Saturday, August 23, 2008

The Amazing Do It Yourself
Cartoon Life Drawing Class



Either the Lovely Ladies of Lard Beach (post coming soon) or the long lines in the grocery store, basically anyone can be a subject for our DIY Life Drawing Session - as long as they hold still for a minute or two... and have cartoony features.









The trick is to not get caught... sketching... staring... squinting... snickering. Just be cool... look studious.















Be a fly on the wall and not a spectacle as you dissect the diverse shapes and lines in these wonderful creatures. Its also advisable not to point and laugh. There will be ample time for genuine, constructive ridicule later. Our goal is to train our eyes and develop the olympic speed necessary for excellent spontaneous cartoonization, all the while flexing those drawing muscles.

Plus you never know where the next inspired expression or character will manifest.



In fact some of the faces may come in handy for future reference, like the husband in this couple below. His sly smile was perfect for my rendition of "Papa Mouse".





Above all, have fun - and make it a habit to pack a pen and paper at all times. Flair pens are great for napkin art.




Heres an inexpensive portable sketchpad: The "Hipster PDA" (clipped 3x5 index cards). They also make great flipbooks.


Someone here had the genius idea to invent one small enough to fit on a keychain. A Pilot Razorpoint would be good for that.

Bonus trivia question: Which famous comedian was a spokesperson for Pilot Pens? First correct answer comment here wins their very own Hipster PDA! (with a hand drawn caricature of said comedian).


Some of the humans pictured above are courtesy of the Shadyside Whole Foods Market, Pittsburgh, PA and Burnside Funeral Home, Bridgeport, WV
Gasp!! (yes they were all alive). The subject is "life" drawing after all.