Humongous Book of Cartooning Read online

  Copyright © 2009 by Christopher Hart

  All rights reserved.

  Published in the United States by Watson-Guptill Publications, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

  www.crownpublishing.com | www.watsonguptill.com

  WATSON-GUPTILL is a registered trademark and the WG and Horse designs are trademarks of Random House, Inc.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data: 2009927070

  eISBN: 978-0-8230-8558-3

  v3.1

  SPECIAL THANKS TO

  Lauren Shakely

  Candace Raney

  Victoria Craven

  James Waller

  Brian Phair

  Autumn Kindelspire

  And, of course,

  YOU, THE READER!

  —Chris

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Acknowledgments

  From the Author

  Drawing Cartoon Characters’ Heads

  Drawing the Facial Features

  Drawing the Entire Figure

  Designing a Character

  Costuming a Character

  Conveying Body Language

  Designing Basic Layouts

  Special Characters: Robots

  Special Characters: Animals

  Special Characters: Fantasy Creatures

  Index

  FROM THE AUTHOR

  Do you enjoy drawing, but are frustrated that you aren’t getting to the next level? Would you like to improve your drawing skills? That’s exactly what this book is designed to help you do. It will give you practical insights into cartooning that you can apply immediately to your drawings, so that you can see results right away.

  Humongous Book of Cartooning is more than your average tutorial. It’s like having a personal mentor by your side while you draw. In this book, I cover professional techniques that I have personally distilled over my years in cartooning into easy-to-grasp lessons. I have filled the book from beginning to end with scores of tips, which will give you a clear understanding of the techniques I use. As a result, you’ll find that you can begin drawing with a professional flair from the very first chapter. What a thrill it will be to see your cartoons spring to life and surpass even your own expectations! I think you’ll get a real kick out of it.

  There’s a great deal value in being able to successfully recreate the images in this book. After all, many cartoonists make a handsome living drawing characters that have been designed by other people. Whether they work on comic books, animated TV shows, or animated films, virtually all cartoonists begin their professional careers by drawing other people’s characters. If, however, your goal is to create something totally original, learning to draw the characters in this book will teach you all the principles you need to get started on the right track.

  This book covers the widest spectrum of subjects, from cartoon people to cartoon animals, funny robots, costumes, layout, backgrounds, fantasy creatures, expressions, drawing action, and more.

  Everyone needs a little encouragement. I got it when I was still a high school student, by attending some life drawing classes taught by animators at the Cartoonist’s Union in North Hollywood, California. I was well situated, living in the film capital of the world, but I was also ambitious. I sought out mentors in the form of animation directors and producers who looked over my portfolio and gave me advice along the way. You may not live in Los Angeles or have any contacts in the cartooning and animation world. Not to worry—because we’re about to level the playing field, or actually tilt it in your favor. In these pages, you’ll get all the information that I had when I was starting out—and more. It’s my way of giving something back, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to do so.

  I’m delighted to have you on board.

  Onward!

  1

  Drawing Cartoon Characters’ Heads

  The basis for drawing a cartoon character’s head isn’t the eyes, or the mouth, or any particular facial feature. It’s the shape of the head itself—the outline. A circle is the most basic head shape, but it’s only one of many. The head can be stretched, adjusted, or cut off to create funny forms. That’s why cartoonists begin by drawing the basic head shape first. It dictates where the features should go.

  Give the head shape some thought. Put as much creative juice into drawing the shape of the head as you would, for instance, into drawing of the character’s eyes. Too often, beginning artists focus exclusively on the features. This is a mistake—but not one that you’re going to make!

  NINE BASIC HEAD SHAPES

  By using and modifying nine simple shapes, you can draw just about any type of cartoon character’s head. We’re going to see how each shape can be turned into a lively character in only a few steps. Here are the nine basic shapes.

  Circle (Squirrel)

  Circles work equally well for people and animals, but notice how a round shape makes a character—human or animal—look young, cute, or retro (or a combination of all three). Place the features on a circular face symmetrically. The lower you move the features on the circle, the cuter the character will be. (A tiny muzzle is necessary for “cuteness.”)

  Bump-out Shape (Bear Cub)

  The bump-out shape greatly exaggerates the prominence of the cheek and can therefore make a cute character even cuter. It also widens the face, giving the character greater presence. It’s mainly used for human characters but can also be applied to animals, as with this bear cub. The bump-out should always appear low on the face, and it always occurs on the cheek on the far side of the face.

  Rounded Triangle (Teenage Guy)

  This idealized head shape, wide at the top and narrow at the chin, works mainly for teenage characters: Hanging the ears low on the head is a sign of youth. Most of his hairdo is drawn within the outline of his head. Sweep the hair to one side, which makes for a more dramatic look.

  Oval (Teenage Girl)

  The oval head shape is a particularly good look for female characters. You can make the head even more feminine by tapering the chin to a softened point. A long, thin neck is a nice complement to an oval-shaped head. Since this character has a lot of hair, I’ve left room for it by giving her an extra-big forehead.

  Lightbulb (Mad-Scientist Villain)

  This kind of character is a favorite of mine. He’s not just evil—he’s funny-evil. The lightbulb shape is perfect for mad scientists: They typically have big craniums, in which they store their maniacal plans to take over the world. But the rest of the face is skinny, reflecting the cartoon stereotype that casts scientists as physically meek. (And notice the sunken cheeks—they’re a sure sign of evil.)

  Cut-off Circle (Goth Girl)

  The cut-off circle gives a severe, stylized look, so you need to use it for severe, stylized characters. Notice how this goth girl’s bangs chop off the tops of her eyes, repeating the way the top of her head is chopped off. The cut-off look should be very abrupt. Don’t soften the edges of the head.

  Modified Half-Moon (Cartoon Dad)

  This is the quintessential head construction for the “retro” dad—that not-so-handy Sunday afternoon barbecue king. Keep the features well up on the head so that there is plenty of chin—stereotypical dads always have sizable chins. And don’t give him a cheek-bump-out. That would make him too “cute”—not lean enough. Dad always has well-groomed hair and a fairly thick neck.

  Rectangle (Fox)

  Some shapes, like this rectangle, are so strong that they can be used for the entire character—not just the head. This fox’s snout breaks the outline, but other than that he’s just one big vertical box. Notice that there�
��s no break whatsoever between the head and the body. It’s a highly stylized look—and as far from a real fox as you can get without the character becoming unrecognizable. It’s mainly his markings, bushy tail, pointy ears, and snout that give him away.

  A CAST OF CHARACTERS

  Now we’re going to develop a whole cast of appealing cartoon characters, keeping in mind the need to draw the basic head shape first. We’ll do some animals and some people, since both are essential in cartooning. By following the steps, you’ll be able to isolate the areas that present you with challenges and, even more important, recognize where your strengths lie.

  By the way, I don’t agree with the point of view that says you should focus your energy on correcting weak points before moving on. Doing so is bound to be draining and frustrating, and it won’t bring you to a higher overall skill level.

  To raise your artistic skills, push yourself in those areas where you show signs of strength, where you excel, or where you are most inspired and driven. Work on improving your weaknesses as the need arises. But don’t slow your progress to a grinding halt simply because you have weaknesses. Keep pressing your boundaries. See where your talent leads you.

  Sketch Guidelines

  Animators always use sketch guidelines—a center line and an eye line—to position the facial features correctly. You can do the same whether you draw animation or still cartoons. When you use sketch guidelines to map out where the features go, you’ll always put them in the right place.

  Pipsqueak Pup

  This droll pup has a TV-shaped head. The face looks very wide because all the features are scrunched together in the middle. The neck has to be slender, or the doggy will appear to be a little tough guy, which is not the look we’re after. Keep the features fairly low on the face, as we’re drawing a cute young character.

  Notice that here and in the drawings that follow, my last step is to add a super-thick line around the character’s head. This is a very popular look—you see it a lot on today’s animated TV shows. Inside that thick outline, however, the interior features should remain thin-lined. More intricate and detailed aspects of the drawing have to be done in a thin line, or the drawing will look muddy. Current animated styles lean toward this thick-lined approach, and I always like to show the latest thing.

  Tips and Options

  Here’s an alternative way to draw the head. Indent the basic outline at the sides, which makes the cheeks look wider.

  Make sure the muzzle stays well within the outline of the face. Don’t allow it to touch the bottom edge.

  If you like, you can give Pipsqueak Pup curls instead of straight shafts of hair on top of his head.

  Typical Teen (Boy)

  Younger teenagers are among the easiest characters to draw because they have simple head shapes, with bright, open features. Go for simplicity with your teen and preteen characters: Big eyes, a small nose, and a big head of hair do the trick. A long, thin neck suggests a lanky teenage body. Note that the head shape is not a perfect circle but tapers just a bit at the chin.

  Tips and Options

  The hair can comfortably fall over the eyes, for a carefree look.

  The eye on the same side as the grin will always be slightly “crushed” by the eyebrow. (It’s a good idea to commit this principle to memory.) The other side of the face will open up as a result.

  Typical Teen (Girl)

  It’s easy to draw teenage girls if you give them a round, moon-shaped face. This almost guarantees that the character will look appealing and feminine. Her eyelashes should be drawn with a darker, thicker line than the rest of her features, to make them stand out. If she’s meant to be an attractive character, it’s essential to give her full lips. If you want her to be goofy, you can draw the mouth as a simple line instead of giving her full lips.

  Get the Details Right

  Note the two-toned “colors” of the eyeball (iris and pupil) and the thickness of the eyelash line.

  You can draw the top lip with a little indentation in the middle and a “bump” on either side or make a smooth line that rises slightly in the middle (which is a more contemporary look).

  Classic Bad Guy

  You know how your mom always warned you not to run around with sharp objects, or you could poke an eye out? Well, this guy never listened—and see what happened? The eye patch is a must-have for many popular bad guys. I’ve also given him a crooked nose (which only a bad guy would have!) and tucked his chin inside his jaw area. But this is just one kind of classic bad guy. Other types include organized-crime figures and greedy capitalist titans of industry.

  Get the Details Right

  A normal nose would point outward—but that’s too handsome. A crooked nose, pointing downward is wonderfully evil!

  Don’t draw the eye-patch strap going straight across his forehead. The strap should change direction at the patch.

  Goofy Giraffe

  Some animals—giraffes and horses, for instance—have such oddly shaped heads that it’s just not possible to use off-the-shelf head shapes such as a circle or an oval. In these cases, you have to simplify the complex head shapes, distilling them down to their basic forms. With this giraffe, notice how symmetrical the final head shape is, and yet how totally suited it is to this animal’s unique look.

  Get the Details Right

  When finishing up the drawing, add some details: Show the interior of the ears. Lightly draw in the bridge of the nose. If you prefer, draw a cup-shaped chin rather than a lower lip. And draw the front of the mane as if it were bangs flopping down on the giraffe’s forehead.

  When you do the shading, vary the darkness: The spots should be more lightly shaded, the mane more darkly shaded.

  TURNING A CHARACTER’S HEAD

  Trying to turn a character’s head in different directions while maintaining the character’s recognizability can raise a beginning cartoonist’s anxiety level. But it’s not as challenging as you might fear. Don’t change the expression as you turn the head—at least not at first. Keeping the expression the same makes it easier to recreate the character at different angles.

  Also, the more basic the head shape, the easier it is to recreate the character. So let’s start off with a really simple character: Mr. Rectangle.

  Mr. Rectangle

  Because his head is just a rectangle, the sketch guidelines run straight across his face, side to side and vertically. Because they don’t curve, it’s easy to turn him.

  The Profile

  So what happened to that center line in the profile view? It suddenly seemed to disappear. Where did it go? Well, it became the front of the face.

  Turning an Oval or Circular Head

  The front view is a flat view. The profile view is also a flat view. But a three-quarters view shows roundness. Shall we give it a try? If we take it step by step, I have every confidence you can do it!

  2

  Drawing the Facial Features

  All the facial features are important, but the eyes are the most important—second only to the basic head shape. That’s why I always begin with the eyes when drawing the features. If the eyes don’t come out exactly right, I often start the drawing over.

  THE EYES

  It’s not just the shape of the eyes that creates emotional impact—it’s also their placement on the face. Where do you want them to be? High on the face? In the middle? Low down? Drawing is decision making. The more good decisions you make when drawing your character, the funnier the result will be.

  Classic Cartoon Eyes—Animals

  Eyes are malleable. They can be simple circles or stretched into ovals. You can tug them left or right. The pupils can be drawn close together, or they can wander apart. Here are a few winning eye styles you’ll want to use for your animal characters. They can be used with any species or breed.

  Classic Cartoon Eyes—Male Characters

  Here are some of my favorite eye types for men, male teenagers, and boys. Note that you don’t have to limit your u
se of a certain eye type to a particular kind of character. For example, you might sometimes want to use “sneaky eyes” on characters who aren’t really sneaky. Even a hero can have a sneaky thought now and then!

  Classic Cartoon Eyes—Female Characters

  Female eyes aren’t just male eyes with eyelashes added. The eye shape itself has to be feminized.

  Super Seductive

  If you want your female character to have a super-feminine, very seductive look, make the eyelashes extra long and super heavy—and extend them past the ends of her eyebrows.

  THE NOSE

  Here come the honkers! Noses are fun to draw because you can be as subtle or as over the top as you want.