Cartoon Drawing Class 101

[cartuneman]

Hi all,

Well, Here goes............I am going to attempt to help anyone who wants to learn the begining basics of cartooning, hands, body, faces, expressions, fore shortening and take you all the way through character building to design and layout. I also will help anyone that is interested in creating inviroments that best fit their characters.

:D First off anyone with certain questions about these subjects please post and I will answer them as a first come first serve basis hahaha:rolleyes: (not really)

:D I will be posting some basics over the next few days and I would like for whom ever is interested to post what they have taken from my lessons and created.

:D I also (in some instances) will be taking your art and drawing right on your work and posting them back to you. to help explain points. (hope you don't mind?)

:D All art created here in this forum on this thread by you is and will always remain your property.

I hope I can help........................anyone interested Post up!

Who knows........I may learn something too!

cartuneman:D

[KOTK]

Aww, I was expecting pictures, diagrams and stuff.:(

[cartuneman]

hahahahaha

soon Kave, soon hahhaha

cart:D

[KillerEmu]

Sounds cool ive always wanted to learn how to create cartoons and Ive never really been able to draw a cartoon character.

[cartuneman]

OK...This is a start and then I'll go to hair, hats, differant expressions and so on. I know these seem a lil mundane but practice, practice, practice..........works. Also keep in mind, teach yourself to always first rough in a design with light sketching. It's like Building a home.....you first have to frame what ever you intend on building.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/drawingfaces1a.jpg

cart

[cartuneman]

Hi all, The next three pics just shows I used one of the faces I had drawn and then I continued with it and built the body in a pose and added other items to create a waiter. Your imagination is your limits. If you can see in two of the pre drawings I layed out the body and head and then I added clothing details and moved the tie and other lil things around before I cleaned it up.......I NEVER ERASE!
(never know what you might want to use hahaha)

ANY QUESTIONS?

cart:D

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/waiter3.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/waiter2.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/waiter1.jpg

[Terro]

It's looking fantastic. It's time for everyone that is interested in this class to start working on a cartoon Characcter of their own.

[robber3000]

i had a go! http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/712/05242006075508am9jb.png (http://imageshack.us)

[vicjperry]

Way to go Robber. That guy looks great.:)

Cart, this will be a big hit. Great friggin' job!:D

[cartuneman]

Howdy Robber,

Hey great job my man! If you don't mind I'd like to print this pic and and do some things with it and give you some suggestions to work on. I can e-mail you these suggestions or post them back here. Let me Know.

Cart:D

[robber3000]

sure! i would be happy for you to edit my picture.. it needs some tweeking anyway :D

[pixelmark]

OH! I will definately add this class to my ever crowding schedule.


http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/2849/head4nb.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Kind of a bean shape with a mouth shape and bits added!

*EDIT* Thanks Vic!
Apparently you know when to properly school me! :D I should've seen that; guess I got caught up in the details. Nice catch!

http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/4793/head1rj.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[vicjperry]

Great job Pixel. I'm going to muscle in on Cartuneman's racket to give my two cent pointer. (I know he won't mind)

On a 3/4 pose, like yours, the eye farthest away is always slightly smaller because of perspective. Yours is the opposite. It's correct on the red sketch, but not on the final one. Your character however, looks good. Keep at 'er!:D

Remember...... what the hell do I know?:D

[cartuneman]

Hahahaha Vic........

Of course I don't mind. All of us should help each other out.

Mr. Pixel, I just wanted to say fine job on the face with the exception of what My Assistant (tee hee :p ) Mr. Vic suggested. I will post some 3/4 view heads and character designs tonight to kinda catch up with you. If you have any questions feel free to ask. There is one suggestion to all of us I wanted to get out to everyone. The majority industry today for childrens cartoons, look for the 2D look. (it's where most of us asspire to be some day, right?) Well keep in mind that 2D images are very flat so your characters should reflect that in there apperance. (That is if this is the field you intend on going into.)

A Dimensionally drawn character in a sence is harder to animate than a 2D drawn character. This was very hard for me to understand in the begining. So I researched this and watched many a kids show to capture the feel of the actual 2D character design. This helped me tremendously and put my art back into a marketable realum. I still draw dimensionally but I can also draw 2D that is easily marketable. Remember when learning how to draw cartoons learn how to make money at it too. The end result is you become a more valuable artist/cartoonist.

OK........ Well, I'm still at work and I have to go now but I'll be posting again later tonight. Thanks again Vic! Great stuff guys!

cart:D

[cartuneman]

Here are a few examples of dimensionally drawn characters. As soon as I finish some 2D characters I'll post them too and you will see the difference.

cart:D

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/neighborsandgastonscopy.jpg

[vicjperry]

Thanks for the thumbs up bud. These characters are fantastic! I can't wait for the 2d characters as I'm not sure what you mean by 2d and dimmensional? You really gotta bone up on Flash as these characters would make one helluva nice animation.:eek: :blink: :D :) ;)

[cartuneman]

OK ....I hope this explains it better.......A 2D character operates on a plain that is flat to a a given dimensional area or scene.

A dimensional character can move dimensionally upon it's plain with in a dimensional area or scene.

Cart:D

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/Imdrawn2d.jpg

the lil guy above is a 2D character

[Terro]

Sorry, I'm joining late. I'll try to come up with something better shortly.

http://www.gk-concepts.com/sketch/toon1.jpg

[cartuneman]

Wow Terro,

Thats a cool character design Fantastic job there sir!
Keep it up!

Ok for Mr Robber,

I took the liberty to re draw your character and put in some suggestions. I see in you great potential. Keep up the good work!

cart:D Any questions?

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/robberscorrections.jpg

[robber3000]

ok that was great help, i already know about possisions for cartoons.. the problem was that one put me down quite abit at some points :)

[NOOB!]

wow u've gone all out cartuneman hehe

[cartuneman]

Morning Robber,

[the problem was that one put me down quite abit at some points ]
Yesterday 08:55 PM


Hummmmm? What did you mean by putting you down at some points? I Hope I didn't offend you? This not my intention ever or ever will be. They are just observations.

I have a Son Your age and I wish I could get him out of his room and get him interested about what we do or try to aspire too. Belive me I learn from you too. If there is a specific question or questions that you would like answered please ask away. I have 30 years experiance I can share.

Again I hope I didn't upset you? I'm sorry and apologize if I did.:o

cart:D[/QUOTE]

[cartuneman]

Tonight I'm going to try and show how hands are drawn.

Hands where one of the hardist things I ever had to deal with. Because the hand is an extension of the mouth and can express so much.

Cart:D

[NOOB!]

nice,your not gunna keep it four fingers though are ya?

[cartuneman]

hahahaha,

Nope there will be all types of hands.......hahahahaha Left and right.

Back to work for me ..........gotta build some homes now BYE

cart:D


oh if anyone wants to know how to build a light table let me know i can show you all a cheap way to do it.........

[NOOB!]

by the way,me fave one of the last bunch cart, was that cheerleader,i like the style of it.

[robber3000]

well i ment that that picture cept going wrong but i didnt have a rubber.. anyway i took no offence dont worrie :D

[NOOB!]

*rubber* is the british term for eraser incase u americans confuse it with the other thing:D :D

[robber3000]

*rubber* is the british term for eraser incase u americans confuse it with the other thing:D :D
...:rolleyes:

[vicjperry]

Glad you weren't upset with Cartuneman. Post some more stuff Rubber, er, I mean Robber.:rolleyes: Let's see what else you have.:D

[pixelmark]

This is a great class, Cart! Looking foreward to more (keeping me in good practice). I really had to work to get the 3/4 view to full front view (the nose threw me for a loop). I just realized that I usually draw a character at 3/4 and am very weak at the straight ahead shot!

http://img336.imageshack.us/img336/1299/head29ug.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

:D

[NOOB!]

shouldn't be using rubbers at your age robber.:p

(sorry had too)

[vicjperry]

:) Nice stuff Pixelman. Good practice!:)

[Terro]

I cant do cartoon hands :( lol

http://www.gk-concepts.com/sketch/toon2.jpg

[vicjperry]

I've been drawing since before you were born Terro, and I still have trouble drawing hands. Why couldn't we be born with paws?

[KOTK]

I've been drawing since before you were born Terro, and I still have trouble drawing hands. Why couldn't we be born with paws?
If we were born with paws we wouldn't be able to draw anything. But whats stopping you from drawing a human/animal hybrid?:D ;)

[Terro]

Heres a face.

http://www.gk-concepts.com/sketch/toon3.jpg

[cartuneman]

howdy all ,

Sorry i'm late for class .....got home and had to kiss the kids and play with the Wife first ahhahahahah!:o

ok in this pic you will see the basic 3 shapes that make up the hand....excluding didgets....haha Always remember looking from the top of the hand that the outer left side and the outer right side of your hands are in line with the arm. Please take note of the heal and the hinge. the heal almost always remains stationary and the hinge produces movement as each didget is hinged at the top of the palm base. The palm base is always a 5 sided box.

Reference the pic below

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/handmech.jpg

[cartuneman]

Here are a few examples of hands and their gestures.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/hands.jpg

[cartuneman]

Sorry robber I had to do this lol but Really I never erase and we all should never erase........ an eraser or (rubber) is to correct spelling not ART.

Cart:D

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/rubber.jpg

[Terro]

Yeah, I used to erase all the time. Haven't touched an eraser in like a year now.

BTW: I have a good book about cartooning that I picked u a few years ago. You guys should pick it up if you run into it. It's called "Drawing on the Funny Side of the Brain" by Christopher Hart.

[cartuneman]

Ok my fourth post tonight.........hahaha but hey i'm the teacher right?

Terro I'm liking the faces and the body and character studies you are doing. The last post of the face was very cool I like the newyorker style you have there. Pixel Your style is coming along nicely........I Like that you attempted the 3 sides of the character. Ok Vic, I know that hands give you trouble so time to study hahahahahaha.:rolleyes:



Grat book Terro I have that one too!!

And Kave chime in or add in any time.......I'd love to see some more art from down under.
Robber ....my man don't let us jokester bother ya....it's all in fun man!

Cart:D

[Terro]

What style do you follow when drawing toons?

For instance I always seem to start with their belly ands then spine. It the only way I can achieve somewhat close to a toon. When it comes to more realistic figures I'm always forced to start with the hip's.

Am I weird, lol?

[cartuneman]

In answer to your question Terro,

Where ever the mood strikes me.....hands, toes, nose, eyes. I've been drawing for so long it dosn't matter to me but i still lay out a stick figure and add to it. I use a maquette statue too. But as far as style....hummmm I draw what strikes my feelings and what will get my point across and then I grow from that.

As far as you starting on the torso, thats fine as long as you have an Idea that the face you draw will connect properley to it's body...... The face seems almost always the most important place of communication so thats the place I most often start.

cart:D

[NOOB!]

Heres a face.

http://www.gk-concepts.com/sketch/toon3.jpg


i like this one terro,very nice style and also nice quick lines,this is the right way to draw :D keep it up

[vicjperry]

Nice tutorial Cart. Hands are tough for me. Going back to the Preston Blair-ish thread, he says for cartoons, the base of the thumb should be exaggerated. Makes for a better look I guess.:D


http://www.geocities.com/crea8it/hands.jpg

[cartuneman]

Mornin Everyone,

Thanks Vic for the help there......But can we see some hands from you? hahhaha (put you on the spot lol?) And Terro the Faces, I looked at them this morning and you have a nice flow with the pen and your ability to keep the same look from pic to the next is great! As are yours Pixel.

Ok starting today is an american holiday called Memorial day weekend (yay) and My wife has a lot of things planned for me so I'll be in and out of the forums. But I'd like to ask one thing of all you guys? Keep up the work and keep drawing and I'd like to see some stick character drawings in different poses with full drawn hands in different gestures. good practice and can be fun too. OMG!!! Home work?...........................hahahahahahahaha!! !!!!! (Not really)

lmao Cart:D

[cartuneman]

I have a question?

I would like to know from you guys, Who's art has most influenced you. Mine was the artist of Hanna Barbera and Warner Brothers such as Tom and Jerry and Buggs Bunny and Snaggel tooth and Huckelberry Hound.

Cart:D

[pixelmark]

Definately! I grew up on Hanna Barbera, Warner Bros., Rocky and Bullwinkle, and Dr. Seuss. I recently purchased the 'Wacky Races' and 'Dastardly and Muttley' DVD's (with the lead animators commentary!). Hanna Barbera was the most influential as to what a cartoon should be like.

http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/271/hands2op.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Looking at it now, I realize that the foundation drawing polygon shape is backwards. I guess I have been drawing long enough that normally I don't make a foundation for the hands!

[cartuneman]

Fantastic work Pixel!

I have to agree with you on the polygon it can become confusing but i did that to show people that have not had any luck drawing hands. It is Fun to see what your able to do after you have masterd the art of framing. But when Doing hard core animation Your boss will look at you and say "You're a lil off model there...tighten it up!" I've been there, hahahahaha So i go back to drawing all the frame ups.
But I really like your stick guys and can you see how the hands help with the feeling your character is trying to express. That is why when in the schools of art they make you draw the flour sack and create emotions with it. I'ts very difficult to do emotions without hands.

cart:D

[Terro]

I was mostly influanced by Alley Cats, Flinstones, Smurfs, and Yogi then later on by GI Joe, TMNT, and HE-man.

[vicjperry]

Why I oughtta!:mad: Just not smooth enough. I make the fingers too long and way too much prelim sketching. Man do I gotta get practicing.:eek:

http://www.geocities.com/crea8it/hands2.jpg

[-hashbrown-]

and why wasnt i emailed about this wonderful thread earlier?

[Mistchiff]

theres a finger missing in each of the hands.

might wanna look into that.

[KOTK]

theres a finger missing in each of the hands.

might wanna look into that.
Cartoon hands. ;)

[vicjperry]

theres a finger missing in each of the hands.

might wanna look into that.

Well, er, I ah, maybe I should, um, WTF? :D When you go to Disney World, ask Mickey to "give you five". See what happens.:D

[cartuneman]

Ya Hoo! I got my new computer ordered!!!! tonight yay:)

it's a custom built 2 gig ram,500 gig hard drive with dual proc.'s a jaming top of the line video card and multivideo set up with multi ports with dvd rewriter and cdr writer and more, wow! I'm also getting flash 8 the latest and greatist photoshop and a new scanner printer....my god I've died and gone to heven lol................sorry I just had to tell everyone.
Almost forgot and a 21" wide screen sony monitor and cordless keyboard......!

oh ok back to class hahahaha. cartoon hands are great huh?! they make life for us artist easy lol.

What do you guys and gals (if any) Think of this class so far? We've just started and barley scratched the surface ya know. Let's make this the best thread ever.

cart:D

[Terro]

Woot, congratulations John. It's about time you got a new rig. I will have to upgrade mine shortly as well. Need to get ready for vista.

[Evil Demon Creature]

Well, er, I ah, maybe I should, um, WTF? :D When you go to Disney World, ask Mickey to "give you five". See what happens.:D
I'm imagining the first four will be flat as if he was hand-slapping you, and the fifth would be him simultaneously flipping you off with the other hand.

I drew some stuff inspired from this topic. I'll be sure to scan it/post it later (since now it's really late).

[vicjperry]

Well, EDC, since everyone missed my little joke earlier, it should apply perfectly right here. Take a good close look at the center of the image on this thread.:rolleyes: :D :eek:

http://www.animationforum.net/forum/showpost.php?p=9584&postcount=46

[Terro]

LMAO, I did miss that.

[cartuneman]

"ahem!" Now Vic..................omg rolmao!!!!!!!!!!!


Howdy all,
I hope you all have a great day we're off to the zoo.................the next lil thing on this thread is I want everyone who is interested to draw a character. This character will be used by you for quite some time. As we go along We will be doing differant things with this character developing it and redrawing it over and over. I know this sounds mudain in a sence. But, if we save the art from the very begining and then look back in a couple of months you all will see just how much this character has grown and how much better you are at drawing.

This character can be anything you want it to be .......an animal, man, woman, mythical or unclassified. Remember this character is a shell and we will be deveopling them to their potential. Most important of all have fun with it!

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/snootydog1.jpg

ready ........set..................DRAW!!!!

[vicjperry]

Okay all you young folk just learning...take a good look at Cartuneman's underlying (blue) sketch. Then look at the final inked one. See the difference?

That's the reason for the preliminary sketch. It's easy to see what needs to be changed before it's inked in. We used to see those pencil marks on finished signs when they were hand painted. You can see them on some watercolor paintings too. The prelims are just guidlines or, the basic plan of the layout. Just wanted to point that out.:D

When you submit your drawings, I suggest you leave the pencil lines in so Cart can see them as well.

See Robber. Cart didn't use his rubber.

[robber3000]

:rolleyes: ..... well now i need to find a coloured pencil :Xead:

[vicjperry]

Don't need one Robber. You just draw lightly with a regular pencil.

[robber3000]

Don't need one Robber. You just draw lightly with a regular pencil.
awesome, i think i will start :)

edit: theres a thing about my scanner.. (not very good) so i went over my plan lines.. the main lines still stand out because i used pen and pencil http://img117.imageshack.us/my.php?image=05282006041909pm29ph.jpg

[dlpwillywonka]

You can use a light pencil markings, but if you're gonna do anything with scanners and computer drawing work I recommend getting used to drawing with a blue pencil. Very handy.

Blue red something brightly colored. :) I just use blue cuz I like it.

[pixelmark]

Great job, Robber! Very smooth look. Nice proportions!!!:cool:

[cartuneman]

Wow, I'm back from a short Vacation,

You all been busy, I like your new sketch Robber Great job!
It really dosn't matter what sort of colored pencil you use in the begining or if it's just a lead pencil. The whole purpose to do prelim. drawings is to first sketch what you have in your head and get it to where you want it. Then you can draw over the prelims with darker lines and change what you want without eracing. I've found I do this all the time and have done it several times to just get the right look...... There is one thing I noticed about your sketch.........Are you taking short strokes with your pencil or ink pen to draw your sketch? If you are, a great practice for you is to draw circles with one stroke. This allows you to sketch with more smooth lines and helps with your finished inking. If you go back a few post you will find 3 drawings of a waiter. A good example is the long strokes in the sketch and the flow of the lines. I also never take my pencil off the paper when I sketch This helps with your own personal dicipline of your abilities.

Ok everyone, I wanna see a character evolve.....I think Robber is one up on everyone here ahahahaha

cart:D

[vicjperry]

Well I'm surprised. I could have drawn this better freehand but using the shapes and building on them is something I'm not used to and need LOTS of practice with. Harder than I thought. Guess I have to stay after school.:(

http://www.geocities.com/crea8it/fox.jpg

[cartuneman]

Morning Vic,

So could you do us a favor and show us the lay up for this character? I'm sure we'd all like to see how you framed this one up.

Cart:D



Back to work for me

[vicjperry]

Well, it was basically like this. :eek: :rolleyes: :confused:

http://www.geocities.com/crea8it/fox2.jpg

Another

http://www.geocities.com/crea8it/boss.jpg

[pixelmark]

Awesome work yet again, Vic!;) I am sticking with my same character to try and get a consistancy going

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/5484/character6qu.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[robber3000]

wow, your a good artist? why dont you post for daily sketch or anything?

[pixelmark]

:cool: Thanks, Robber! Time constraints. I work a full time job, go to school part time, and live the married life! I want to do more animation practice for the daily anims. Maybe Friday...;)

[cartuneman]

Great work Vic and Pixel,

Now how about you Robber? Hummmmmm?

Oh Pixel I can fully understand your constraints hahaha I live that life too.
I'm going to post somethin this evening too. Well, back to work for me......before I get caught doing this instead of building homes lol.

cart:D

[robber3000]

Now how about you Robber? Hummmmmm?



whats that suppose to meen?? :rolleyes: you really dont like how i draw do you.. or maybe how i dont show much plans.. :(

[Sharlston]

(I believe he meant, where is your work?)

[pixelmark]

Yeah I think so, too! Give your character some color! (I like your work!:) )

[Terro]

:cool: Thanks, Robber! Time constraints. I work a full time job, go to school part time, and live the married life! I want to do more animation practice for the daily anims. Maybe Friday...;)

I found my twin

[robber3000]

I found my twin
haha :D :rolleyes:

[pixelmark]

:D :D Maybe we should get together and plan a project that neither of us would have time to complete!

[cartuneman]

Hi Robber,

I wasn't finding any falt with your art sir I was just curious as to where your character that you intend on useing, is? I like your art my freind as dose everyone else. I will never degrade anyones abilities or art in or on any thread on any forum........well less of course it might be Vic then thats another story............................................. .......:blink:

cart:D

Hey Pixel..........I have several projects you can help me not finish

[vicjperry]

well less of course it might be Vic then thats another story............................................. .......:blink:

Don't make me call my mother!!!:mad:

:D

[pixelmark]

Maybe this is a bad time to post; the last thing I want to do is get between Cart and Vic's mom (:eek: seriously!:eek: )...was just wondering, Teach, is Cartuneman.com (http://www.cartuneman.com) your site?............................................. .................................................. ...................................[walks away quietly before the loving/killing starts]........................

[cartuneman]

Ok......

The next step, I want you to take the character you have chosen to keep as your working character and I want you all to draw just their faces with differant expressions, moods or feelings.

Here is a list of emotions,

sad, happy, mad, sarcastic, excited, wonder/question, awe, imbarrassed, snooty, cool, disbelief, spacey, your a looser/ya right, Sick/about to blow chunks, disgusted, surprised, frustrated, calm and pain or dying.

Be as dramatic as you want too be on all of these. You can also use hands to express your moment and these can be drawn 3/4 view, side or front. (No finished art please) ............:D I would like to see these creations in at least two weeks if possible?


Hey Pixel,
In answer to your question about the site? Nope thats not my site.........DAMN i'm going to have to change my name now.........crap there is another cartuneman out there..................I don't want to be known as a cartoon salesman, ugh........Great lil site though for old flicks huh? Oh and Vic's mom is a real cuttie......wink......wink (There is somthin special coming,) right Vic?...........wink............muhahahahahahaha

Cart:D

[KillerEmu]

Hey im a little late but i just made this cartooney alien guy..its my first actual cartoon person ive ever really drawn soo...yeah..can this count as my character?

[cartuneman]

Yes sir! he will do just fine! Great work by the way:)

Cart:D

Hey killer?

can you produce this character with a frame up...like is shown in the first post of this thread? I'd like to see how you achieve the character.

[Terro]

Hey cart I have a few ideas for a comic strip involving animals. Do yo have any tips/hints when it comes to drawing toon animals?

[cartuneman]

Well sir the very first thing i ever did to be able to draw animals i studied the anatomy and muscle structure of all kinds of critters. All four legged critters have almost the same muscle structure. Also once I understood how their skeletons are framed then I was able to start creating from there................and if you know the human form you then just Animorph the two and you can get characters like these. Also push your imagination too.....it's fun

Cart

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/childrensbetterhealthcharacters.jpg

[cartuneman]

I'm sorry .......I forgot to ask is there anything specific you'd like to know? If you'd like I can draw some roughs of skeletal structures of animals so you can see some the differances and similarities. also I can layout some of the basic frame ups of different creatures so you can get an Idea of what I'm talking abou?

May I ask a few questions? (Comic strips are a blast.) what market do you intend this comic strip to target. What type of media will your project be created in or published? Do you have a specific protaginest? Do you have an enviroment that your characters will interact with. OK, thats enough questions hahahaha

cart:D

[Terro]

The comic strip is a single strip that I had an idea for the Animal Planet channel. It has to do with Safari animals. I was thinking of an elephant and a lion , or giraffe. It's strictly a conversation piece among the 2 animals as they are relaxing in a oasis.

[cartuneman]

haha Terro,

I just drew these for giggles and maybe give you some Ideas. I love doing animal characters.

cart:D

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/elephantandlion.jpg

[vicjperry]

http://www.geocities.com/crea8it/fox3.jpg

[pixelmark]

Sorry, rush job. self explanitory...

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/2379/expression6sz.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[cartuneman]

Hi Pixel,

don't worry Pixel I gave everyone a couple of weeks to accomplish this, no rush man........enjoy your life first !

cart:D

[NOOB!]

tuneman,are using col-erase pencils or just regular colored pencils?

[cartuneman]

Hey Noob,

I use the col-erase and also colored pencils and photo blue's, Why do you ask?

Cart:D

[KillerEmu]

I dont know i was just messing around i got this..not very good I need help with my cartoons bodies and how the arm rests on the body. I also cant draw hair or clothes very well

[knunk]

hi guys
sorry to butt in....Cartuneman. Empty your pm inbox chum. :)

[knunk]

I'm butting in again.
Heres a few notes I did some time ago regarding character design. Hopefully they may be of help. I'll try and contribute more soon.

--------------------------------------------------

Good character design comes from good observation.

Be open to all artistic styles, soak it all up.

Know how animation works. Animate yourself.

Draw fast, bold and with confidence.

Don’t think then draw, think with your pencil.

Learn about colour. Use it to balance your character (repeat colours in your design)

Think about the look of the show as a whole. The backgrounds, other characters.

Work on characters together. Make sure they get on together, keep the style consistent.

Try and break your design. Draw it doing all kinds of hard to draw things.

Clichés work. Keep them in mind at all times. A bad guy has ingredients. But don’t be obvious.

Read up on good animation drawing, appeal etc. Yours should have the same.

Be knowledgeable about process. How is it going to be made?

If designing characters for an already established show soak it up.

Keep an eye on design trends and fashion.

When a client says, “go crazy” they don’t really mean it :)

Don’t be just a character designer.

[cartuneman]

Thanks Knunk,

The information and any inspiration you can give us in this class is always very much welcomed. Don't ever feel like your butting in sir..........thanks again,

I also cleard my private messages out ...sorry about that. Also Killer, I'll try to post up some frame work for you to study for the human form.


cart:D

[vicjperry]

Oh no! Not the home made polaroid pics!:eek: :D

[pixelmark]

Got an idea that I want to work on, so's here is a new character...

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/7616/cat0zw.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

probably crazy to even put an animal toon, what with all of the expertise in that field in here:p

[cartuneman]

Hi Pixel,

Were these sketches drawn on your wacom? or on scratch paper?
Hahahahaha there is no one in here with more expertise than ourselves hahaha. Hey great work though.

Do me a favor I wanna see the cat sitting and arching it's back rubbing up against something and also i wanna see the cat standing leaning up against a trash can or light post? Can you try that for me when you have the time?

Oh!, Killer,

I didn't forget you...........I'll try to post some stuff tonight for you on anatomy. ok hope this works? Here are some books to look for I went to Ask.com and typed in the, Anitomical positions of the human form, and found this site. Hope this helps

Anatomy and figure drawing book recommendations.



Trying to find a good anatomy or figure drawing book can sometimes be difficult. There seem to be a kajillion of them, and they aren't all created equal. Fortunately, I have been quite the anatomy book collector, and have many good anatomy books in my library.

Here I recommend only books that I have personally owned, and enjoyed. Many of these books were also required reading in the figure drawing or anatomy classes I attended in art school. Which usually means that they are good, instructional books!

I have linked directly to Amazon.com's and Amazon.co.uk's listing of each book. How convenient!


Dynamic Figure Drawing—by Burne Hogarth
Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk |

This book really revolutionized my figure drawing. Burne Hogarth's dynamic drawing style and fantastic teaching methods will really knock your socks off. He shows you how to "knit together" the figure. He helps you to understand its structure, how the body moves fluidly. My figure drawing dramatically improved after I got his book.

I was also exceedingly fortunate to be able to attend two semesters of Figure Drawing taught by Mr. Hogarth at Otis in Los Angeles. He was as dynamic in real life as he was in his books. He had the entire class enraptured, and we all improved and learned so much. Even though Mr. Hogarth's style has a "comic book" look (he used to do the Tarzan comics) the principles he teaches apply to all figure drawing styles. A must-have book.

Dynamic Anatomy— by Burne Hogarth
Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk |

An excellent companion to "Dynamic Figure Drawing", this book focuses on anatomy. Another excellent book by the incomparable Burne Hogarth.


Figures in Action (How to Draw and Paint Series)—by Andrew Loomis
Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk |



Andrew Loomis is a wonderful artist and teacher. His books are always friendly, helpful, and belong in every artists' library. One of his most famous books, (which I am most pleased to have in my library) is "Figure Drawing for all It's Worth". Unfortunately, this book is currently out of print. Used copies are selling for rather lofty prices. (Though you can find an online "archive" of it at Yoyodyne.net.) Since acquiring Loomis' Figure Drawing book is rather difficult at the moment, get what you can of his work—in this case, his small "Figures in Action" book. It's gorgeous. You won't be sorry you got it.

The Artist's Complete Guide to Figure Drawing: A Contemporary Perspective on the Classical Tradition—by Anthony Ryder
Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk |

This is not strictly an "anatomy" book (no illustrations of bones and muscles) but it is an absolutely stunning book on figure drawing. And it's not one of those "look how good of an artist I am" books, with lots of beautiful pictures, but no real structure or information. (Though the artwork is absolutely gorgeous as well!) This book is packed with fantastic insights on drawing—its goal is to inform and educate. Another must-have. This book is being praised by many artists. It is a true gem.

How to Draw the Human Figure : An Anatomical Approach—by Louise Gordon
Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk |

This stylish and lovely book was required reading in one of my Life Drawing classes. I can see why. It's an excellent book that explains anatomy, but not in a dry, stuffy way. A beautiful addition to your library.

Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist—by Stephen Rogers Peck
Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk |

This book is full of nuts-and-bolts stuff. Every page has valuable information, and it is shown in a helpful, accessible way. Excellent illustrations and photographs. This was another book that I was required to purchase for an anatomy class. I always have considered it to be a particular favorite.


The Human Machine : The Anatomical Structure and Mechanism of the Human Body— by George Bridgman
Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk |

George Bridgman's books are small, inexpensive, and full of fantastic drawings. He's especially good at showing the structure of the human body. Get one book, get 'em all. They are very helpful little books. (As an aside, Mr. Hogarth told my class that he attended some of Bridgman's art classes himself. Small world!)

Constructive Anatomy—Bridgman
Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk |

Another of Bridgman's books! A great little book. Lovely artwork.


Bridgman's Life Drawing
Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk |

Yet another Bridgman drawing book. As always, he does not disappoint.

The Human Figure: An Anatomy for Artists—by David K. Rubins
Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk |

This was always a favorite in the drawing classes I attended. The drawings are fabulous, the price is low. Nuts-and-bolts information on anatomy. A good choice.




cart:D

[pixelmark]

Great list, Cart. I think I have a Burne Hogarth book here somewhere. Totally awesome that you had him for a teacher. You really have had some great experiences!!
Thanks for the suggestions. Putting the character in different situations has really made me stop and think about it more fully (do I want him more human or cat like, how does he react, etc.). Here is a start to that.

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/8295/cat23kq.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

;) (Oh, and I always use a tablet. My scanner takes a long time to get going!)

[vicjperry]

Nice stuff bud. Nice mood and lighting. Good to see you taking advantage of Cart's class. Good work.

Here's his enemy.

http://www.geocities.com/crea8it/mouse.jpg

[cartuneman]

Great work all of you,

Hahahaha vic, you and your rival characters. I'm glad for you Pixel that now you can see the value in positioning your character in different poses and or enviroments. When drawing a character you have to know something about them to achive the look, feel, and personality of them. Oh, a person can just draw for hours doodeling and by chance create a character that looks cool but then what do you do with them? How do they fit in? Who are they? All the questions that create a solid character.

Don't get me wrong about doodeling, I want everyone to draw, draw, draw. Put down the stylis and grab your paper and pencil. Everyone grabs the computer these days. The computer is a tool. Work with eye hand quordination. Push the limits of your art and then use the computer to inhance what you want.

Remember one thing...........a pencil and paper has no constraints or layers or files to worry about.

Cart:D

[cartuneman]

What did I scare everyone away?

cart:D

[NOOB!]

What did I scare everyone away?

cart:D


yeh u gave us a novel instead of art,thats artists hell!!

:eek:

nah,great thread,its always open,don't worry cart hehe:p

[Terro]

I've been following this worshop closely. But until this week I have been hella busy. I've managed to free up a lot of time though so I promis to be more active.

[pixelmark]

Busy as well. Updated my cat character. Like this MUCH better.
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/6959/c24rx.gif (http://imageshack.us)
Initial sketch. One arm is longer than the other and one foot is not flat to the floor.

[knunk]

hope this works ok....

Heres a few pictures

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/5931/mashmodellandscape28cv.jpg

above is a pose sheet from a series of shorts for Nick uk. Dont think they aired in the US

http://img67.imageshack.us/img67/2523/72400724small4wb.jpg

A grab from one of the shows

[Terro]

Haha Knunk, thats the coolest pig ever. ....

It is a pig , right ?

:D

[knunk]

yep its a pig. Wondering why my images didn't show up though...confused

[knunk]

another try

http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/7452/b0084vk.jpg

this drawing by ace animator Mark mason

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/4778/m0187mm.jpg

and this one

hope it works...

[Terro]

Knunk check your Private Messages, I hosted those 2 files for you.

[cartuneman]

Thanks Knunk,

For supplying us a sample of character design. the pig is fantastic and looks like it was a ton of fun to draw and animate.

cart:D

[jahnocli]

He he! Great character design! Gotta LURVE that peeg!

[cartuneman]

You guys have been posting some cool stuff. I've been toying around with wizards so have a look. Comments?

Pixel, I'm liking the cat alot now for fun can you put him in many poses like Knunk? hahahaha just kidding. but I'd love to see him in a couple different poses. Hey Knunk?, were all the pigs drawn by you? stupid question but I'm asking anyway.

cart:D

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/wizards123.jpg

[Terro]

I love the 2 wizzys on the right. The middle one is especially interesting since he's got that Japanese style going.

The left one just looks too much like Vic, lol.

[cartuneman]

OMG! You're right:eek:

[knunk]

Hey Knunk?, were all the pigs drawn by you?

...not the bottom two they were done by Mark Mason.
I was designer and Art director on this project. The director and I had to do all the Paint and trace too. Its was fun for a while :)
Animation was done on paper. Clean up and paint in Flash. Rendering in Photoshop. Compositing in AE. There was a team of 5. Director, art director animator, 2 BG artists.

[knunk]

http://img1.imageshack.us/img1/825/mrdth0jy.jpg

..keeping the wizard theme, heres a truly amazing drawing. Again NOT by me.
Its by Chris Randall, sadly no longer with us. Chris was a genius. Sit and learn from this drawing.

http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/7290/untitled40yc.jpg

above is the same character by another artist.

fifty thousand gold stars if you can name the BAFTA winning show. :)

[robber3000]

ok so heres my character traditionally drawn and coloured and edited in paint. Do you think i should edit my pictures like this instead of just giving them in as scraps? http://img343.imageshack.us/img343/9117/06152006040100pm3oz.png (http://imageshack.us)

[vicjperry]

Wow! You're really improving little buddy. Cartuneman's drawing class has produced a top student. I like the color ones.

Very well done sir.:D

[cartuneman]

howdy Robber,

Great work my freind, Yes you can actually post poth so that we can see what you did to clean up the final character but I'm going to leave that up to you. The finished piece that you edited is great. If you want me too, I wanna send you a pm and show you a couple extra lil things you can do. I'll do that later on tonight if thats ok with you? Man you've come a long way! Heck, Before you know it You'll be showing us all some new tricks of the trade.

Great job sir!

cart:D

[robber3000]

thanks! I love getting PM's and i never do so yeah.. and it helps a hell of alot. i will give in the scrap now and next time i will inclued it in my last post. :)

[vicjperry]

Still trying.

http://www.geocities.com/crea8it/guy.jpg

[robber3000]

here we go, you wont see it to well because it isnt edited but here we go.
http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/9293/06162006074440am8jt.png (http://imageshack.us) :)

[NOOB!]

looking good robber,i see improvement:D

[robber3000]

i had a thought. If im drawing a character why not animate it? i shall do it traditional :blink: my equitment a pencil and some sheets cept together by small paper clips.
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/8305/use6qr.png (http://imageshack.us) hes gonna say 'now class' i guess i will do it with my crued recording. :rolleyes: i have completed now. it took longer then expected, now for class.

[vicjperry]

Look at this guy go!! Slow down young fella, don't pop the lead off yer pencil!!!:blink: Go for it Robber. It'll be great.:D

[NOOB!]

aww ain't he cute,behehehe

[robber3000]

aww ain't he cute,behehehe
:rolleyes: well im done. im afraid you will have to download it. :) http://www.savefile.com/files.php?fid=5907783

[pixelmark]

TOTALLY FREAKIN' AWESOME! Keep going!!!:D :D

[robber3000]

TOTALLY FREAKIN' AWESOME! Keep going!!!:D :D
:) thanks you.

[NOOB!]

actually robber,thats pretty fricken good for your age:blink: the lip sync was kinda spot on lol:D ,by the time you turn 15,u'll be a friggin genius,if u stay with us that is...

[Monsieur Rat]

Jesus Robber, and without even having a lightboard! lordy lordy!

[cartuneman]

Ok?, back to Class.......

I've noticed alot of you wanting to learn the human body and form and complain that You can't seem to get it right. also everyone is in a big hurry to animate. Thats all well and good except for few things. If you wanna animate the human form you must first understand how it looks and works. How and what muscels make an arm move how legs move and are shaped and so on and so on. What I'm trying to attempt here in this class right now is basic character design and building. The human form and also animal forms are one of the first basic things we as artist should learn in any form of drawing. If it be classic art or cartoon art.
When I was young I had a tough time drawing the human form. I had no light table and no way of buying the books or the ability to afford proper classes. So I picked up magizines and catalogs and started using my window with the morning sun and started tracing everything. All my Artistic freinds said "Augh your cheating your tracing!" But little did they know I was growing in the ability to understand the human form and the animal form. by tracing I was teaching myself this and by tracing alot I also learned a valuable skill for animating. This is what I suggest to any young person that wants to learn this.

Take the time to understand. Also take the time to train your skills.

A Great artist, Di Vincci (Sorry if I didn't spell that right) studied the human form to the fullist. Just remember to take your time.........time is the greatist allie you all have.

Also remember learn one thing at a time......My father used to tell me........"If you chase two rabbits you will end up loosing them both." and "Never put the cart in front of the horse."

I will do some research and post up some stuff about anatomy and structure.

Also a great thing that is available here in the forum is a character design Thread hosted by Noob.......Please take part in this because it is a great way to experiment and push your imagination.

Cartuneman:D

[NOOB!]

great info,although i think michelangelo is a better source to study anatomy from rather than da vinci

[cartuneman]

Thanks Noob,

I Like michelangelo too, thanks for the suggestion.


Cart:D

[robber3000]

also everyone is in a big hurry to animate.

well i am anyway? thanks you talked about this in your PM and im trying my best to even understand this anatomy

[tesher07]

Excuse me is this open. Or did i come to late. Or is it a class for people who came in early? I just joined today

[NOOB!]

its always open tesh,and welcome to AF;) anyone can join in.

[cartuneman]

Hi tesher07,

First off........Welcome to the AF Forum and the Cartoon Drawing class!

If you look back through the past posts you'll see that we are just really getting started and to tell the truth there is no real ryhme or reason to my madness muahahahahaha (Just Kidding).
Why don't you PM me or post a thread here to tell us a little about yourself and what you want to learn? All the people of the forum Help each other with any question you may have. We'd love to see some of your work. There is also another Fun thread that Mr. Noob has undertaken. I believe it is in the Animation concepts and Illustration Forum. Called: Character Design competition.
Also feel free to post an art gallery of your work in the Art Galleries. Again Thanks for joining us and let us know how we can help!

Cartuneman:D

[Monsieur Rat]

I'm gunna have to get in on this. Unfurtunately all my best recent toon drawings have been on the margins of my exams whilst i drew instead of answering questions. Oh well. I am officially in my lazt summer as a high school student now, so I'll enoy it by drawing.

And I agree with Noob, Da Vinci was a Rennaissance painter and they all tended to ignore anatomy and go for thick, unrealistic pudgy limbs. MIchaelango was a drawer who would paint what he drew, so his characters look much more life like.

[tesher07]

Well im 12 about to be 13.
I live in Arizona but im on vacation.
So therefore i dont have a comp scanner to put my drawings on.
Ill be home may 13 and ill try to put my work up i have some pretty good ones. I get the pics off the internet and try to draw them. Or i get them off the top of my head. But the ones im showing i traced the hands because i suck at drawing them:( ....... ok then i guess ill Be Back.......:confused: :cool: And your drawing are really nice BTW.:)

[cartuneman]

MR. Tesher,

Arizona huh? Great place to live. Welcome aboard to the class We hope you can learn from us as much as you want and become a great artist. Don't ever worry about tracing. We have all done it and we still do it today. Thats all part of being an artist or animator. Tools of the trade you know. Is there anything particular you wanna do or direction you want to take your art?




Cart:D

[Peachpitt]

I have been catching up on reading this thread and it is very interesting. It is a really nice thing you are doing by sharing your talent and experience with others. I hope to join the "class" and to contribute. I am always working to improve and to have drawings that are more solid. So I particularly want to learn more about techniques for having less flat looking characters. I also would like to learn more about getting more energy into my poses. Thanks.

[cartuneman]

Ok.......Hummm? where do I start?

I'll start with Mr. Robber,

I think anatomy was one of the hardest things for me to realize was so important. I first looked at the skeleton and figured out that when I looked at it it reminded me so much of a stick figure. So I began drawing tons of stick figures in different poses and found that once I had drawn tons of them I took my health and science book from school and studied the muscels and how they attached and where they attached to my stick figure. I then started drawing my stick figure and adding muscels to it. and pretty soon I understood.........one day it just hit me man I'm drawing the human form and really didn't have to look at anything. It will come to you I'm sure of it .

Mr. Peachpitt,

I'd love to see some of your work and maybe share some Ideas and thoughts with you. I noticed you said you wanna bring some life to your pics so they don't look so flat. hummmm? post some up here lets have a look may we? Thanks for joining the class!! We're all here to help.

Mr. Monsieur Rat,

I'd love to have you join us and I don't care if you draw on a napkin man, post it up. Are there any questions you wanna find out about?

Ok to catch everyone up to speed with whats going on in class:
We are all designing a character that we will be using throughout the next few weeks or so. We will be drawing this character over and over. Why? well in a few weeks after you draw this character I want you all to look back at your first drawing of them and you will see a difference. Trust me......

Cart:D man I'm a long
winded old fart, hahaha

[tesher07]

Well im hoping to be a game designer when i grow up and i want to work with characters weapons buildings etc.

[kame]

its sooo good to be back! I've been so busy with end-of-year-exams and trying to find a part-time job for the summer, i almost forgot about this place!

Anyway skipping ahead, ive read this entire topic and decided to join in on the educational-fun.

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/4450/carracters7tw.jpg
inspired by an old old game "Grim Fandango".

She needs alot of work, i know...
Done completly in flash, with help from a graphic-pad. A shame i have no scanner, my drawings look somewhat better on paper.

[cartuneman]

Wow Kame,

Thats a cool pic. I myself am learning how to use my stylus......... ugh it's taken some gettin used too. but great job. I'd still like to see some of your hand drawn stuff.

Ok everyone how are the character's for class coming? has everyone decided on a character and gonna stick with it?

cartuneman:D

[Sangfroid]

o wow, a treasure trove of <3!! I have a question!! http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/monmornstage.jpg
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/monmornstage.jpg
This pic rocks my socks <3.

Any advice/tips on composition?? Much ablidged.

[cartuneman]

Well sir,

First off about the pic. any good piece of art even if it's a sketch or scribble can have appeal. As long as the layout and the field of view is pleasing to the eye.
As for layout, the first things I think of when doing a scene is exactley what am I going to put in it and what the theme of the pic is going to portray. i then think of ie; characters, buildings, trees, other props, Then I set the lighting in my mind and also the the depth and horizon.

Then I begin my drawing. finishing up with shadows and contrast. I actually squent my eyes as I'm drawing a pic. This is just a little thing i've always done. By doing this it blurs my view like a soft overlay and I can see where i need to add contrast colors or shading. It also can give you a sense of being farther away from the pic and you can see things that you may have missed as a whole.

Always remember that composition of a layout is the marriage of higth,width, mass and the relationship of one object to another.

composition is the actuall attachment of all the things in the pic working with each other.

Some artist have a natural eye for comp and layout, me I have to work at it.

but when I drew this pic I wanted to do shadows from the harsh desert sun on a building. I also wanted to draw a glass window with lettering on it and see how I could do it. If you look at the saloon you can see shadows and lighting effects on the building. It was the first thing I drew in the pic and everything else just evolved around it. The actuall pic size is poster size 22"x36" Funny thing is before I drew the horses in front of the building you could see a gentelman sitting inside with a brew in hand hahahahahaha.

Did i just make any since?

Besides I love to draw Eye candy too! glad you liked it Sang. What is it that you like about the pic the most if I may ask?

cart:D

[liam2317]

I've been so busy with end-of-year-exams and trying to find a part-time job for the summer, i almost forgot about this place!

Same here but now I'm done and I think I'll join this little "class". Tomorow I have absolutely nothing planned, I'll draw up some ideas then. :D Can't wait to get started!!!!

[Sangfroid]

Besides I love to draw Eye candy too! glad you liked it Sang. What is it that you like about the pic the most if I may ask?

cart:D

I think it's the underlying essence of the picture that brings it forward. It's clearly somthing that has personal atributes to it *cough*..................... it reminds me alot of the Lucky Luke comics which are awsome!

Thanks for the layout info! We need more people like you on teh interweb Cartuneman!

http://blogdapalavra.blogs.sapo.pt/arquivo/lucky%20luke.jpg

[tesher07]

I have a question but i dont think it has to do with the art or maybe it does. Ok when i grow up i want to be a game designer . What are some good drawing or character modeling i can do. And if u know a good one give me some tips TY.:)

[cartuneman]

Mr. tesher07,

Character design and modeling are two different animals. Character design is an Idea, Modeling is taking that Idea and developing it. Gaming although has it's challenges. Most of the Successful games of today are all CG-3D. So when designing characters keep in mind that they will be 3D generated. But to be a successful game designer you should know all attributes of character design from 2D to 3D. A good place to start is right here in the forums CD thread. Drawing everyday will bring out your abilities and looking at how other people draw and use their techniques will help train you. There is not one thing that anyone can just give you that will guide you directly to being a Game Designer.
Although as a game designer you must also be highley trained in computer sciences. So keep in mind that not just being able to draw will make you a game designer. If there are some more specific questions about characters and design we all have advice for ya so ask away my freind.

cartuneman:D

[tesher07]

When doing game design do your drawings have to be 3d or can u draw the sides top and bottom. And then combine it on a computer.

[kame]

im afraid its not that simple... transforming 2d into 3d.

[NOOB!]

haha yeh,its faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar from that simple tesher.

If you want to get into game design,the drawing based work is usually called *concept* art,and these are used as guides for 3d modelling.

3d modelling and concept design are two completly different things.And game "designs" are usually not done in 3d straight away.

So i think it would be best to develop your drawing skills before moving into 3d,i think your still quite young,so you have plently of time.

[tesher07]

Ok But lmao that was funny you copied carttunman They are both 2 different things. Also The problem is i suck at drawing faces. I like drawing anime and game characters But they are 2 hard.

[NOOB!]

i actually didn't even read cartunemans post,but if they are similar then you know we aren't jokin.

Don't start out by drawing anime,draw your own face in the mirror,and others peoples faces in real life.;)

[cartuneman]

Good morning Mr. tesher07,

Ok sir, You seem to be in a big hurry to be what you wanna be. so to help you out. tonight I'll do some diagrams for you and post them here. So you can see the actual layout of a face. Now so far as Anime, Drawing anime is a taste preference. If thats the style you like then take what I show you and transfer it to your style. Being able to draw characters in the style you want is up to you.

As an Animator or Cartoonist or any other type of artist you must first learn the basics. Don't worry so much about what you can't do or as you say, suck at. Become a proffesional and start with what you do know. Then grow from there. Believe me, we all suck't at our art when we first had dreams of being animators or cartoonist.

Personal experiance : When I was about your age I had dreams and big questions such as you. but I did not have a computer. (well I did own a calculator......hahahahaha) I wrote every artist I could locate in books, Libraries, or what ever and they all wrote back and said take my time and learn the basics and so I did.

Mr. Noob is exactley right though. get yourself a mirror and start drawing your face. Draw your families faces and so on. But most important don't give up.
I'll post the Basic Facial diagrams tonight.

cartuneman:D "Draw till you have to buy more pencils and then.........Draw somemore"

[vicjperry]

i actually didn't even read cartunemans post.

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Zwickel]

Tonite rite now? :P

[Terro]

Sorry for not being a big participant in the past, I'm working on a skelly character and definitely need help with him. I need to design him and learn his poses in order to efficiently animate him. This will be a long process :)

Here's early sketches, for now we'll call him "bonehead". The only part of him that I'm satisfied with is the head. It's simple and to the point. As far as the rest of his body, I'll be posting my concepts here and hopefully getting feedback from you folks.

http://www.gk-concepts.com/sketch/bone1.jpg

I also went ahead and did a short head turn animation. http://www.gk-concepts.com/animations/bonehead.mov

I've got lot of motivation from the "Pyrats" short. I started playing Money Island again, lol and am thinking of doing some sort of a Pirate/Skelly animation.

[vicjperry]

Owwwww, ouch, man that hurts!!!!! Sorry, just fell out of my chair when I saw that Terro had submitted an animation!:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: ;) :D

Short but cool. Those skellys remind me of me after my divorce. Took everything I had, even my skinage. LOL:D

Here's a couple o doodles. My kingdom for some hand drawing skills!

http://www.geocities.com/crea8it/carts.jpg

[NOOB!]

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

did i say i didn't read his post,i meant,i didn't seed his ghost....

*runs*

[vicjperry]

You should be a goalie dude. Nice save!;)

[cartuneman]

Mr. Zwickel,

Tonite rite now? :P

Sorry I didn't get to this last night but the lake and the sun beat me up pretty good. I'll try tonight.


Ok it's tonight............sorry about the way this leans to one side..... my glasses are broke hahahahaha (from yesterday and I just noticed it after I scanned it in I hope you get the Idea though).

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/facialstructure.jpg


Hey Terro,

Get yourself a possible wooden Maquette ......it might help. I really laughed when I noticed the peg leg hahahahaha I'll study it more and throw some Ideas at ya.


Here's a couple o doodles. My kingdom for some hand drawing skills!

Vic,

Those are great and you have come a long way with the hands, take a look at some of your earlier drawings.

cart:D

[Zwickel]

It's kinda wrong in some proportions, check Burne Hogarth's books.

[Sangfroid]

It's kinda wrong in some proportions, check Burne Hogarth's books.

tsk tsk, silly rabbit. These Diagrams are about little tricks you can use to boost yourself on your way to feeling the measurments of things by nature. Everyones got em (if they say they don't there either lying or are one of those ridiculously gifted people who will never need anythign like that anyway, which will show from day one :p). And they do vary from person to person, measurments are not set in stone (despite what your "art" teacher tells ya). I would take heed of what Cartuneman is saying here, it's realy once in a lifetime that somone is willing to share there experiences like this without actualy working with the fellow (not to mention the somtimes rather justified snobbery of not even posting on the internet to begin with) So get what you can from it now kids cause it aint gonna be round for ever :p.

(below: A couple of lil measuring bla blabal i picked up from different ppl)

OOO last thing i'm gonna say (this is cartunemans, lesson 101 after all) is i'd realy advise you guys to start thinking in VERBS not NOUNS. So instead of thinking (Anatomy, grids, if i place x here, NOUNS) and start thinking in (flow, where things connect, essence VERBS).

[jahnocli]

So instead of thinking (Anatomy, grids, if i place x here, VERBS) and start thinking in (flow, where things connect, essence NOUNS).
Now I'm confused. Is this the wrong way round...?

[NOOB!]

don't worry jahn,sang has the tendacy to over explain something that can be said much simpler :rolleyes:

anyway i sorta agree with zwickel,if tunes drawing there is of *realistic* proportions i would say somethings are cleary over exaggerated,but i think he was goin for cartoony-realism;) :D

[vicjperry]

Awww, you guys should stick to drawing bodies.

http://www.geocities.com/crea8it/book.jpg

[NOOB!]

thanks for re posting that vic....:Xead:

[Sangfroid]

don't worry jahn,sang has the tendacy to over explain something that can be said much simpler :rolleyes:


It's a quote from Walt Stanchfield :rolleyes:

[NOOB!]

oh really??? that means it definatly can't still be put much simpler:p

lol you remind of my dad who would explain things the long hard way.Oh painfull memories of maths homework.

p.s. i was more referring to the part before the walt qoute hehe

[Sangfroid]

haha ok then mr smarty pants, YOU explain it ;), Show us how it's done.

EDIT: jahnocli> haha it was the wrong way round, that's pretty bad actualy, fixed> sorry for the confussion

[NOOB!]

explain what? i have nothing to explain cos i was agreeing with zwickle in the fact that he thought cartunemans proportions where a little off if its supposed to be a realistic face.

But this is a *cartoon* drawing class so maybe he wasn't trying to draw realisticly..only the man can say...

[cartuneman]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

LMFAO!!!!!:D

It was not supposed to be realistic. I hurried it up cause it was late and my wife wanted me in bed!!!! (tee hee). It's just a basic stupid lil layout to show where ears ,eyes, noses and a mouth fit in a given area. But man I love all the attention!!!

and Zwickel, I did say my art leaned to one side a little I noticed it was not totally proportioned right. But hell it got you'alls attention and that worked. hahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahah

you guys are great hahahahahaha

Hey sang can I steal and use your diagram? (it's better than mine) hee hee

Thanks for all the comps and crits guys.

cart:D

[NOOB!]

lol i thought as much,it think that what made zwickel say that.

And i apologize sang if u took my comment as an insult,you can't be funny on the internet:rolleyes:

I'm not in a place where i can *show people hows it done* i absolutly hate giving advice.

:p I do have a go at sang sometimes,only because when i met up with him,he didn't seem very confident with his work,i went out looking for a mentor,and just met the white version of me :D

[tesher07]

I hae a big question http://www.portrait-artist.org/structure-sketches-pics/face-structure-sketch1.jpg see this picture. U know how u said at the begining dont erase. How do you get all the lines and every thing off with out erasing. also another example post 173 by cartunman how do u get the lines off without erasing.

[vicjperry]

Just make sure you erase the lines before the 13th.

[NOOB!]

allot of artists do a sketch on the page,and then use a light box to trace it on a another piece of paper over the top.

the process is called clean-up in animation,its also used for comic book inking and loads of other stuff.

You can erase,but try to use it as less as possible.I can't remember the last time i erased anything:blink:

Another thing u can do i just sketch lightly.

[tesher07]

good idea. how is a good way to draw noses in a front view. and armor. Its always to hard when i draw a person they come out bad

[NOOB!]

tesh,its like we said earlier,draw your own face and other peoples faces ,then u can see noses from all angles,and different nose types.;)

Can i ask,can we see some of your work? its hard to crit when no one can really see what you are struggling with.

[cartuneman]

Mr. Tesher,

Noob as well as i have given you some very sound advice. Don't worry about the eraser. if you want to erase right now you may. But get used to not using it. let your mind and your hand work together. Draw till you think you can't draw anymore and then draw some more. then these things you want to happen such as the noses and the armor and alike will come to you. there is no set way of doing these things we all have had our share of How do I's and what'll I do if's and why's. But understand we all had to draw, draw, draw, to find some of those answers. get yourself a book on armor and get yourself a book on portraits and trace them and then trace them over and over again and eventually it will be inplanted in your mind. You'll see, I promise.

Oh one other lil thingy.............doomsday proficies have been around since man woke up one day and asked the question "What If? Then a saber tooth ate him..........hahhahahah:Xead: :eek: :blink: :D

You are to young to worry so much about those things.

cart:D worry about learning noses and armor and all else will sorta follow.

[Terro]

Tesher, I have moved your "End of World" posts to general discussion forum. http://www.animationforum.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1257


This thread is reserved for the Cartoon calss only.

[tesher07]

ure right the nose is easy to draw lol. Now the next thing is eyes and ears.? how do i draw them

[Zwickel]

I mean, nah I'm not offended guys, but I think we should first learn non cartoon drawing proportions and later on learn how to deform them.
For example, the way I practice is first I do a realistic drawing , then a coartoonish one, then one between the two of them, and then I pick the one I like between those 3, but learning realistic proportion helps a lot for comic stuff.

A good book is "Fun with a pencil" by Andrew Loomis.

[cartuneman]

Mr. tesher07

Look into a the looking glass my son look into the looking glass. Soon you will see what we are saying. Make your hand draw what you see.

eyes and ears, noses mouths and hair and freckels and on and on and on .

Keep drawing.

oh Zwickel,

I learned how to draw cartoons before I learned how to draw realizam. so either way works. What ever you are comfy with, do it.



cart:D

[NOOB!]

I learned how to draw cartoons before I learned how to draw realizam. so either way works. What ever you are comfy with, do it.



hhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

[cartuneman]

Yes it's true,

I was drawing cartoons before I new how to draw realisticly, following Hanna Barbera and warnner brothers as a kid then when I got out of High school a friend said that if I learned anatomy, animal and human, that my cartoons would look better so I did that and now I'm still as horrable as ever hahahaha.

cart:D

[vicjperry]

Hey bud, I don't just struggle with drawing hands, but feet too. I can draw actual shoes, boots, feet etc., but in a front pose, I struggle with how the feet are properly angled. (perspective) Any suggestions?

[tesher07]

o ya front prospective for feet is the hardest thing ive ever done. but i did it a few times but it doesnt look good but i did it over and over again. got better but not much

[Sangfroid]

Sorry to be such a sourpuss but>

This word Realism (as used on the internets) seems such a void term. No one is ever simply reproducing what is in front of them; it is always a case of interpretation, a symbol and reaction to the thing you see. Photo-realism, 18th century portrait painters etc or what ever it is this somewhat angsty web term is meant to represent are mearly using a different set of symbols to produce the final image, the underlying process is still very much about learning how to interpret what you are seeing and harnessing that into what you want to achieve and I can assure you that when it comes down to life drawing for animation static photorealistic images are the last thing you want hanging round your portfolio.

and to put it another way, Degar was not painting photographs! He had something he wanted to say and he said it.

For example, have a look at this old sample portfolio for an internship at Disney.

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/3989/dsp144yu.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Nouns and Verbs, they're both important, but there's one your drawings can't live without.

[NOOB!]

In simple terms ,basically,don't get too technical about your work,when i went to life drawing recently, people where spending 5 mins drawing construction lines,and it was kinda like wtf?:Xead: You should have something down that describes the whole pose within the first 10secs.

Also,cheating is good,if u can't quite see the arm on the model,draw it on anyway,its all about what works best,if you think it looks odd,it probably is.

and don't be afraid to exaggerate either,mmmm yummy rhytmic drawings are nice.:D

i haven't got a clue who i'm talking too right now,i guess this is for everyone;)

[pixelmark]

Ok, this is probably just ramblings of an idiot, but here are my thoughts on this...Anime is simply a style of drawing, there is nothing wrong with it. In fact, there has been a lot of really great Anime stuff (Full Metal Alchemist, Samurai Champaloo, Akira, Ghost in the Shell,...), but they aren't great because they are Anime - they are great animations done in that style. Just like Disney has a style to it; they have put forth some of the greatest animation ever seen AND some really lame stuff! The quality has nothing to do with the style.
That said, there is nothing wrong (in my opinion) with learning to draw in the Anime style. If I had to venture a guess, I would say that most people who draw cartoons started out drawing cartoons (:o guilty as charged). However drawing realisticly is great practice and can give a foundational understanding that can only enhance everything else you do. Besides, it is never bad practice to work outside of your comfort zone.
Yeah, I know too much blah blah - not enough draw draw. Sorry

[vicjperry]

Nicely put Pix! I agree, the animation and technical presentation will allways outshine the style.

My thought on life drawing versus cartoon drawing? I think more people should practice life drawing. I have a hard time drawing cartoon hands because I don't study real ones. I think a good practice for cartoonists, would be to go out with your sketchbook and draw people in various situations. (like Noob did)Then when you get home, draw cartoons in the same poses as your life ones. Wouldn't hurt if I did that more often. I just might start doing that.:D Just hope I don't get arrested for looking in people's windows.:eek: "I was just drawing life stuff officer".

[tesher07]

I draw anime alot and warriors and mages etc. its just hard to do you cant get the exact nature of how they did it and u mess up:( but the face i have a question why in anime do head shapes kind of look different the ear is hard to draw

[vicjperry]

ANIME is derived from a phrase that explains new artists who struggle drawing real life, then give up and end up drawing in that style.................A Newbie Is Making Excuses!:rolleyes:

[NOOB!]

haha best qoute ever...goin in my sig vic..haha

[vicjperry]

Glad you liked it Noob. Just don't put that on my tombstone!:D

[Evil Demon Creature]

Glad you liked it Noob. Just don't put that on my tombstone!:D
So I'm free to use it on mine, right?

[vicjperry]

Only if you add my name to the credits.:D

[tesher07]

Ok now ure saying i suck at drawing Noob another form of new doesnt know how. bad at :mad:

[KOTK]

We haven't even seen any of your work.:Blahblahb

[NOOB!]

this is why we should move the forum age limit up to 15.:Xead:

:D

[vicjperry]

"Cant we all just get along?" Rodney King

P.S. Noob, why do you keep changing your username?

[NOOB!]

i changed it ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,then i changed my mind again,hahaha.

I like NOOB! it misleads people :eek:

[-NL-]

well... it seems im horribly late for class hahaha but i've read/skimmed through the first few pages....

But anywho heres a very crappy animation i did for a Communications Technology Class i took (only took it because animation was involved for some parts hah!) ... i only had about 3 classes to do it = 3 hours so its pritty ****ty and i wish i had more time to do it but oh well :P

*[Sorry haha this was an animation and has been brought to my attention that it should be in another place so i took it off and moved it to the WIP fourm]*


(i originally had it set to stop at the end but i changed it to loop on here so ya dont have to refresh to see it over and over again)



and ill make a few drawings to show...

[NOOB!]

hehe funny concept NL,however this thread is more focused on drawing more than animation,u may want to make a new thread in the WIP forum to showcase ur animation,so we can give u some feedback on that;)

[-NL-]

sorry about that, my mistake.... i'm workin on some drawings now ... but i dunno just not feeling it today :( ... but i've got a binger full of stuff i could just take some pictures ... (no scanner + no wacom + only webcam = crap-taculair)

EDIT: sorry for the lateness aha but as i was uploading a buddy came to my house an got me and didnt get back till just now so... here they are

i must apologize for the quality again cause my web cam sucks and once again no scanner and no wacom :( hehe

but please feel free to crit them all you like because its good for learnin :D
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/-NL-/a272e085.jpghttp://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y29/-NL-/toon6.jpg

:P they arent my best eaither just a couple randoms i chose but i like em too

[tesher07]

O ya I forgot to ask what kind of pencil do u use to make those drawings. because im left handed and when i use a normal pencil mechanical pencil the led smeeres on the paper. on most work and its so annoying.

[cartuneman]

Sorry everyone !!

I've been gone for a few days (needed a brake) and can see everyone has survived. I also noticed that there has been mention of feets and how to draw them. I'm actually not the greatist at feet either. Man they are two of the most forgotten parts of a cartoon that alot of people just don't waste time on. but I tryd to drwa a few sketches of them so you all can see how I look at feet.

Welcome NL . if any of us can help let us know. your characters look like some of my stuff. wow thats strange......:blink:

Mr. Tesher, how you doing? You should get yourself some colored pencils and sketch with the light blues and make your changes in red or a darker blue.
and Vic I love your quote too.

cart:D

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c126/cartuneman/studyinfeet.jpg

[tesher07]

I think i will be able to get some work up instead ill use a camera because i dont have a scanner here. But it might not look good i havnt drawn in around 3 months. And you didnt answer one of my questions I draw left handed and when i draw it smudges on the paper and get the whole drawing darkend with led.:eek:

[cartuneman]

Howdy Mr. Tesher.

Since you are left handed use a napkin under your hand. also you can start using colored pencils. Colored pencils don't smudge as easily. Try that and see what happens. Also I've heard of guys even working away from there pencil....try drawing right to left. I know its a bummer when you smudge the art but I have faith in you. We as artist always find a way. :) I can't wait to see some of your work.

Cart:D

[tesher07]

Well ill try and since im going to learn how to scuba dive for 5 days and get certified starting tommarow i might draw a picture of me scuba diving.:)

[vicjperry]

Well ill try and since im going to learn how to scuba dive for 5 days and get certified starting tommarow i might draw a picture of me scuba diving.:)

Good luck, oh, and use waterproof markers.:rolleyes:

[pcdoctor]

Here is a picture of a lady.

http://webpages.charter.net/glenise/artwork/lady.jpg

[pcdoctor]

My problem is I can draw something very cartoony that's put in front of my face but when it comes to my imagination, I STINK!

Ex. I purchased a "How To Draw The Fairly Odd Parents" book a while ago. I really like the way the characters look.

Here is my picture of Timmy and Vicki following the instructions in the how to book.

http://webpages.charter.net/glenise/artwork/timmy.jpg

http://webpages.charter.net/glenise/artwork/vicki.jpg

[tesher07]

Ok
1. The lady doesnt look that good try adding hair and better lips. The eyes look right tho.
2. Teh fairly odd parents pictures when i first looked at it with out ready wat they were i knew that it was them so you drew it right vicy was perfect but y was a belly button > ?

4 They were al pretty good except the first one. Were did u draw them to me since they are dark lines they look drawn from Paint
Gj:) keep it up

[pixelmark]

Sorry that I haven't been to class in a while....here is my latest exercise!

http://img303.imageshack.us/img303/657/footspj6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[pcdoctor]

Ok
1. The lady doesnt look that good try adding hair and better lips. The eyes look right tho.
2. Teh fairly odd parents pictures when i first looked at it with out ready wat they were i knew that it was them so you drew it right vicy was perfect but y was a belly button > ?

4 They were al pretty good except the first one. Were did u draw them to me since they are dark lines they look drawn from Paint
Gj:) keep it up

The book said to use a backwards C for Vicki's belly button.
Her bully button looked like a > to me.
I might have to end up doing a variation on a known character.
I'll keep trying.

Oh yeah, I drew all artwork in pencil and then used a Papermate flair felt tip. (I use a smaller point felt tip pen now) After than I used a scanner to import the artwork. I have freehand but just didn't vectorize the drawings. I have tried, tried and tried to get used to a tablet but...
Looking at the Fairly Odd Parents book, I just discovered that I drew Chester in the first picture and not Timmy.

[tesher07]

oh ok. Well sorry cart and Vic i give up i havnt drawn in so long and i tried today and boy i cant even draw. I dont got any ideas either well i think i give up.

[Peachpitt]

These are some character poses that I did. They are roughed out in blue pencil and cleaned up in ink. I will post more drawings when I get a chance. I like drawing Disney type characters because they are really cool. I try to draw in many different styles.

[cartuneman]

Hi all sorry I haven't been around.

I've been prepairing for comic con in San diego, I'm going there yay!!! I'll try to report on the fun when I get back. I actually have a pitch interview already set up. Wish me luck........ok enough crap about me...........

Man you guys been busy of late.

Now, Mr. Tesher,

Don't you dare give up so fast. I'm going to give you an assignment and it will be fun, I promise. It may help stir some of your imagination. Don't you dare quit!!!!! I'm going to post a pic in a different thread and it is going to be nothing but a scribble.....I want you to take that scribble and really look at it and create anything your heart desires, from the scribble. The tactic here is to charge your imagination and fire you up with an erge to create.

PC Doctor:

this also might help you as well. Don't feel alone when you say You don't have an imagination. Alot of people feel that way. But alot of people are wrong. Do you dream or even daydream? then you have an imagination let the door to your mind open and you'll see. I love seeing that you are working with the basic concepts of a style from the book you mentioned.

Pixel:
your feets of art art looking great dude! I'd love to see what you make from my scribble too hahahahaha.

Peachpitt: Loving the work you posted of the bird. Great studies. Have you ever tried to add more exageration to your poses? Like take what you have and move them to the extreme...

ok off to scan my scribble .....looking forward to what everyones imagination will bring............oh I just thought of something ......to keep this fare and fun all of you that try this should send there scribble art to me directly in a private message and then I'll post them all at once. so no one actually will say I wish I thought of that or copy an idea from another class mate (Mean aren't I? muahahahahahaha:D

cartuneman:D

[Sangfroid]

These are some character poses that I did. They are roughed out in blue pencil and cleaned up in ink. I will post more drawings when I get a chance. I like drawing Disney type characters because they are really cool. I try to draw in many different styles.

beutifull work, nice raw energey in the character. Very much looking forward to more.

[tesher07]

Sigh well ok but im not gonna draw until i get home i dont have time to draw right now. I got scuba diving lessons so i can get certified. And it was pretty fun i saw a school of fish. The excersises are pretty weird though just got off topic to tell u about me like Cart did Cough Cough. lol:p



Ok and keep up the work im to tired right now

[Peachpitt]

Thanks for the encouragement. I appreciate your comments. And I am going to try to push for more exaggerated poses. The two areas I am focusing on in these types of drawings are to make them more solid (more 3d) and to get more energy (taking them to extremes). I think I'll work on thumbnails to visualize those poses and then I'll render the character. I'll post both here when I get done so we can see how well it works. Thanks again for the "props".

[vicjperry]

Excellent character Peachpitt. Follow Cart's advice or you'll get detention, lol.

John, great idea and glad you're taking the scribble thing to the forum. I'm sure it'll be a big hit. (folks, we scribbled on yahoo messenger for practice once) I like how you'll control the submissions too. Can't cheat for sure. This will be fun! Yeehaw!!!

[Peachpitt]

Thanks, it isn't an original character, just to be clear, it's Disney style inspired from Song of the South or Dumbo I think. I just found the character and wanted to learn how to construct and pose that style of cartoon. Birds are funny characters naturally and I like the "crow" because of the heavy blacks which are fun to ink with a brush.

[NOOB!]

hey pc doc, r u really in ur 40's?,i hear its allot harder to study art when ur older,i hope u stay with it :o

[pcdoctor]

Shhhh!!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:
You know women don't like everyone knowing their real age.
Yes, 41 to be exact but I look 32-35. :) :) :)
I read that John K said on his blog that if you are over 22 or something like that...you lose it.
I love cartoons and still watch them.
I think I'm the exception.
I'm just doing this for fun.
I'm just a kid at heart.
I saw Cars and Over The Hedge not too long ago.
I just got some free tickets from Sony to see Monster House but I'm going to pass the tickets on to a friend.
I plan on buying the Cars and Over The Hedge DVDs when they become available.

[Sangfroid]

Shhhh!!!! :mad: :mad: :mad:
You know women don't like everyone knowing their real age.
Yes, 41 to be exact but I look 32-35. :) :) :)
I read that John K said on his blog that if you are over 22 or something like that...you lose it.
.

haha the legend that he is, I wouldn't take everything that John K says too seriously :p. PPl in illustration/animation just like to play up some realy dated old master painting theorys everynow and then i'm sure :p.