Every cartoonist I know has their own way of conceiving their
cartoons. That is, the way they write, sketch and come up with a finished product.
Sometimes, I’m amazed at how finished some of my friends first drafts are. I’ve seen Mike Lynch’s sketchbooks…and they could be published right off the page! Margaret gave us a peek at how she creates “Apt. 3 G”.
When I work… I have to practically use stick figures, and as you’ll see, these may be one step ahead.
I have to prevent myself from drawing anything too good…because then it will intimidate me, and I will never be able to redraw it as a finished piece, because I’m too happy with the rough. Odd, I know, but we all have our quirks. And some might say “Too good???”
When I sketch I use a bic pen or whatever is lying around and I write (and draw and everything else) on copy paper. This is the clipboard I use:
And the most recent pen.
Then I use my Koh-i-noor Artpen to do the actual cartoon:
Here are a few examples of the scribbles I start with followed by the finished cartoons:
When I write, I play around with the rhythm of words, so, might change the wording several times:
So, there you have it. Some paper, a couple of pens and an idea can turn into a comic you eventually see in a newspaper, a magazine or online!
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:25 am
Thanks for posting that, Steph. Fun to look at others’ sketchbooks. Love the expressions you do!
June 23rd, 2009 at 7:32 am
Hi Benita,
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I really thought twice about exposing my sketching method to the world, and showing the scribbles!
Steph
June 23rd, 2009 at 11:40 am
Hi Stephanie.It is truly fascinating to see the intimate thought processes and tiny talking heads that will ultimately grow up to be Stephanie’s People. I love this inside stuff!
June 23rd, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Thank you so much, Margaret! I agree. I love an inside look into what inspires a creator. I just loved what you did with Apt. 3 G and Snuffy.
Steph
June 25th, 2009 at 2:32 am
[...] [Craft] Bringing a cartoon to life Link: Stephanie Piro [...]
June 25th, 2009 at 5:53 am
Loved this post, Steph.
June 25th, 2009 at 11:50 am
Thanks, Sandra!
Steph
June 28th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Thanks for sharing your process (and tools) for both gag cartoons and comic strips. Very informative. The roughs show only the essentials. When you draw the final version do you start with pencil or go directly to ink?
June 28th, 2009 at 9:56 am
Hi there,
Glad you liked the post. I never ever pencil. I find with my drawings if I pencil, the art looks very stiff. I draw only with pen and ink and I have been using the sublime but tempermental Koh-i-noor Artpen for the last 20 years or so. I have learned to clean-up the finished art in adobe, so any white out or paste-up lines don’t show!
Stephanie