My new website is now live at christopherhartbooks.com. This old chrishartbooks.com site will remain up for a time so that the old tutorials and blog posts will still be available. Some features, like the Forum, will redirect you to the new site.
Each of us has had different experiences that have influenced our lives, our likes and dislikes. Many of these started in childhood. For example, because I had Mrs. Southington as my homeroom teacher in 4th grade, I now hate all homeroom teachers, in addition to Mrs. Southington. Not coincidentally, the evil teachers I portray in my cartooning books look eerily similar to her. Actually, if you stripped away her peevishness, impatience and hostility toward boys, she was really a good lady way down deep. We’re talking “way down deep.”
Sometimes, these influences don’t affect your style, per se, but affect your work in other ways. What do I mean by that? Heck if I know, but let me give it a shot:
When I was a kid, I was obsessed with Disney. So he got a restraining order. Just kidding. It was really just a warning from the judge. Anyway, I found Disney’s work to be utterly magical, like a euphoric dream. When a Disney movie was released, I would be filled with anxiousness to see it, as if it were the night before Christmas.
And yet, my cartooning style is not “Disney-ish.” So although it did not influence my drawing style, it influenced my enthusiasm for cartooning. I am still excited to get to work each day. I love and admire the art of so many talented manga, cartoon and comics artists. And that excitement translates into my work, as well as it does yours. It’s often been said that if you love what you do, it isn’t work. Boy, is that ever wrong. Yes, it’s work. When you’re stressing under a deadline, it sure feels like work. But the actual “doing” of it, the drawing – that remains fun and, more importantly, engaging.
You never know when something you enjoyed as a child put a useful imprint on you. For example, when I was eight years old, my favorite TV show was undoubtedly “8th Man,” which was an early anime (Japanese animation). I didn’t know back then that someday I would be doing art instruction books about Japanese comics.
The past may be gone, but it can be mined for inspiration. So, my question is, what has influenced you? Was it a cartoon character, a creator, or something completely different? I’m interested to know.
Your Cartooning Sherpa,
Chris Hart
There are two basic types of cartoonists. It’s not based on which subjects they draw. Or how successful they are. Or whether one cartoonist’s dad can beat up the other cartoonist’s dad. (Unless you happen to have the stronger dad.) It has to do with the originality of the work. But I mean something very specific by that.
Most cartoonists enjoy drawing existing characters, like Spiderman, Naruto, Finn from “Adventure Time,” and others. Recreating an established character, in different poses and in different scenes, is a very important skill for a cartoonist. In fact, most professional artists primarily draw other people’s characters. For example, the artists who draw Spiderman and Batman in today’s comics are not the people who invented those characters. And the people who draw the storyboards for the animated shows you love probably didn’t invent those characters, either. Although someone had to invent the characters in a video game, it takes many more people to complete the project.
Some artists have gotten famous drawing characters that were not created by them. One of the most recognized comics talents is Alex Ross, who does fantastic images of Superman in his own, unique style.
For cartoonists, there is a personality type that enjoys drawing existing characters. These cartoonists like the challenge of coming up with new and interesting ways to portray the same characters. They also like getting to know a character from an insider’s point of view.
Then we have another type of cartoonist. This cartoonist gets bored drawing the same character over and over. His, or her, idea of hell is being locked into doing a comic strip with the same cast of characters. This type of cartoonist prefers to jump from one idea to another, like a fountain of creativity. He or she may work in a number of different styles, for the freshness variety it brings to new projects. This second type of cartoonist is well suited for character design. But you need the first type of cartoonist to turn it into a long-running success.
So, have you figured out which you are? I’m curious to know.
Your Cartooning Sherpa,
Chris Hart
There’s not an artist alive who hasn’t experienced rejection. Everyone has had to run the gauntlet of editors, agents, publishers and art directors. Most advice on this subject centers on ways to cope with the emotional toll of receiving rejections to your submissions – it’s important to know how to deal with rejection.
And while licking one’s wounds may aid in the heeling process, it doesn’t help you get published. In fact, many of the most well-adjusted people never get published. More often, it’s the anxiety-ridden artists who focus on the business at hand, not on their emotions, who get ahead. Bet no one ever told you before that you could make dysfunction an asset. I’m full of ideas that defy convention, but work. Stick around.
There are specific things beginners can do to increase their odds of getting their work in print. Mostly, it means taking on a professional attitude, and presenting yourself professionally to other pros, clients and publishers.
The first thing piece of advice is the most obvious, but least followed: Do not submit your work until it’s ready. As they say, you have one chance to make a first impression. It’s hard to convince a publisher, who thinks your work isn’t up to their standards, to take another look at your stuff with an open mind and enthusiasm.
So how do you know when your work is ready for prime time? Artists are notorious for being fond of their least successful pieces of work. If you’re submitting to a publisher, that means you’re submitting to a business entity. And they want one to make their money back, and then some. Yes, they want to make quality, but if they don’t make money, they can’t make anything. Your portfolio can be your personal expression , so long it’s also commercially appealing.
Now, some people think that being commercial means selling out. No, actually, it means that you’ve found a way to interest more, rather than fewer, people in your work. A graphic novel like “Death Note” doesn’t have the most commercial storyline. But it’s done so well that it’s become a huge international hit. Now it’s considered a commercial property.
I recommend that you show your work to others and get honest feedback. (Your mom doesn’t count.) That doesn’t mean you have to show it to competitive or jealous people. And you don’t necessarily need to show it to experts in your field, either. The average person is the one who is buying most of the graphic novels. That’s what you need: opinions from people who represent the typical buyer of your work.
When I worked on comic strips, I had a small coterie of friends who loved hearing my gag for the day. They would rate it for me. Then I would go back and re-edit, before submitting it.
Today, although most of my feedback comes from editors, art directors, and publishers. I also have some non-pros from whom I seek out opinions. And I’ve also begun to look for feedback on social networking sites for artists. The young, aspiring artists on those sites typically have definite ideas about what like in a drawing. You can engage colleagues there as well.
But remember, you’re the final judge. Don’t let someone decide for you what’s good and what’s not good. Instead, allow others to be influences.
One last note about what to put in your portfolio: let’s say that you find Sci-Fi difficult to draw, nonetheless, you managed, over the course of three months, to create an insanely good Sci-Fi piece of artwork. Do you include it in your portfolio? I would advise caution. Here’s why: What if you were looking for work, and showed your portfolio to a publisher? And let’s also say that this publisher is prepared to pay a good sum for this particular assignment. Now, suppose that, out of all the pieces in your portfolio, the publisher selects the Sci-Fi piece as the style he or she most prefers. And the publisher wants 3 finished pieces delivered in next 20 days. You can’t do it! You just spent 3 months finishing one piece! The lesson is: only show the stuff that you can do well, and do relatively quickly.
I hope that’s been helpful to get you started in the right direction.
Your Cartooning Sherpa,
Chris Hart
I don’t care who you are, or how well you draw, one of these days, the Art Block Fairy is going to pay you a little visit. When that day comes, ideas will be scarcer than possums driving pickup trucks. Despite the randomness of that metaphor, how you handle artist’s block will decide when you’ll get those creative juices flowing again.
Some of you will decide to pause and have a snack. I can tell you from experience that this doesn’t do much to kick-start the imagination. When that doesn’t work, there’s always the option of getting a second snack. But eventually, you’ll get too frustrated and too full to keep doing that. There’s got to be another solution.
So you decide to follow the prevailing wisdom, which is to go for a walk to refresh yourself, in the hopes that inspiration might return. The walk is pleasant, but almost mythical in its fecklessness. If walks worked, the beach would be teaming with cartoonists and writers.
Watch TV? Won’t help. Do a chore you’ve been putting off? Gawd no. I can’t stand to see you suffering like this, so I’m going to tell you the little secret, which is totally counter intuitive.
Here we go:
The problem with the popular wisdom about taking a break is that it removes you from the “productive” mode and puts you in a “reflective” mode, which I also refer to as the “What’s the meaning of it all” time waster mode.
Think about it. You go for a walk along the water, with plans to return to work rejuvenated. Who the heck wants to return to work after a walk on the beach anyway? The key is to stay in the “productive” mode, but to switch the material you’ve been working on. While it’s true that you need to put some distance between you and the drawing that’s been giving you fits, you don’t have to take a mini-sabbatical in order to do it.
This is what I recommend: Keep drawing. But switch subjects. Draw something you’re enthusiastic about, for example, a personal project, or something that you haven’t had time to complete, or maybe a picture of a possum driving a pickup truck. Lose yourself for an hour or more.
Now you can transfer your rejuvenated creativity back on the drawing that’s been disobeying your efforts so brazenly. And because you didn’t take a break to wind down, you don’t need to waste any time winding up. You’re ready to go.
But here’s the last hint: when you return to the original drawing, attack it from a different angle. In other words, to get fresh perspective, draw from a different perspective. So if it was a side view, try drawing that character in a ¾ view. If it was a full shot, try drawing the character in a medium shot.
And don’t be surprised if you get the drawing right this time, on your first try back. Let me know how it works for you!
Your Cartooning Sherpa,
Chris Hart
I have seen a lot of people walk away from drawing, though it was their heart’s desire, because they thought they didn’t have the talent for it. If this is you, please read this blog. You see, I have been fortunate enough to have known a good number of developing artists who have transformed themselves into exceptional artists, but without having started with an obvious gift for drawing.If you follow a few, simple suggestions, I can practically guarantee that it can happen to you, too. If you don’t take these recommendations, I can almost guarantee that it won’t happen.
First let me back up and tell you a little story. Once upon a time… oh wait, wrong story. This story is a about a student in art school. There was a student from Denmark who came to the U.S. to study illustration on the East Coast. She was passionate about drawing, but had no obvious talent for it. In fact, I used to give her a few pointers now and then, which made me feel like I knew a lot more than I did. Anyway, this person soaked up everything the instructors taught in each class. Although she learned important skills and techniques, her work didn’t sparkle the way it did for some of the more gifted student artists. You see, she may not have been born with natural talent, but she was born with wisdom. She knew she was in art school to learn a particular skill set. And learn she did. In fact, she went on to become very successful. Unfortunately, she moved back to Denmark without repaying me for a couple of the lunches I bought her.
Think this can’t happen to you? It can. But it takes more than just applying yourself diligently. It’s an attitude. It’s the curiosity to explore various resources, which can give you the tools you need to raise your level. These resources come in the forms of art classes, how-to-draw books, friends and mentors, how-to-draw videos, arts clubs and comic conventions.
And Here’s the kicker: in order to improve, be interested in what others are drawing, not jealous.
So, the take away for today is:
“You don’t have to be born talented in order to draw well, because when you draw well, everyone will assume you’re talented.”