Here are what I think are the most important first tools of cartoon drawing. Constructing the body and the head. Without understanding these, almost every other artistic concept will be vague and mysterious. You can't really understand any of this stuff just by reading it. You have to actually do it, and do it a lot. Practice and self-criticism will help ram the understanding into your head for good.
Whether you want to do animation, inbetweening, story, storyboards, layout or almost any other aspect of cartooning for animation, the key to all those concepts starts right here:
animation-school-lesson-1-construction
top-cat-turnaround-toy-construction
toy-construction-2-advanced
animation-school-lesson-2-squash-and stretching The Head
animation-school-lesson-3-how-to-check your copies
animation-lesson-4-2-legged-characters
animation-school-lesson-
5 hands
http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/2007/10/heckling-hare-step-by-step-construction.html
Oh and thanks to all who have contributed!
top-cat-turnaround-toy-construction
toy-construction-2-advanced
animation-school-lesson-2-squash-and stretching The Head
animation-school-lesson-3-how-to-check your copies
animation-lesson-4-2-legged-characters
animation-school-lesson-5 hands
http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/2007/10/heckling-hare-step-by-step-construction.html
Oh and thanks to all who have contributed!
19 comments:
huzzah for Nathaniel
This is very helpful.
But it's hard knowing if your doing it correctly or not.
I tried looking at some of the animation assignments like Bosko and The Queen but the links didn't work.
Hey John, that donation from Lorna Heisie is actually from me! You fiend.
Your site is the best!!! Any chance you'll post another construction example....step by step drawings or another quicktime video? Maybe Daffy Duck????
sure. Refresh the post and scroll down
ok....ummmm....I was hoping for another inspiring set of drawings....i've just about worn out the video from heckling hare :) maybe a few morsels...basic constuction of daffy duck....just drawings....ummmmm, basic stuff :)
I've been going through all of those steps as we speak, I'm going back and forth, stuff I already learned or stuff I have trouble with. I am constantly going over.
You have alot of screenshots that I enjoy sketching. When you go thru them sketching them one at a time, you can actually notice yourself getting better. I've been drawing since I was 5, got really into it at 16, I'm 24 now. Last year I started looking at your blog and started getting a flow and proportion to my characters, along with other things.
However, this month I did the screenshots, and to see how much I have grown from just those is amazing.
PS. Did you see the new George Of The Jungle? It's so bad =/
hey john, i see above that you mention how all this is important for animtion, well, i would have to say as an illustrator all of your lessons have come in handy and really helped. so its not even just animators that can be guided by this stuff. so thanks
All good stuff.
I wonder how drawing just three fingers became the norm? I realise it's easier and cleaner than drawing four but it does seem a little weird to me. Like there is some freak somewhere with a collection of severed cartoon fingers - the cartoon pinkie graveyard or something.
The $100,000 Drawing Course you have up on ASIFA, is a great way to get these basics down. I just finished it. I went through and did all the drawings from all the lessons. It took about seven months. My drawing skills improved more in these seven months than in two years of teaching myself! I can't thank you enough for these lessons. Look for a donation soon. So for those of you looking for more lessons. There are already plenty of them.
The mailman's hands in the great piggy bank robbery are terrifying
Im now doing this for almost 1 year. And I really learned allot! I wish I would have know this sooner. I always loved drawing cartoons but nobody ever could tel me how to do it.
This site and all the lessons are great!
"But it's hard knowing if your doing it correctly or not."
Yeah you are right. You can scan it in, but if you look long at you're own work it can be a bit confusing.
I think we need jobs or something like that to develop more. I think people around you with knowledge is important.
But where can we find those jobs? I only know some comercial agency's and they don't work with construction and all the things I'm trying to learn. Besides that I life in the small Netherlands, that doesn't help neither. Altough if I have the chance I would go to a foreign country.
Are there some other people with the same problems?
Been doing the course for about a year. It's not easy. I'm still on lesson 5 (line of action). I constantly have to redraw the lessons. It's the oNly way I'm satisfied with the results. I can't see myself jumping forward to Lessons I'm not prepared for. example: moving to the animation lesson when I'm not confident in my construction. If the drawings don't come close to Blairs, you should keep re-doing the lesson. It sucks to be stuck on one lesson, but in the long run I belive it's worth it.
-David O.
Still critiquing assignments?
http://rdrawblog1.blogspot.com/
Lately I've lost my line quality. I'm slowly trying to get it back.
Are you still checking homeworks? I just started the lessons this weekend. If you would take a look, cool. If not, I'll keep on keepin' on. Thanks.
http://chrisdraws.blogspot.com/
hey teach, on the internet,
i pick up the pencil,
but what do i do with it?
http://bp1.blogger.com/_NLq4wa8F-6U/RuU2jWWdXEI/AAAAAAAAAAU/dIQ9XBiaJS8/s1600-h/cartoon+practice.jpg
how about some wasp platter ate alligator brain i mean can you criticism spism, from you, i did my homework.
thanks andrew
Just randomly found this article.. Thanks for the history lesson, John!
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