‘Fast and furious’ hand-drawn cartooning process!
I am a staunch believer that you can still get into the cartooning process the old-fashioned way — fast and furious pencil sketches followed by a nib and Indian ink and finally adding colour with watercolour paint or pencils.
Why, you may ask?
Why an ‘analogue’ cartooning process CAN still work
Here are just 3 reasons before we dive into our basic cartooning process video lesson.
- skills are needed even on devices
- avoiding too much novelty (and overwhelm)
- no barrier to entry
Skills matter, even on devices
As a newbie to the cartooning process the amazing digital effects are enticing, but the reality is that they’re a big distraction. Owning a Stradivarius doesn’t mean you can play it beautifully — for that you need solid violinist skills. Similarly, as a cartoonist you need foundational drawing skills under your belt before you can get the most of out of any digital tool. At this point you might be thinking “But I can learn the basic drawing skills using my digital drawing device.”
(Yes you can. As you can read here.) But will you? That brings us to the next point.
Does too much novelty lead to overwhelm?
When you’re building a new skill, even a physical one like cartooning, your brain is working hard to master it. It’s exhausting. Add to that the use of unfamiliar tools and the learning curve involved in gaining even a basic understanding of the digital software (like using layers), and you’re quickly into overwhelm territory. On the other hand, if you’re using pencil and paper, you’re as comfortable as a boiled egg under a tea cosy. You mastered the skill of using analogue tools since way back in primary school so you can focus on the cartooning process and let the tool use take care of itself.
Don’t underestimate the effort it takes to learn something new — learning two new things at once might be too much. And besides, those shiny devices come at a price.
What about cost?
Digital devices are pricy, especially the ones that will let you draw really excellent cartoons in the end. Drawing with pencil and paper is cheap and you can get your hands on them anywhere. Plus, your pages (or notebooks) stack up visibly so they provide tangible evidence of the work you’ve put in. They also make it easy to flip back and see how far you’ve come, which makes you feel good.
Now, time to watch the video. Here’s a quick summary of the process so that you can follow along:
- Open up your paper or notebook.
- Draw a quick, sketchy cartoon character using your HB pencil (sketchiness adds energy to the end product).
- Pull out your fine marker (make sure it’s waterproof), or nib and Indian ink (again, waterproof) and outline.
- Wait for the ink to dry (super-important, I have smudged many a cartoon through impatience).
- Erase the HB pencil marks from under the ink.
- Add colour using watercolour pencils.
- Activate the watercolours with a small brush and water (or Pentel water brush) to bring them to life (optional)
I’ve listed the tools you’ll need below the video.
Analogue cartooning process — tools you’ll need
scholar’s plain notebook or basic watercolour sketch pad; HB pencil; waterproof marker or Speedball 513EF nib and waterproof Indian ink; watercolour pencils or paint; small watercolour paintbrush or Pentel water brush
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??If you like hearing both sides of a story, be sure to read the comment thread down below ??