Hick

[bcire68]

The tracings have been going well so last night I decided to try to do a cartoon character from scratch. I call him Hick. I tried to layer this one up much like Steve showed me. I started off with a skeletal movement structure, then drew some block shapes over it on another layer, and then went in to start to refine it....and proceded to pretty much ignore everything that I had done up to that point and just doodle loosely over the top.

I am not completely unhappy with my results. While this drawing doesn't hold a candle to the refinement of the other cartoons that I have been tracing, I can see some improvements to what I would have done before I started doing the traces. Things like the lines representing the bunching of material at upper arms and elbows, simple lines to represent the shape of the hat, small lines in his hand, etc. I can also see that if I were to take this same drawing to another level of refinement, I could smooth out some of those rough sketch marks that make up his legs, and maybe make his head a bit more symetrical. I found it worthwile to stop the sketc here, add color and make that analysis of, 'OK you've come this far, how do you make it better?' While I have come up with my own answers, I would appreciate any suggestions that the fine people here have for me.

Here he is and as an afterthought, the block shapes to show how I started. The hat and head went pretty much as planned but I deviated from there.

Eric

[Big Frank]

i like your style. I cannot cartoon directly onto screen, i have to sketch on paper first, so kudos to you for removing that step and producing results you are happy with

Here's something I did about a year ago on a similar theme, but as you can see, the pencil sketch came first - i couldn't have started that on the pc

[bcire68]

Thanks for the kind words BeretBoy,

Your toon really made me laugh. I'm a hobby musican too and I know that the cost of the latest music technology will make you go out onto the streets and beg for change.

I like your style too. I like the way that you didn't outline his beard and just gave it shape with color and the suggestion of uneaveness using lines. I also really like your background, with the suggestion of bricks and blank wall. Very nice.

Eric

[bcire68]

And here is version 2 of Mr. Hick. The lines are a bit smoother, I gave more thought to body positioning (though I'm still not 100% satisfied), proportions are a bit better and the shoes are much better.

I think that coloring these drawings in, help me to see what I would change about it the next time. For the next time I would work on his shoulders a but and he has a serious case of one are bigger than the other, that I would like to correct. For now though, I'm going to leave it and come back later.

Enjoy.
Eric

[ontos]

Wow, both are really great, love cartoons.

[handrawn]

Hi Eric

I wouldn't worry too much about the shoulder in this instance - it actually helps the character to look 'interesting'

Sure if you are going down the illustrative path, or the animation path, characters usually need to be fairly tightly defined

But generally catrooning is more about [your own] style than anatomical accuracy; its a form of shorthand and what you choose to leave out, and what you choose to exaggerate for effect, all become part of said style

Frank's character is hardly symetric but it matters not

Also in real life perspective alters how things look - drawing a character with hand outstretched towards the viewer being a good example...

If you are doing a fair number of rough sketches first, digitally or on paper, to get a feel for the dynamics and the alternative ways of composing your drawing in terms of action and shapes, then you are on the right track... it can only get better, and its already good

[Big Frank]

Frank's character is hardly symetric but it matters not

When all you have to base it on is your own asymmetric corpulence...

[handrawn]

guess what - I have a big nose

caricature begins at the self... so to paraphrase

you are better than you let on Frank

[bcire68]

Thank you all for the kind comments and the encouragement. I'm going to take what you've said and think about it. I'm definitely going to keep at the sketching/cartooning and getting in as much practice as I can. In the mean time, I'm thinking about buying some books and possibly taking a night course or something. I picked up the UotA London Central Saint Martins, Summer School catalog today. Though for now £360 for a course seems a bit pricey.

Eric

[handrawn]

I wouldn't spend any real money until you're clear what direction you are going in

books - fine, and there are some very good ones around

but whereas the mechanics of animation and comic book naration and illustrative drawing et al... can be taught...

a cartoonist at roots is an observer and a commentator/story-teller - so you have to decide in what way you would want to do this first

just my thoughts..