November 2002 Archives

Dear Dairy,

I've just been reading a thread from a super secretive cartoonists' web board about how to make a character look the same when drawing it from panel to panel. This was a question asked by a group of kids in a workshop being run by a cartoonist. It's a pretty common question but I have a different take to that of most of the thread participants. Many referred to achieving likeness through the use of drawing a model sheet of the character, similar to the animation industry. I really find that drawing in the manner of animation (constructing characters with circles etc.) really is restrictive creatively and time wise. The issue being there is lack of freedom in movement of your character in a panel strip. Panel cartoons are 2D not 3D so why use a model sheet? I believe the kids are referring to achieving a similar likeness throughout to maintain consistency! bwahhahahahaha....anyway.

No matter how hatful of smacked monkey bums* awful the drawing of a mouse with red shorts on best bet that viewers will say you've drawn Mickey Mouse. It only requires a few key elements of the character to make recognition easily identifiable. I've drawn our illustrious leader of the nation numerous times over the past 3 years in the Cactus Island comic strip and I'll guarantee you that none of those drawings are exact or as they say in the animation industry "On Model".

I like to think of my drawing style as unique as my signature. Something that could not be rendered by another person. Adding my flavour to the style of drawing. Signature drawing style if you will. I once did a course on Graphology (helps when your Grandfather was a Federal Police officer too) and noted a fun exercise. Have a look at the way you've signed the back of your keycard or credit card. Now look at a letter to a loved on or a birthday card with your signature on it. Your Keycard will have incomprehensible scribble while your Birthday Card will have a timely scripture done in the best copperplate possible. It's all about attitude. No care for the banks and lots of love and time for friends and family. Imagine what can be said about drawings!

My style for Cactus Island was purely done for speed. I worship Sergio Aragones. His style too is built from speed. When you have strict deadlines to meet you can't stop to correct the work too often without slowing down or getting stuck. Speed makes you release the best artwork you'll ever do. Trust me. I've taught many workshops and every attendee has gone away drawing 80% faster and better than when they were struggling before they arrived to class. I haven't been teaching anything new, it's just the simplest solutions sometimes can be the most allusive.

* Hatful of smacked monkey bums - pending trademark by me.

Apparently I can increase the number of visitors here by having naked images appear on my website. Here is the first of many. Let me know if you are interested in sharing the idea of having compimentary naked people on your site. I may make them an easily downloadable vector file for use in Flash ! or Illustrator.

I had nothing to say last night and I had nothing to do tonight.

In cartooning there are a number of downs. It isn't the easiest job on earth if there is such a thing. I get offended by the parents in particular who call up wanting me to give their son a chance or some work experience because they are at the end of their tither. "He's a fantastic drawer and I really don't know what else to do with him. He hasn't been doing very well at school and he wants to leave. All he wants to do is draw!". That is the next most irritating* thing I hear. Everyone draws as a kid, it's a natural thing. Why do these parents associate cartooning with something that is simple and easy. It is far from the truth. When I was in employment by animation studios we were paid almost in servings of rice to produce an obscene amount of precision artwork on time every time or you don't get paid. My first pay packet for a week's worth of inbetweening was $60. That wasn't long ago that wage either. Freelancers make up for 90% of the countries cartoonists. What I suppose I found to be so agitating was that these parents don't consider the insult they are giving when their fledgling Picasso expects to get a career boost by someone who seriously worked their ass off to get even halfway up the celebrity cartoonist ladder. Do they not understand that you need excellent Business and Communication skills, Administration knowledge, a committment to a life of hardship. For some the passion for the industry is overwhelming and they inevitably find themselves along the secret career path to cartooning. I don't have the time to piggy back some teenage kid uninterested in committing himself to our ranks when he more than likely will take off and become a plumber or a heaps sick skater. I've been there before as a teenager and took it upon myself to learn the ropes the hard way. I have refused the past 2 years to advertise in the Yellow Pages as I resent the long list of calls for work experience. On the other hand ...

If you feel that you are passionate enough and would simply die or worse if you discover your life not worth living not being a cartoonist then ... get work experience somewhere they use cartoons already. Get a position learning the printing process and how much time is spent in colour correcting artwork for printing. Learn business etiquette, do a marketing course. Get experience in Public Relations. Learn to become a business person and understand why and who would appreciate your contribution as an artist.

If you make it to become a cartoonist and join your colleagues in the Aust Cartoonists' Assoc. then I look forward to the day we meet over drinks at a national awards night. It can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can imagine becoming a professional cartoonist. Just don't take your job or the profession of others for granted.

* The first is cartoonists being interviewed saying they've been drawing since they were a kid . Really? I've been walking since I was a kid, wasn't until my teen years did I learn to stand still. It's a stupid comment to make and really highlights how unprofessional you are. Interviewers are asking when the real decision was made to be cartoonist, not when you felt like drawing first.

** Freelancing is an old medieval English term referring to a Knight (with Lance) or mercenary for hire. So - Free being available to anyone and Lance referring to a weapon.

I just had a message from a newspaper saying they were cancelling their subscription to my comic strip as they found the matter of this week's strip innapropriate and offensive to those who are struggling in drought stricken areas.

Far from trying to offend anyone at all, I am still in shock as to why anyone would find it offensive to have a laugh about such a serious topic. I was brought up to see the world for what it is and try to see the funny side to it. I thought that's what being Australian was - to be able to joke heartedly in spite of all. I mean if you're going to get serious about it why not change your spoken language because the English Dictionary is made up of more than 80% negative words. Sometimes I just don't understand what makes people think.

It's sad to lose this paper but more because it is another lost space in newspaper real estate. The powers at be would prefer to shove an ad in its place than replace it with another comic strip. An Australian comic strip at that.

My only regret is that I was never offered to replace the offending strip with an alternative.

With apologies to Grumpy Girl.

Also here is the cartoon that I had to redraw and replace for the newspapers. Don't ask why, still looks the same to me.

And I intend to draw some nudes for the women out there to make up for the last blog !

in fact here are some now :

all shapes and sizes ...

Sorry for the delay in blogs. Few server issues to take care of before I could type away to you again.

I've been busy looking for a file on a job done some years ago and was wading through endless zip disks. On some of these were old jobs I had almost forgotten about entirely. Some absolute classics. Like this half finished rough done for a farewell caricature present :

This was done entirely in Painter about 5 years ago. The end result I never made a copy of but it was fun to see a rough of this though.

And another odd request I had speaking of caricatures was for this one, it was done completely in watercolours and with little (and no nude) photo references and was an absolute hit with the client. Strange ...

Thankfully I haven't had to do anything like this for guys. I don't think they'd appreciate a caricature like this of themselves. Although ?

I love how other people in their blogs are using these screen names instead of real names. Dr.K came over with Aunty PP and had a big whoopee with Fluffy Bunny Slippers. Does anyone follow their bloody conversation when they start doing that ?

Anyway, was up late last night doing some doodles (oh dear, I've started the pseudonym habit) for a client. Apparently it is for .... well I can't say because that would upset them now wouldn't it. Nevertheless I came up with these roughs in next to no time thankfully.

If there is one thing I hate drawing, it's horses. I don't like horses to begin with anyway. Now I have to draw them. They just aren't graceful. They're ugly to draw. I don't like them. Have I mentioned that enough already?

I've got to redraw this strip for editorial reasons, so here is a chance to see what would have been published

It's Melbourne Cup day again. Same time every year. Same time every year that people gain an amazing sense of prediction as to the winner of the race. The sense that comes after a few champagnes. Champagne bottles that is.

I'm not betting this year, which has disappointed many to say the least. Every year (about 14 of the races) I have managed to pick the winner but only win small amounts. I'd have to tip all as to who I thought would win. Out of shere luck, I happened to choose the winner. Every year since I have been making others richer. Bastards. Not this year.