Introduction to the Basics Expression ProportionLetteringActionPerspectiveLevel: any skill level

Cartooning

OBJECTIVES:The students will learn how to use facial expression as a method of putting emotion and personality into their

charactersThe students will learn about and identify different types and styles of cartoonsThe students will learn about various types of perspective for cartoon backgroundsThe students will learn about foreshortening, overlapping, placement, size, contour line, and shading in order

to create depthThe students will learn about various lettering styles for captions and headingsThe students will learn how to use gesture drawing as a method of putting action into their characters

VOCABULARY:Foreshortening, overlapping, placement, contour line, shading, shadow, alignment, Marvel style, Manga,

control, contrast, emphasis, caption, foreground, background, horizon line, gesture drawing, narrative

MATERIALS:Plain white paper, graph paper, pencils, erasers, pencil sharpener, black markers, construction paper

EVALUATION:Followed directions Active participation Participation in discussion Completion of daily exercisesCraftsmanship of exercises

Simple CartooningStudents will turn inanimate objects into animate objects.

Best objects to use are:

Veggies

Fruits

Plants

Flowers

Hand Held Tools

Food Implements

Art Supplies

Small appliances

Letters

Numerals

This is a very simple example of creating an orchestra from 3D numerals.

Cartoon Expression

OBJECTIVES:The students will learn about facial proportion and feature placement in relationship to the head in spaceThe students will learn how to quickly sketch in the light feature placement lines on cubes, cylinders, and spheresThe students will learn how to use facial expression as a method of putting emotion and personality into their charactersThe students will learn how to use a mirror to observe various facial expressionsThe students will learn that exaggeration

PROCEDURES:Students will sketch a page of cubes, cylinders, and spheres in pencilTeacher will demo proper placement of facial features using quickly sketched light linesStudents will lightly sketch in the general facial features based on those linesStudents will look at themselves in a mirror and create various facial expressions Students will translate those expressions into a cartoon version and render features more fully over lightly drawn ones

MangaFacial

Expressions

OBJECTIVES:The students will learn about various body proportions using the head as a unit of measurementThe students will learn how to use geometric shapes as the building blocks of a bodyThe students will learn how various parts of the body relate to othersThe students will learn that the length of the arms from fingertip to fingertip is the height of the bodyThe students will learn to switch back and forth from simple to complex body proportions to create various styles of cartoons

PROCEDURES:Teacher will demo the various body proportions, beginning with the most simple and working up to super hero proportionStudents will sketch various bodies based on different numbers of headsStudents will practice various body proportions and create simple characters for eachStudents will create a finished superhero drawing with a horizon line and simple background

Proportion

Cartoon Action/ Gesture Drawing

OBJECTIVES:The students will learn how to do gesture drawingThe students will learn that adding action to their cartoons makes them stronger drawingsThe students will learn that gesture drawing frees them up to quickly capture the action without worrying about perfectionThe students will learn that gesture drawing is a valuable tool for making their cartoon characters come aliveThe students will learn to work the whole pageThe students will learn that they do not need to add the face or other fine details, just the general action of the figure

PROCEDURES:Teacher will explain the nature of gesture drawing Students will in turn pose in active poses for 30 secondsStudents will work the paper from top to bottomStudents will quickly sketch the line of movement from the head to the bottom of the weight bearing legStudents will quickly sketch in the location of the headStudents will quickly sketch in the line of movement of the non weight bearing legStudents will quickly sketch in the position of the arms, making sure they are long enough in relation to body proportionStudents will quickly sketch in the line connecting the hip joints, making sure it is in the correct angleStudents will quickly sketch in the feet to ground the figureStudents will have a selection of various poses (pushing, pulling, squashing, ready to run, blocking, batting, holding, etc.)Students will choose one pose and create the following versions:

A simple character based on a box, cube, sphere, cylinder, or pyramidA simple character based on an inanimate object (package, appliance, vehicle, tool)A simple character based on an organic object (fruit, plant, flower, animal)A simple character based on a baby

Students will choose three poses and create their choice of panel cartoon with some sort of narrative

Gesture DrawingStudents will have at least two class periods where they each take turns posing in poses that push, pull, etc.

Students will take poses and inanimate objects and combine them in order to

give life to their creations.

Students will see how various scenes can be created with action.

Action Adds So Much To Your Cartoons

Block Letter SamplesStudents will receive a style sheet with block letters.

Older students will have the additional challenge of having to create a specific depth to the letters

Lettering Basics

OBJECTIVES:The students will learn how to do simple block

letteringThe students will learn how to plan and

measure for headings, titles, and emphasis

The students will learn how to add perspective and depth to block lettering

The students will learn how to do simple caption lettering

The students will work on craftsmanship and control of line

PROCEDURES:Teacher will demo step by step Students will choose a word(s) to render in

block letteringStudents will count out blocks on graph paper

in order to plan the word(s)Students will lightly sketch in the block letters

and then outline them in black permanent fine line marker

Students will design the façade of the word and color in with markers or watercolor pencils

Students will choose a vanishing point and put in the perspective lines

Students will decide on a depth for the letters and render the thicknesses

Students will color in the sides and bottoms or tops of letters in a contrasting color

Students will cut out the word(s) and mount on black construction paper

5th GradeLettering

8th-10th GradeLettering

Timing is Everything…These are some samples of “Caricaturtles” that I used to do. They were used for cards, calendars, signs, flyers, coloring books, and even a children’s book.

I designed and copyrighted the entire line based on turtles when three years later in 1983, the Ninja Turtle craze kicked in.

Computer GraphicsToday I can scan my old pen and ink drawings, add drop shadow effects, and colorize them in programs like Photoshop Elements.

“Chef Tom Turtle and His Amazing Seafood Circus”

Clyde and Marvin are the main characters in the children’s book I wrote based on a character named Chef Tom. Chef Tom was inspired by my brother Tom who is a very eccentric chef. The Seafood Circus idea came from my sister-in-law Ida during a conversation about Tom opening up his own restaurant someday.

I ended up using various aquatic creatures in the book. A slightly animated version of the story can be found online at my website. Chef Tom Online

Adaptation & FlexibilityWhen the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle craze put a damper on my dreams of my “Caricaturtles” on sheets, curtains, etc. I decided to turn my turtles into humans.

I did a series of T-shirt designs based on humans in a variety of settings and occupations. I kept expanding my repertoire of animals and other objects as cartoons too.

Adaptation & FlexibilityWhen the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle craze put a damper on my dreams of my “Caricaturtles” on sheets, curtains, etc. I decided to turn my turtles into humans.

I did a series of T-shirt designs based on humans in a variety of settings and occupations. I kept expanding my repertoire of animals and other objects as cartoons too.

Adaptation

Here are some human cartoon kids I did that lent themselves to personalization.

MovementOnce you understand how to use gesture drawing as the basis for action, you can quickly capture movements and use them for a series based on a specific sport or activity, such as Tae Kwon Do.

MovementOnce you understand how to use gesture drawing as the basis for action, you can quickly capture movements and use them for a series based on a specific sport or activity, such as Tae Kwon Do.

More Action

More Action

Special Characters