Introduction to Cartooning
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A Cartoonist's superpowers lie in their ability to get "the most for the least" - whether drawing a cat chasing a mouse, or a giant sea monster attacking a galleon. Learning how to convey a complex character with only a few lines requires a strong understanding of the foundations of drawing. Please see the descriptions below for an overview of the various skills students will want to consider in their study of this fun and rewarding creative outlet.
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For information on course options, please click here.
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Note: each course can be customized to suit a particular audience.
Drawing Faces
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Creating memorable characters and conveying their thoughts through the manipulation of facial features is the cornerstone of any cartoon. Cartoonists study portraiture so they can bend and even break them in order to breath life into their characters. Learn more.
Drawing The Figure
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Capturing the motion and emotion in a gesture or pose is arguably the core of a cartoon. Every cartoonist must understand the structure of a figure in order to convincingly exaggerate a pose for drama and humour.
Hands (and feet)
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Whether an octopus' tentacle, a bird's claw, or the dancing digits of a concert pianist, hands are vital to expression, action, and realism regardless of how outlandish a character may be. Feet, are vital yet underappreciated - they are literally the foundation of any pose.
Drapery, clothing and hair
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Capes fly, boots crease, hats fly off releasing locks of wind-swept hair, pants crinkle and kink as a character breaks into a run - understanding the rules of drawing drapery, clothing and hair is a powerful expressive tool.
Lighting
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Faces and poses aren't the only way to signal an emotion to the reader. Mastery of lighting is vital to maximizing expression and mood. Lighting gives objects weight and pulls entire scenes together.
Perspective
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Understanding perspective gives the cartoonist the power of realism, whether rendering a full cityscape, a spaceship, or the ray gun your intergalactic traveller reaches for when her spaceship crashes into a skyscraper.
Inking and Line
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Cartoons shine when they're at their most efficient. Knowing how to use a line for maximum expressive effect goes hand in hand with the art of inking where texture, shade, and weight are the tools of the trade.
Character Design
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Every cartoonist needs to know how their character will look in any given situation. Creating a character sheet is an important reference when breathing life into the cast of players in your story.
Storytelling: Comics
Single Panel Comics
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From The Far Side to The New Yorker, single panel comics can be absolutely silly or highly cerebral. They can celebrate a moment of pure slapstick, or elegantly express a complex idea in a matter of seconds. Learn the best practices for coming up with ideas and putting them down on paper for your reader to enjoy.
Comic Strips
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Where a single panel is a moment frozen in time, a comic strip can tell a story as short as a few seconds, or that unfolds over many years. You're creating a world between the panels as much as within them, and this final chapter dives into the essential devices for storytelling over three to four frames.
