Forceful Figure Cartooning

Jack Cole sequence from Plastic Man, 1950

We look at a lot of classic cartooning in the Figure Drawing for Cartoonists course.

Warmup studies by Gil Kane

Mac Raboy model sheet showing figure as descending rhythm of wedges

Opposing figure designs by Heinrich Kley, 1909

I feel that many comic artists run into trouble when they draw by constructing solid body parts-- head, neck, arms, etc.-- and attaching them together to make a person. The results are often stiff and dead seeming, however realistic they may appear on the surface.

 In this course, we pursue the goals of drawing with vitality, clarity, and solidity, in that order. I talk about planes and the illusion of transverse volume, skeletal joint breaks in the creation of legible silhouettes, and stress the importance of subordinating those concerns to the creation of forceful, unified gestures.

Harvey Kurtzman layouts beside Will Elder finishes, for Help #1, 196?. Students are challenged to compare the images and come up with their own interpretation.

I assign a crazy menu of figure drawing challenges designed to drive those skills home, treating each as a game with a unique set of rules. We sketch, for example, from photos of animals fighting, to find the main lines of action, the leading edges, the forceful shapes.



We apply the concepts to classic cartoon characters.

Preston Blair cartooning instruction

The new session begins Wednesday. The last day to sign up is Monday, I believe. Don't delay!

John Stanley sequence from 13 Going on 18, 1963

Student Spotlight: Andrew Vado

Check out these pages by Andrew Vado, an artist of exceptional ability who joined the Inking Comics class last semester.

These are Andrew's novel solutions to the single light source and "aspect to aspect" challenges, plus a finished page from his final project. It's always a delight to meet, help, and learn from outstanding young artists.

"Aspect to Aspect" Visual Narrative

Here' an unfinished page I played around with a couple semesters ago in the Inking Comics course. The assignment is to compose a page, finished in ink, following the "aspect to aspect" transition described by Scott McCloud in Understanding Comics. We choose images from around the classroom, including other students.



Inking Comics is proving to be the most relaxing and pleasurable of the courses I teach, a perfect way to pass a Friday evening. It's the most gratifying too. Seeing all the lovely finished pages on display at the final critique can be a wonderful experience. (for examples of that, tune in tomorrow!)

Classes start next Friday! Sign up soon.

An Improv Comic

One of my favorite exercises I give in the Figure Drawing for Cartoonists course is a comic improv. We begin by looking at the panel compositions of the great Alex Toth, noting the ways he balanced images against graphic elements and composed shots to zero in on story information. We then have a costumed model improvise a narrative from pose to pose, while the students create an impromptu comic story, adding dialogue and sounds, crafting appropriate shots and pages.

Every few semesters, I steal a little time to play along. Here's a recent example where I managed some quick sketches as I coached the class. I posted an earlier example here, and a couple student examples are included here and here.

You'll notice that when I do the assignment I draw directly in ink-- a very satisfying way to work. That's something I get everyone doing in the Inking Comics course.

The spring semester begins soon. Come play with us!

Student Spotlight~ Joshua Daniel

Check out these amazing comics by outstanding Inking Comics student, Josh Daniel, a.k.a. The Noir Guy.

The final project says simply "One character steals something from another character. The first character tries to get it back. Incorporate a change from inside to outside or vice versa and from day to night or vice versa. Have at least one texture figure into the story." Josh took the prompt and ran  away with it.

And here's Josh's inspired solution to an earlier assignment, "Create a one or two page comic which, with the possible exception of sounds or dialogue, begins with an all black panel. During the story a light comes on. You may decide what that light is-- a match, a light bulb, the sun, or what."



Inking Comics is the class where we focus on the problem of making our comic drawings publishable. The placement of lights and darks and forms and shadows has a definitive role in orchestrating a reading experience. Rendering techniques and stylistic choices determine its flavor. Artists who work digitally must solve the same problems. Come delve with us. Learn all about it.

Tomorrow evening, Jan. 12, is the info session for SVA's Cartooning & Illustration Continuing Education department. Come talk to me there about my courses, Inking Comics, Figure Drawing for Cartoonists, and Cartooning Basics (and follow those links for a gander at SVA's spiffy new web design). Courses begin the last week in January. Tell your friends.

Bless You

Republican Pundits as "Bully Boils"-- Cartozia Tales #6

Here's my story, "Belligerents," from Cartozia Tales #6.
In an earlier episode, Lupi McGinty had revealed that the character, Iisha, was infected with bully boils who harass her in her sickbed. I decided to make them caricatures of right wing blowhards.

Meanwhile, in the previous issue, Corinne Mucha showed Reshii's attempt to return with Iisha's cure thwarted by the sudden appearance of a rock band, Rubble, which is where the present story begins.




(The character, Dr. Iilyx, is one of our Kickstarter funders, Alyx, who paid for a cameo appearance in the comic. So's the cat, Az.)


Now we have a new campaign to reprint issue #1, and the original art to this story is offered as a reward. Please subscribe and tell your friends, too. This is a fun comic and we hope to keep it going.

The Hairasite

here's something topical:

Modern Painters

Every now and then you find yourself working on a project that goes nowhere and you tell yourself, "at least I can put these sketches on my blog or something." Here are some images of abstract expressionist painters. I won't deprive you of the pleasure of identifying them for yourself.

Fall courses are enrolling now!

Come see me this Wednesday evening at the SVA Illustration and Cartooning Info Session and learn more about my three classes, Cartooning Basics, Figure Drawing for Cartoonists, and Inking Comics. Continuing Education classes start in only a month. Sign up soon.

Kiwi Kite Cartozia Jam

We've just posted the final panel of a rhyming comic jam, Kiwi Kite's Song, on the Cartozia Tumblr.

It's the latest of many many innovative approaches to jam comics pioneered by our genius editor, Isaac Cates. 

This time, the governing rule was for the creators to play Tag. A player tags you. You draw the next panel. You tag another player. Simple and fun. In addition to Isaac and me, the main players were Shawn Cheng, Caitlin Lehman, Mike Wenthe, & Lupi McGinty (who was joined, entertainingly, by her daughter, Az). Other guests who popped in were John Chad, Joey Weiser, Lucy Bellwood, & Sarah Becan.

Another of Isaac's commands was that we not spend too much time on our panels. I addressed that by seeking ways to simplify my compositions and reduce the amount of story information. That's something I find it easier to preach than to practice. This challenge was most welcome and did me a world of good.

The printed minicomic will be sent as one of the fun bonuses for Cartozia subscribers. Subscribe here.

Cartozia Tales: The Song of War

No comic's complete without a spit take.

I'm growing impatient for our groundbreaking comic anthology, Cartozia Tales, to start getting the recognition it deserves. It's world creation as a creative game. It's so fun to make, it brings out the best in all its contributors, resulting in a really delightful product, packed with inventions, surprises, and fun features. If you haven't seen any of the issues yet, I have to tell you, you're really missing out.

I'd like to share with you one of the chapters I've contributed, this time for Issue 5, set in sector 7, the frozen southwest corner of our imaginary world. Every issue, editor Isaac Cates calculates and casts dice to assign each contributor the task of continuing the ongoing story in what's, for them, a new sector of the map.

In the first issue, cartoonist Jen Vaughn initiated the sector 7 story, "Vagabond." It introduced a girl, Sylvia, and her pet Jenks, who are traveling to the southern islands. Sylvia is known as a "war child" but her passion is for music and she wants to learn the Frost God's Song.

In issue 2, the cartooning team of Isaac Cates and Mike Wenthe have Sylvia acquire two traveling companions: incompetent magician Ibbacod, a bird person from the distant north who seeks employment from the Red Clan chieftain, and Voren, a sword fighting Phibbit who rarely speaks. Voren fends off an attack by a Mask Bear and the team acquire its enchanted mask.

In issue 3, Lupi McGinty has Voren don the mask and find the mysterious Library Stairs, guarded by singing Aria Sphinxes. The ancient librarian sends him away with a scroll containing The Song of War.

Shawn Cheng, in issue 4, has the team befriend Donar of the Red Clan, a Snow Devil prince, who leads them to the village he inhabits in the trunk of a Mother Tree in the hope that Voren, a master of ancient languages, can help treat his ailing father.

Which is where I took over and treated our heroes to a bit of dinner theater:

I like to work little artistic and literary allusions into my comics wherever possible. A special "no-prize" (ahem) will be due the first person in the comments to peg the inspiration for Donar's father.

These characters have had more adventures since. Issue 7 is just now coming out. Come see.