heads on pages 14-17 and note how the shapes lend themselves to certain expressions. Then use the templates on pages 18-19 to practice creating your own.
HEAD POSITION
In this illustration, you can see how rotating the head infuses energy into the character. He can be happy with one person and furious with another. His head can be tipped back with laughter, pointed downward as he grumbles, or tilted away while he sleeps. Recognizable features are built into his design, so that no matter which direction he faces, he is recognizable as the same character.
THE SQUASH & STPETCH PRINCIPLE
Early animators created the "Squash & Stretch Principle." These pioneer cartoonists realized the importance of exaggeration when conveying both motion and emotion. Notice how much emotion you're able to demonstrate by simply "rubberizing" a character's head.
BASIC EXPRESSIONS
There are a variety of expressions you can make by just drawing a few simple lines and shapes! BASIC Expressions
HAPPY
Make a smiling face, with raised eyebrows and an upturned mouth.
SCARED
Alter the size and scale of some shapes. Switch the shapes of the nose and mouth. Duplicate the shapes of the pupils for the nostrils.
DEFINING FEATURES
Practice drawing different expressions for the same character to develop the range and depth of her emotions. Choose distinguishing characteristics that stay the same to keep the character recognizable.
GRUMPY
Use the same shapes, but flip the mouth and eyebrows upside down. Point the nose down, to reinforce the frowning look.
INSECURE
Use the same shapes, but duplicate some and change the size and scale of others to create facial hair and a new expression.
EYES
The size of the whites of the eyes, pupils, and eyelids can all be modified for different expressions.
MOUTHS
There are lots of ways to draw mouths. Wobbly lines suggest embarrassment. Big white areas of teeth could suggest a huge grin or frustration, depending on whether the mouth is turned up or down.
NOSES
Noses aren't particularly key in giving away a character's emotion. Since there is a wide variety of how "cartoony" or "realistic" a character might look, a nose can take a variety of shapes. In a basic cartoon, a simple pointed line or rounded swoop is enough to suggest the character's nose. For a cartoon with a little more detail, some suggestion of the nostrils or the bridge of the nose will bring more definition to the face. Play with scale and size.
EARS
Like noses, ears are not the most important aspect of facial expression, but they are a good opportunity to further develop a character's look. Also similar to noses, there are a variety of shapes to pick from.
COMBINING EMOTIONS
PUZZLED & THINKING
A thinking expression bears similarities to surprise. One eyebrow is arched and the mouth is small and closed, with a tiny frown. The eyes are open wide, but they seem to be looking for an answer.
SKEPTICAL
Skepticism is portrayed by combining anger and disgust. The eyebrows furrow, one eye squints, and the mouth contorts.
CONTENT
Contentment is a scaled-down happy expression. Eyebrows are arched, eyelids are half closed, and a half smile begins to emerge.
INSPIRED
To illustrate inspiration, start with a happy expression dialed back a bit. Both eyebrows are arched, the smile is big, and the eyes are wide open. A raised index finger and a light bulb over the head help convey that he has a brilliant idea.
ENRAGED
These are elements of anger amped up a few notches. You can help illustrate this by drawing steam coming out of the ears and drool oozing from behind clenched teeth.
EMBARRASSED
Embarrassment is a combination of happy and sad expressions. The eyebrows bend upward, and the eyes are wide but sheepish. Shrugged shoulders, a crooked smile, and a faint blush on the face sell this expression.
HEADS & FACES STEP BY STEP
A simple shape is the blueprint for a cartoon's head and body and can suggest a character's attitude and feeling. Try as many shapes as you can; you may be surprised at the variety of characters that live in your head!
ADDING COLOR
Now use your favorite tools to give your cartoons some bold color. Remember, in cartooning, you can be as fun and crazy as you like!
WATERCOLOR
Want to mix things up? Try using a more traditional coloring method: watercolor. After choosing a general color scheme, mix up some different colors on your palette.
Watercolor Tips:
• For shadows, use less water in the pigment.
• For lighter shades, add more water to dilute the color.
BODIES Dark hatch lines. At illustrate how he "got burned" by an experiment gone wrong.
The inward-sloping back suggests movement and surprise.
SCIENTIST A banana-shaped body is perfect for this absent-minded scientist.
WAITER The desperate-to-please waiter is heightened by his exaggerated posture, tuxedo, swoop of hair, and tiny mustache.
TEEN A chili pepper shape captures the posture of this young hipster.
TODDLER By adding short and stubby legs, outstretched hands, and tilting the face at an angle, you can easily create the look of a tiny kid dashing toward something (or someone) exciting.
HANDS
Below are three different styles of hands: a traditional cartoon hand (left); a more human hand, albeit still quite cartoony (middle); and a more realistic hand (right).
The length and thickness of hands and fingers can vary depending on if the hands belong to a child, a woman, or a man.
FEET
Depending on the cartoon, feet can either be important features or just some ovals. By spending a little time and thought on the feet and footwear, you can add dimension and personality to your character.
Feet can be cartoony or realistic.
Feet in different positions vary greatly depending on how accurately you choose to render them.
You don't need to include a lot of detail to make footwear recognizable.
BODIES STEP BY STEP
BOXER Begin with a circle intersecting an inverted trapezoid. Draw lines with circles marking the joints before adding the muscles. Add details to give this boxer character.
ELDERLY MAN A boomerang shape creates a sloping back, and a simple, elongated oval becomes the head. Sketch in limbs, hat, and facial features.
SCIENTIST Draw a banana-shaped body. Draw an oval with one flat side for the head, and add arms, legs, hands, and facial features, including a beard.
WAITER Start with two abstract, curved shapes floating near each other. Then connect the shapes with a noodlelike neck, legs, and arms.
TEEN Draw a chili pepper shape for the body. Add an arm off to one side, and the tip of the chili becomes indistinct legs leaning on a wall. The top half of the chili morphs into the head.
MOM Start with a peanut-shaped body and a rounded diamond for the head adding a lima-bean-shaped baby body. Continue to add the details.
TODDLER A lima bean with a large circle on top creates the framework for a rambunctious toddler. Adding short and stubby legs, outstretched hands, and placing the face at a tilted angle creates the look of a tiny kid dashing towards something (or someone). Feature details, such as three fountainlike ponytails, an exposed belly button, and a visible tongue, help create the expression of uninhibited enthusiasm.
FRIENDLY FELLOW
STEP 1 Start by drawing a large rectangle for his torso and a big capital "D" to mark his head placement. Then draw elongated half-ovals for his sweater-wrapped arms and a bulbous shape at the end of each for hands. Draw straight lines for his legs.
ARTIST'S TIP
AS YOUR CHARACTER CONTINUES TO DEVELOP, ERASE THE OLD GUIDELINES SO THAT ONLY THE NEW ONES ARE VISIBLE. THIS HELPS KEEP YOUR DRAWINE CRISP AND CLEAN.
STEP 2 Draw a curved, kinked line through the head to mark the hairline, and then draw the ear. Map the hands at the end of each arm, using simple shapes for the palms and thumbs. On the left arm, make a curved shape for the fingers; on the right hand, draw four curved lines for the fingers. Place two ovals below each pant leg to start the boots.
STEP 3 Round out the sweater with more natural-looking folds, and soften the outlines of the pants and boots. Add curved lines on the left side of the face to create his profile. Extend the hairline on the back of the head, and add two dots to mark the eyes. Draw the cuffs and collar on the sweater. Draw contour lines around each finger line.
STEP 4 Continue adding the details. Add another curved line to the hairline to frame the face. Then draw the eyebrows. Add two curves for his eyelids, one for the underside of his nose, and another for his bottom lip. Complete the clothing outline.
STEP 5 Add the final details on his face, sweater, and boots. Then trace the pencil lines with a fine-tipped black marker.
STEP 6 Use pencils and markers to add color.
LAKE SWIMMER
STEP 1 Start with the most basic of shapes for the head and body.
STEP 2 Draw some simple shapes that suggest the hair, cheek, ear, and limbs.
STEP 3 Add another pair of stretched ovals and boxy shapes to finish marking the legs and feet. Add more detail to the hair. Then add the long curved lines that make up the rope, with the circle at the top marking the knot.
STEP 4 Add natural-looking contour lines to the figure. Curved lines create a more natural look for the arms and legs. Continue to erase old guidelines that are no longer necessary.
STEP 5 Give the branch a more woodlike appearance with some knobby bark. Next define the boy's knuckles and break up the hair into wavy clumps. Further define the eyes, mouth, and swim trunks with a few curved lines. Add a few texture lines and some leaves to the branch. Then draw in a fun pattern on the swim trunks.
STEP 6 Ink the drawing with marker, adding thicker lines for shadow.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "The Little Book of Cartooning & Illustration"
by .
Copyright © 2018 Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc..
Excerpted by permission of The Quarto Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction, 4,
Tools & Materials, 6,
Getting Started, 8,
Part 1: Learning the Rules, 9,
Breaking the Rules ... Let the Fun Begin!, 13,
Heads, 14,
Head Position, 20,
The Squash & Stretch Principle, 21,
Basic Expressions, 22,
Eyes, 23,
Mouths, 24,
Noses, 25,
Ears, 26,
Combining Emotions, 27,
Heads & Faces Step by Step, 28,
Adding Color, 32,
Bodies, 44,
Hands, 46,
Feet, 47,
Bodies Step by Step, 48,
Friendly Fellow, 54,
Lake Swimmer, 60,
Teenage Girl, 66,
Modern Woman, 72,
Part 2: Animals & Inanimate Objects, 82,
Breathing Life into Inanimate Objects, 88,
Cartoon Ape, 94,
Part 3: Scenes & Gags, 102,
Two-Panel Gag, 103,
One-Panel Gag, 110,
Part 4: Caricatures, 118,
Justin Bieber, 119,
Lady Gaga, 122,
About the Artists, 128,