Friday 17 January 2014

Five things I carry with me when I draw cartoons.


Whenever I go out on a trip, I carry the following items in a leather bag:

1. Small sketchbook with cheap paper, suitable for throwaway sketches.
2. Black brush pen
3. Black calligraphy pen.
4. Red brush pen or other colour felt pen.
5. Black ballpoint pen.

I carry several pens. At home, I have hundreds of pens--to carry them all would be a nightmare.

I usually draw with a black brush pen for thickness of line--to have a bold line makes the cartoon character stand out more. And you develop a more distinctive style when you use brush pens.

The black calligraphy pen I sometimes use when I want to write letters in speech bubbles, but sometimes I don't bother. Instead I save the ink for a later and use it for a more revised sketch.

Brush pens with all their flexibility permit me to draw quickly. Sometimes that's a good thing. But on the other hand, it can encourage laziness; and an Art Editor will reject your work simply because your drawing is indisciplined and sloppy.

If you want to be a professional cartoonist, you need to perform like a professional cartoonist. This means mastering your tools, technique and use of colour. Usually, having a funny joke is helpful, too.

Today, I chose the word, 'vegan' as a theme and here's my outcome or first attempt.




Sloppy, it is...but you can see the result when I draw quickly.

And if I may change the subject. Do visit your local charity shops. I have been picking up comic books cheaply. For example, this Charlie Brown book is £15 in the bookshops, whereas in my local charity shop, I picked it up for £3.


I was pleased with that find, so, I went back for more. And today, I found The Simpsons Annual 2010 which cost me 20p.

No comments:

Post a Comment