Here’s a little personal story:
Some time ago I made the video “Spontaneous Cartooning” and published it on You Tube. It’s not had a great many views yet, but I’ve not been very active in promoting it. But I did post a link to my 12 year old nephew who was living in Cambodia up until a month ago… and he loved it.
Are you stuck for something to draw, or out of funny ideas for your cartoons? Here’s a simple solution: Look up some old cartoon gags and revamp them… bring them up to date.
Is a humoristic drawing a cartoon? Does a cartoon have to be a humoristic drawing? Is there a difference between a humoristic drawing and a cartoon?
All creative processes require some level of inspiration – drawing cartoons is no exception. That inspiration can come from things you see or hear, it can come from viewing the work of others… but it can also come from within yourself – you can inspire yourself through your own achievements.
I could call myself lucky – I was born with a talent for drawing. I drew often as a child and received praise aplenty for my artworks…sometimes too much praise. But despite all the 10’s for art homework, I never received more than the expected admiration..I never received any actual tutoring or inspiration to develop my talent. By 14 years of age I’d lost all sense of interest, and turned my creative attention to photography.
When you’re creating comic characters, you don’t have to rely solely on your imagination – there are enough real ones walking around to base your drawings on.
As a cartoonist, you are not just an artist, you are also a writer, a film-maker, a director and an actor – and your film may be an animation, a comic-strip, or even just a one-scene, one-panel gag.
Do you sit behind a desk the whole day? – nine-to-five drudge, boss on your back, workload piling up, so many things to get done, and the clock’s ticking by ever-so-slowly…
Making cartoon books for yourself isn’t difficult, but it can give a huge boost to your development and confidence as a cartoonist.
