Drawing cartoons is a fun, relaxing way for some people to spend their time. For professional cartoon artists, cartooning is a way to turn something they love into a career that offers both creative and financial rewards. Cartooning requires not only drawing skills, but a sense of humor and presentation as well. There are a number of career opportunities available to cartoonists who can demonstrate these talents. For beginners, there are avenues of instruction to help get you started. All you need is a desire to learn and the determination to put the techniques you learn into practice.
Tools of the Trade
Tools for a cartoonist used to be as simple as pencils, paper and ink. Those things are still an important part of cartooning, and many professional cartoonists still like to do it the old school way. Others, however, are adding computer software to their toolboxes. Adobe's Photoshop is one of the top programs. Beginning cartoonists might want to try something free. Pencil is one of these programs, designed for creating 2D cartoons. It's easy to use and ideal for someone just starting out. If you want a program more in line with Photoshop, but without the expense, try GIMP, a free open-source image program with all the features you'll need to create and polish your cartoons. For computer work, you may want a pen and tablet mouse to mimic more traditional sketching techniques.
Computer Vs. Hand Cartooning
Determine the method you will use to do your cartoons. Although computers play an important role in today's cartooning industry, a good number of cartoonists from early on still deliver their work by hand. The best option might be the combination of hand illustration and computer imaging. The creator of "Dilbert," Scott Adams, is an old school artist who has gone completely paperless today, but only after spending time combining both methods. Consider doing initial drawings and then scanning them into the computer for finishing touches.
Cartoon Training Techniques
Use practice techniques to help open your mind and hone your skills. There are a number of exercises you can try to improve your cartooning techniques. Two-minute sketches are effective for helping you think of a situation and render it quickly, while the idea is fresh. Pick an object and give yourself two minutes to come up with a cartoon image of the object. Use a timer to ensure you have only two minutes. The sketch will be rough, but that's OK. All you want to do is create a cartoon based on a real object. You can also think of a comic situation and give yourself two minutes to come up with a cartoon depicting the situation. These exercises help foster creative drawing while improving the speed of your sketching.
Sketching Techniques
Use sketching techniques such as cross-hatching to develop the basic composition of your cartoons. Cross hatching is a technique that allows you to add shade and dimension to your characters by moving your pencil repeatedly in a horizontal or vertical manner over and over, overlapping until the shades take effect. Another technique you may want to add to your skills is layering. This technique is typically associated with computer image software, but you can use tracing paper to render your cartoons in layers, which allows you to work on individual sections of your cartoon without risking damage to work you've already done.
Job Opportunities
Consider a wide range of job opportunities to help keep you employed as a cartoonist. Greeting card work, magazines and newspapers are hot spots for cartoonists, but a lot of cartoonists go that route. Think in terms of advertising agencies, local companies in need of fliers and brochures, and other avenues that can provide steady income while you build your reputation as a cartoonist. Keep a portfolio of all your work and a resume that details your clients. Offer your cartooning skills anywhere you can. A strong portfolio will give you a firm foundation to build a cartooning career upon.
