Whether you have a penchant for Hello Kitty, Superman, Bugs Bunny or the Power Puff Girls, cartoon characters can be an inspiration for your own artwork. While cartoon characters may seem like just color on a page or screen, creating them takes practice and skill. Let your own creativity run free and learn design your own cartoon character collection by studying the field. Learn cartooning through a variety of venues, both self-paced study and instruction from industry experts.
Instructions
1. Purchase an introductory textbook such as "Animation 1: Learn to Animate Cartoons Step by Step" by Preston Blair, "The Practical Encyclopedia of Cartooning" by Ivan Hissey and Curtis Tappenden, "Cartooning for the Beginner" by Christopher Hart, "Drawing Cartoons and Comics for Dummies" by Brian Farrington or "Cartooning the Head and Figure" by Jack Hamm. Look for a book with step-by-step illustrations showing a cartoon from the first pen strokes to completion. A local library may be able to order you a copy of a cartooning book for loan up to six weeks. Some libraries have online websites permitting you to request books from other nearby libraries.
2. Enroll in a continuing education course on cartooning, usually offered at local colleges, community colleges and schools. Continuing education classes are short-term, usually have no prior experience required and may be held at night. Students in the New York City area have options such as the School of Visual Arts, which offers courses such as cartooning basics, drawing and perspective, illustration basics, inking comics and elements of picture making.
3. Test your skills on free cartoon tutorial websites such as Drawing Coach, offering step-by-step instructions on drawing animals such as chubby pigs, dragonflies, donkeys, angry wolves and other animals. See how you match up with some of your favorite 2-D characters with tutorial websites such as Cartoon Critters, offering draw Homer Simpson, Curious George, Stewie Griffin, Tinker Bell, Tweety Bird and other characters.
4. Attend a comic convention, located in large cities across the country, where you'll be able to view brand new cartoon characters and their designers, take courses in cartooning and see the latest cartoon films and shows. Examples of classes presented at the 2010 Comic Con included "The Animated Insanity of Radical Axis Studios," "Comedy Animation," "A Center for Cartoon Studies Conversation: Understanding, Making and Teaching Comics" and "Action Adventure Animation."
