Birds of a feather

**bcire68** · 20 July 2010, 08:51 PM

I haven't posted in a few days. I've been doing some work and trying to digest some very good advice from a pro.

I was doodling at work today and sketched out these two characters. When I got home I drew them again in XDP and came up with a caption after a minute.

I hope you like them.

Eric

**handrawn** · 21 July 2010, 06:40 AM

couple of observations...

I think the eggshell on the head could do with being at a slightly more rakish angle and possibly have 'chinstrap/chords' to make it more obviously hat-like... plus the character's feet should maybe come out of the bottom of the shell [standing feet apart so you will only see the nearside one] so he is standing on the ground; this will make it look less awkward and more 'natural'

Perhaps the observers left hand could be on his chin in a 'reflective/thoughtful' way?

These are just the sort of embellishments that help to make the drawing more 'life-like' but they are just my ideas

one other note, you have not put pupils in the eyes - was this deliberate ?
[its a quite common device]

nice drawing - good to see doodles starting to take shape

**bcire68** · 21 July 2010, 07:51 AM

Hi Steve,

Thank you for the observations.

I didn't think about a chin strap. Interesting idea. The angle of the hat too.
I considered the feet coming out of the eggshell, but got lazy as the night wore on. I'm still considering how best to draw that. I have a few ideas.
I never considered the action of the observer. My thought was that he had made up his mind already and was asking a rhetorical question. If I were to add some action to him it would be arms up in exasperation or possibly forward, imploring. I take your meaning on 'life-like' however and it is something for me to think about.

Yes, I left the pupils out on purpose. Like you said before, what you put in and leave out is what makes the characters 'interesting'.

Eric

**bcire68** · 21 July 2010, 08:22 AM

I want to expand on the more life-like comment just a bit.

The way that I drew the observer was without emotion. This really is what I was going for but I can see how this doesn't give the audience much to work with. It makes the character seem somewhat 'stilted' perhaps.

I can see that a lack of emotion would work too, but it would probably work better as a contrast against a backdrop of emotional examples. For example: In a multi cell cartoon, where a character suddenly stops after realizing that his emotional outburst was ridiculous.

Eric

**handrawn** · 21 July 2010, 08:45 AM

so we get to the fundamental of a cartoon [from my perspective]

'what are you trying to say?' - a cartoon is a statement first and foremost

as long as it conforms to that it is 'right'

just 'telling a joke' is fine, but most [all?] really good cartoons give off harmonics that add to this, that give you a glimse into what might be going on behind the scenes, that put a 'situation' into your imagination, that establish character... - excellent cartoons give off harmonics that reach a wide range of differing opinion and can be interpreted lots of ways

I know you like NS - wiley miller is an expert at drawing people who's thoughts you can quess without them saying anything - its in the body lanquage and the facial expression - and the situations they are in are 'universal' most of the time, in terms of human condition if not in the specific locales

I just felt the observer to be a bit 'wooden' - many ways to change that, not that my opinion is necessarily correct