The Art of Cartooning: The Complete Guide to Creating Successful Cartoons!
By David Mostyn
()
About this ebook
If you've always wanted to doodle your way to cartoon greatness, this eye-catching book is the place to start. Professional cartoonist David Mostyn explores the art of creating humorous drawings, from coming up with comical ideas to assembling cartoon strips in several frames. With clear visual examples, step-by-step exercises and inspirational artworks, this enjoyable guide will appeal to cartoonists of all levels of ability.
Learn how to:
• Set up your workspace
• Come up with gags
• Create cartoon characters
• Get political
• Put together a strip cartoon
David Mostyn
DAVID MOSTYN is a widely published cartoonist and illustrator.
Read more from David Mostyn
Don't Take Your Elephant to School: An Alphabet of Poems Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Daredevil Book for Anglers: Cunning Strategies That Fish Don't Know About Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSod Sitting, Get Moving!: Getting Active in Your 60s, 70s and Beyond Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMiraculous Magic Tricks: Packed with dozens of dazzling tricks to learn in simple steps Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDay I Fell Down the Toilet and Other Poems Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sod Seventy!: The Guide to Living Well Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSod it! Eat Well: Healthy Eating in Your 60s, 70s and Beyond Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Daredevil Book for Dogs Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Daredevil Book for Cats: What Cats Really Think! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDaredevil Book for Golfers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDad, You're Not Funny and other Poems: An Alphabet of Poems Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to The Art of Cartooning
Related ebooks
How to Draw Your Own Graphic Novel: Learn All About Creating Characters, Storytelling, Inking And Covers! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Practical Guide to Drawing Caricatures: [Artist's Workbook] Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Draw Fantasy Worlds: Create Characters, Creatures & Scenes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBeginner's Guide to Drawing the Future: Learn how to draw amazing sci-fi characters and concepts Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Complete Book of Drawing Fantasy Art: How to draw amazing characters and scenes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Draw Fantasy Art: Create Amazing Fantasy Characters Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Draw Anatomy for Comics Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI Can Draw Graphic Novels: Step-by-Step Techniques, Characters and Effects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLearn How to Draw Cartoons For the Beginner: Step by Step Guide to Drawing Cartoons Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsI Can Draw Manga: Step by step techniques, characters and effects Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Drawing Dragons: Learn How to Create Fantastic Fire-Breathing Dragons Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Essentials of Drawing: Skills and techniques for every artist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Learn How to Draw Caricatures: Step By Step Guide For the Beginner Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beginner's Guide to Fantasy Drawing Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsModern Drawing: A Contemporary Exploration of Drawing and Illustration Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Drawing Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Complete Guide to Drawing Manga: Step-by-step techniques, characters and effects Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsArt Class: Manga Art: How to Create Your Own Artwork Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Fundamentals of Drawing Animals: A step-by-step guide to creating eye-catching artwork Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Will Eisner: Champion of the Graphic Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Secret Teachings of a Comic Book Master: The Art of Alfredo Alcala Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Complete Guide to Drawing Comics: Learn The Secrets Of Great Comic Book Art! Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Learn to Draw Comics Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Manga Art for Everyone: A Step-by-Step Guide to Create Amazing Drawings Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Ultimate Guide to Creating Comics Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Osamu Tezuka Story: A Life in Manga and Anime Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Art of Cartooning Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Visual Arts For You
Draw Like an Artist: 100 Flowers and Plants Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Expressive Digital Painting in Procreate Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Draw Every Little Thing: Learn to Draw More Than 100 Everyday Items, From Food to Fashion Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sharpie Art Workshop: Techniques & Ideas for Transforming Your World Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How to Draw Anything Anytime: A Beginner's Guide to Cute and Easy Doodles (Over 1,000 Illustrations) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How To Draw Faces Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Drawing School: Fundamentals for the Beginner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Art Models 10: Photos for Figure Drawing, Painting, and Sculpting Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Learn to Draw: Manual Drawing - for the Absolute Beginner Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Harmonious Color Schemes; no-nonsense approach using the Color Wheel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Daily Creativity Journal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Draw What You See Not What You Think You See: Learn How to Draw for Beginners Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Lost Art of Handwriting: Rediscover the Beauty and Power of Penmanship Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Botanical Drawing: A Step-By-Step Guide to Drawing Flowers, Vegetables, Fruit and Other Plant Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Art Models SarahAnn031: Figure Drawing Pose Reference Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Hand Lettering for Relaxation: An Inspirational Workbook for Creating Beautiful Lettered Art Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5One Zentangle a Day: A 6-Week Course in Creative Drawing for Relaxation, Inspiration, and Fun Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anatomy for Fantasy Artists: An Essential Guide to Creating Action Figures & Fantastical Forms Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Conscious Creativity: Look, Connect, Create Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Hand Lettering on the iPad with Procreate: Ideas and Lessons for Modern and Vintage Lettering Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Art Starts with a Line: A Creative and Interactive Guide to the Art of Line Drawing Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/515-Minute Watercolor Masterpieces: Create Frame-Worthy Art in Just a Few Simple Steps Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Calligraphy Workbook for Beginners Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Journal with Purpose Layout Ideas 101: Over 100 inspiring journal layouts plus 500 writing prompts Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A Handwriting Manual Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for The Art of Cartooning
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
The Art of Cartooning - David Mostyn
David Mostyn was born in Yorkshire in 1944. After finishing school in South Africa, he went to art college and then straight into advertising. He spent ten years as an art director in agencies and studios in London. After a short spell in publishing, he set up as a freelance cartoonist in 1978. He has worked for Mad magazine, The Beano, The Dandy and Marvel Comics, and has illustrated many books, magazines and advertising campaigns. He is married with two children, and lives in Oxford.
Contents
Introduction
Basics and Getting Started
Materials and Equipment
Basic Techniques
Comic Situations and Ideas
Cartoon Characters: People and Animals
Cartooning the Head and Body
Drawing Figures in Action
Cartoon Animals
The Elements of Your Cartoon
Cartoon Objects
Layout
Backgrounds
The ‘P’ Word
Cartoon Lettering
Special Effects
Different Types of Cartoon
Gag Cartoons
Editorial Cartoons
Strip Cartoons
Computer Technology
Using Technology in Cartoons
Conclusion
Introduction
This is a book about how to put a cartoon together. There are a few very basic rules, and if you spend a bit of time getting them right, it’ll make your trip into the world of cartooning a great deal easier. Cartoons are very diverse – they can be witty, satirical or just downright funny. You can use them to make political points or joke about your friends. As long as you get your message across, it’s just a matter of experimentation. Look at what other cartoonists draw, and how they draw it. Copy their styles and techniques. The more you look and copy and practise, the more you’ll become accustomed to this method of drawing.
I hope this book will give you a platform on which to perform. As with any of the arts – and I do class cartoons very much as an art form – the more you practise the more you’ll achieve. Practising doesn’t have to mean sweating away in a studio surrounded by expensive equipment. All you need is a sharp eye, a bit of pencil and the back of an envelope. You’ll have to try to be very observant. Watching life go by is hugely entertaining. The cartoon ideas are there in front of you. All you have to do is to be aware of them.
A simple, everyday scene can, by distorting the action, easily be made into a cartoon. Cartoons are after all, simply a distortion of reality.
Look through this book. There are plenty of avenues to go down. Have fun with it, agree with it, or disagree with it. Just use it to open the doors into this very weird and eccentric world.
Basics and Getting StartedMATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT
The range of artists’ materials currently on the market is overwhelming. Over the years I have spent what must amount to a smallish fortune in paints and pens, some of which have been discarded. However, these weren’t a waste of money as they helped me to sort out which materials suit my style of artwork.
Before you go to an art shop, try to decide on the kind of work you want to do, then concentrate on finding the materials that will be suitable for it. Inevitably you will buy some products that you find don’t work for you, and as you progress, like me, you will discard equipment along the way. The most important point to remember is that there are no hard and fast rules in the cartoon industry on what you may use as your drawing tools.
My equipment is very simple, and I describe here what I use and why.
Paper
There are basically two types of paper surface suitable for drawing cartoons: Hot Pressed (HP) and NOT, sometimes termed Cold Pressed (CP). NOT paper can be quite rough to the touch and has a definite texture, while HP paper has a smooth surface. Some brands of paper are obtainable in both forms.
Because you may want to draw in different styles and mediums, in black and white and in colour too, it’s useful to find a brand of paper that suits all these things. Fabriano paper is suited to just about everything you can throw at it, both literally and figuratively. Leonardo da Vinci used it, and I feel that what’s good enough for him is good enough for me!
I favour Fabriano 5, which comes in both HP and