ART/VIDEO – How to Draw People in Different Styles
I’ve been asked how people are caricatured in different animation styles. You often see celebrities show up in you’re favorite cartoon and they look like the celebrity but they also look like a cartoon from the show.
How is this done?
This week I try to tackle this question and do my best to caricature David Tenant using the style of the 2003 animated series The Batman.
I’ll be honest, I kinda fail. Capturing likeness is really tough. I do my best but don’t quite do it. However, you do see the process and you get an idea of how tough it is to do it.
Have a look:
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ART/VIDEOS – Deconstructing and Reconstructing an Animated Character: Part 2 – Flat Animated Characters
This is the second video where I show you how to break down an animated character so you can draw it yourself. This time, I chose a flat, graphic style to break down.
There is a very slight difference when you approach drawing a character that is more graphic. However, most of the principles from part 1 still apply.
VIDEOS/ART – Deconstructing and Reconstructing an Animated Character: Part 1
A Drawing Website reader asked me quite a few questions. Among the first was how to draw animated characters from your favorite TV shows?
I thought it was a good and fun question. I’m sure many people would love to draw fan art of their favorite animated character. Including myself.
I even took the opportunity to draw on of my favorite animated characters in order to teach this lesson. If you’ve ever wanted to know how you could draw your favorite animated character, this video is for you:
Further Reading
I forgot to mention this in the video but you can read more on both construction and formulas at TheDrawingWebsite.com.
ART/VIDEO – Some Tips on Drawing and Designing Faces
Drawing faces can be tricky. Especially if you’re trying to draw something that looks naturalistic.
Last week I posted a video I made with four tips to help you improve your character designs. This week is a part 2 of sorts. I wasn’t able to get to the head in the last video.
This video is about applying the same four tips to drawing the head.
Any link I talk about in the video I link to can be found below the video:
If you liked this video and would like me to discuss something you think I might know about…
If you want to ask me a question about drawing that you might be struggling with…
If you want to suggest a character or drawing you’d like me to draw (even your D&D character)…
…feel free to ask or suggest away, either here on my comments or anywhere else you’d like to contact me.
Just be aware that my Patreon patrons get their questions answered first and they get to see the videos weeks before anyone else.
If you want to be put up further up on the “queue,” feel free to become a patron at ANY level. It’s one of the many rewards you will receive for becoming a patron.
ART/VIDEO – Four Tips that will Help You Improve Your Character Designs
Sometimes you draw something and you know that you can improve it but you just don’t know how.
This happens a lot to everyone. Part of the reason is because you’re just too close to the drawing and you might need some time away.
Other times it’s because you lack the knowledge. You don’t know what you don’t know, so it’s difficult to go find out what it is you need to look up to find the answer.
This is where someone who knows a bit more comes in handy. They can point you in the direction you need to go.
I’m doing exactly that for someone in the video week. I was asked if I could help a fellow artist improve her character design. I offered to draw over her drawing and she graciously gave me permission to share it with you.
In the video, I offer four tips to keep in mind when approaching a character design. Any links I talk about in the video are posted below:
If you liked this video and would like me to discuss something you think I might know about…
If you want to ask me a question about drawing that you might be struggling with…
If you want to suggest a character or drawing you’d like me to draw (even your D&D character)…
…feel free to ask or suggest away, either here on my comments or anywhere else you’d like to contact me.
Just be aware that my Patreon patrons get their questions answered first and they get to see the videos weeks before anyone else.
If you want to be put up further up on the “queue,” feel free to become a patron at ANY level. It’s one of the many rewards you will receive for becoming a patron.
ART/VIDEO Looking at Design & Silhouette in J. Scott Campbell, Joe Mad, and Adam Warren’s Art
Video looking through some of artists I’m a big fan of, J. Scott Campbell, Joe Madureira, and Adam Warren. Specifically focusing on the way they use shape and design.
We look at the silhouettes their designs make so that we can better understand how design informs style.
Links I talk about in the video below are posted below the video:
If you liked this video and would like me to discuss something you think I might know about…
If you want to ask me a question about drawing that you might be struggling with…
If you want to suggest a character or drawing you’d like me to draw (even your D&D character)…
…feel free to ask or suggest away, either here on my comments or anywhere else you’d like to contact me.
Just be aware that my Patreon patrons get their questions answered first and they get to see the videos weeks before anyone else.
If you want to be put up further up on the “queue,” feel free to become a patron at ANY level. It’s one of the many rewards you will receive for becoming a patron.
ART/VIDEOS – How to Draw Realistic Style Manga Characters, Like Street Fighter, Soul Caliber and Golgo 13
Have you even wanted to draw in a realistic style Takuji Kawano, (Tekken/Soul Caliber) Alvin Lee (Street Fighter) Takao Saito (Golgo 13), and even Joe Madureira (Battle Chasers) and didn’t know where to begin? This video shows you how to you can learn to do so.
I love the drawing styles mentioned above. They’re so awesome. I wanted to know how to do it too. Then I discovered that I was already studying how to do so without even knowing it. I was already studying the right people and doing what I need to do.
I explain more in the video below. Also, I provided links to many things I mention below the video:
If you liked this video and would like me to discuss something you think I might know about…
If you want to ask me a question about drawing that you might be struggling with…
If you want to suggest a character or drawing you’d like me to draw (even your D&D character)…
…feel free to ask or suggest away, either here on my comments or anywhere else you’d like to contact me.
Just be aware that my Patreon patrons get their questions answered first and they get to see the videos weeks before anyone else.
If you want to be put up further up on the “queue,” feel free to become a patron at ANY level. It’s one of the many rewards you will receive for becoming a patron.
ART/VIDEO – Drawing Good Girls with Adam Hughes, The Pros and Cons.
Adam Hughes is one of my favorite artists. He’s an incredible draftsman. I follow him on Twitter, and Deviant Art, and I belong to the Adam Hughes Yahoo Group.
I own quite a few of his sketchbooks and I’ve downloaded tons of his art. I also try to pick up as many of his comics as I can.
He is worth studying.
If you’re not familiar with his work, he’s mostly known for his “Good Girl” art. Which is to say, he draws a lot of pretty girls. Although he can do much more than that.
He’s a comic book artist who mostly does covers now a days. Mostly because he’s really slow (or so I’ve heard).
His art is heavily influence by the Art Nouveau movement.
Here’s a teeny tiny sample of his work. He’s super prolific:
Learn to Draw Like Adam Hughes
I’d like to know some of his secrets. How he approaches stuff, what he thinks about when he draws…that sort of thing.
I thought I’d put down the Pros and Cons of this DVD and then show you a good place you can pick up a copy if you’re interested.
The Cons
I thought I’d start with the Cons.
They cut out chunks of the his drawing process!
I don’t know why but in the DVD the editor cuts stuff out. Adam is drawing the girl from start to finish, which is great because you think you’re going to see the whole process. Then suddenly the video fades and you jump to a slightly more finished drawing. We don’t actually get to see it all.I don’t know why they did this. I mean, you’re paying to watch the guy draw for a reason. It’s part of the learning experience. Why cut some of it out?
This is NOT for beginner
On the bottom of the DVD box it reads: “Recommended for All Skill Levels.” BOLONEY! This is absolutely not a video for beginners. Adam Hughes talks about his process as he draws but a LOT of what he’s doing he’s not talking about at all.I have a lot of experience drawing. I could see what he’s doing that he’s not talking about or telling the audience about but a beginners would never catch any of that.This isn’t to say that a beginner might not pick up a thing or two watching him draw, but if you think you’re going to learn to draw watching this, you might be disappointed.
It’s a $30.00 DVD
The MSRP on the box is $30.00. That’s really steep. Especially for a DVD that has the Cons above. If it didn’t cut parts of the process out, I think it would be much more valuable and worth the price. But because it edits out part of the process, I find it less valuable than the MSRP.Below, I’ll give you a link where you can get it cheaper.
The Pros
Okay, all that said, here are the Pros:
You get to see Adam Hughes Draw.
I learned a ton simply watching him draw. Yes, some of it skipped over and that’s annoying but doesn’t mean it all got skipped over.There’s plenty of drawing to be seen here. As an artist, you learn as much if not more from watching someone do it than simply listening to them do it.
You’re taught a lot about using Copic Markers.
This is especially good if you want to learn his marker technique. I learned a ton watching him draw and apply his markers. He shares a lot about using Copic Markers in your drawing.
You learn his Art Nouveau inking style.
I’ve developed my own way of inking, but watching this video has added to my repertoire.Watching him ink is ridiculously useful. He uses a few different inking techniques that I never thought to do. It’s great.I learned a lot from his example. He straight up shows you how he does his Art Nouveau inking. It’s cool.
You get some good drawing tips.
Even though he doesn’t straight up teach you to draw, he does give out some really helpful drawing tips.You hear his thinking behind the things he does. Sometimes as he draws and other times as voice over. Some things I already knew while other things where I’d never thought of. Good stuff.
There’s some nice bonus lessons.
Perhaps the DVD cut out some of the drawing in the main part of the video to make space for the bonus lessons. I hope not.That said, the lessons are nice. One is on using markers do flesh tones, one is on using markers to draw fabric, and one is on eyes. The good news is that you can see the bonus lessons online for free. This gives you a small peek what you can expect from the video.You can watch them below:
This DVD inspired me so much so that I drew these drawings after watching it. I used the techniques I learned from it:
The MSRP is $30.00 (no joke) but your investment is $17.97 plus shipping (Sorry, no shipping outside the U.S., otherwise the shipping ends up being as much as the DVD itself).
The price is much more reasonable.
Watch the bonus videos above and read my pros and cons, then decide whether it’s worth your investment. I’m really glad I bought and watched this DVD. It’s great.
I don’t know how long I’ll be able to sell these before my wholesaler runs out of stock so order one now before you miss out.
Click the link below to get a copy. I’ll ship them out personally, and perhaps add a few extra bonus goodies. Who knows:
ANIMATION – Thoughts on the Legion of Superheroes Animated Cartoon
Simpsons Quote:
Lucy Lawless: I’ll take you home.
[Lucy flies, carrying Bart and Lisa]
Lisa: Hey, Xena can’t fly.
Lucy Lawless: I told you, I’m not Xena. I’m Lucy Lawless.
Hi. So as I’ve said before, I’m a big fan of animated cartoons, and one of my all-time favorite animated cartoons is the Legion of Superheroes, and today I’m going to be talking a little bit more in-depth about that.
You can either watch the video or read the transcription below:
Some of the links below are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.
A Bit of Gushing
I liked the Legion of Superheroes cartoon. I’m very disappointed that there’s only the first season of it on DVD. I want the second season, because I happen to be a huge Superman fan. A huge Superman nerd. I’m such a nerd when it comes to Superman. Love Superman.
Legion of Superheroes season two has one of the most interesting versions of Superman. There’s this character in it called Superman X that’s like a cross between Batman and Superman, with Superman’s powers, and it’s good.
Why I Like the First Season
I’m getting way too ahead of myself. Let me at least talk about the first season. Why do I like this show?
Well, first, I really like the approach that they took with the designs. I really do think that these designs are way more pushed than, say, they took the Bruce Timm style and they kind of cartoon-ified it even more and pushed it, and so that’s one of the things. I like the look of the show.
What is the Legion of Superheroes?
Second, the stories are a lot of fun. If you don’t know what the Legion of Superheroes is, it’s a group of superheroes, and they’re all aliens on Earth being superheroes.
They’re a superhero team of the thirty-first century that were inspired to come to Earth to be the alien superhero of Earth because Superman was an alien superhero. So, since he has become a legend by the time of the the thirty-first century, it inspired a group of young kids to also come to Earth and be the superhero of Earth.
There were so many of them, they all kind of banded together and they became the Legion. So one of the things that they did was, because they wanted to meet their hero, they created a time bubble and they traveled back in time to Smallville, and met Superboy, who was at the time their age, and brought him into the future and have adventures with him.
Clark, I guess, just graduated high school or something, and now he’s Superman. He’s about ready to go into Metropolis, but then he goes into the future to have adventures with the Legion.
The Feel of the Cartoon
It’s a great cartoon. I like it. The animation is great, the stories are fun, it’s not as serious as, say, Batman Beyond and the Bruce Timm Batman, and The Batman, and I would even say Justice League and Justice League Unlimited.
It’s not as serious, but it also is not as wacky as, say, Teen Titans animated cartoon. It’s somewhere in between. My kids like this cartoon also. But I didn’t get that for them, I got it for me.
All right, so check out that Legion of Superheroes first season. Maybe if they sell enough of them they might release the second season, which I think is much, much better.
Why I liked Season Two
Like I said, it’s got a clone of Superman from the forty-first century. It’s a fun character. His name is Superman X. I have no idea why DC has not made a comic of Superman X, with Superman X in it.
He’s a cool Superman. I’m going to have to draw Superman X, because he’s cool. And it’s funny because the design of Superman X looks like Tom Welling from Smallville, the live action Superman TV show that went out for ten years. I think that’s great. I’m a fan of Smallville also, so I thought that was a cool nod to that version of Superman.
Below you’re going to put links to some episodes of Legion of Superheroes season two, with a Superman X episode.
You can watch, if not all, most of season two of Legion of Superheroes on YouTube. It’s the only way that you can see them right now.
Have you Seen This Show?
Okay, so let me know if you’ve seen the show. What do you think? Do you have the same opinions? Do you not like this show? I’d like to know.
Leave a comment below. If you want a free “Art of” book from me, with all my artwork in it, subscribe to my newsletter. You will get a free copy of the book, and if you want a copy of the print version of the book, you can go to Amazon and get it there.
VIDEOS – Legion of Superheroes Season 2
Here are the first two episodes of Legion of Superheroes Season 2. Enjoy:
How learning to draw basic shape can let you draw anything.
How to draw stick figures with style.
What professionals know about tracing correctly.
How to draw basic cartoon characters…and much more
Most “how to draw” books always assume you have some level of competency. This book doesn’t. It helps you from the ground up.
Draw as if you’ve been born to. Amaze your friends. Have fun drawing again, like you did when you were little.
For more comics and stories written by me: COMICS AND STORIESIf you like what you read, please consider signing up to my rss feed.
Krusty: Did you hear about the blonde who tried to make ice? She forgot the recipe! How come you don’t see many blonde snowwomen? It takes too much time to hollow out the head! Bart Simpson: [laughing] He sure got you pegged, blondie. Lisa Simpson: You’re blond too, you know. Bart Simpson: Blond boys aren’t dumb, they’re evil, like in Karate Kid or World War II.
If you’re as interested in storytelling as I am, you’ve probably read a of books on story.
Adding levity in a story is one of the many things one can do to make a story more fun. Today I’m going to be recommending my favorite books on comedy. I’ve found them to be very helpful, insightful and great reads.
You can either watch the video or read the post below. It’s basically the same information:
The links below are affiliate links. Thanks for your support.
Getting Better at Being Funny
I’m really interested in comedy. I like writing jokes. I’ve been doing it since I was in elementary school.
I’m really interested in improving my comedy, because I enjoy doing comedic cartoons and comics.
I’ve three recommendations for books that I’ve found to be very helpful when it comes to comedy. So let’s get to it.
This is the book fundamentals of comedy. This book is the book that gives you the foundations of what makes comedy work. It talks about funny words, reversals, the rule of threes,…just about everything you can think of when it comes to the traditional foundations of comedy. I say “traditional” because the view point of comedy in this book is very “retro.” It’s the kind of comedy you might hear Mel Brooks use. This book teaches very classic comedy troupes.
Don’t let that fool you though. What’s in the book is pretty essential to know. Great book.
This guy watched a bunch of sitcoms and come up with the eight common archetypes that seem to be universal in all sitcoms. INCREDIBLY useful to have if you want to have a launching off point when creating a comedic ensemble of characters that seem to universally work well together.
This book is the compliment to Comedy Writing Secrets. This is the application of comedy in a more modern way. It talks about doing stand up in the, “what the deal with…?” style. But not really like that. It simply gives you the foundation that most modern comedians use to write their routines, ways to test you work, and many many other things. I really think you should get this book and read it with Comedy Writing Secrets. You can get the fundamentals with one book and the modern application of those fundamentals with this book.
Serious About Comedy
So those are my three recommendations for books you should have if you want to get serious about comedy and get better at it.
If you have read great comedy books that you recommend, let me know, I’d love to know what they are.
If you get any of these books or even already own them, leave a comment and let me know what you think.
THE SIMPSONS NEWS – My Hiatus Ends and Dandelion Couch Gag
I came back to work this week. I’m currently working on the revisions for show 1 of this new season.
Meanwhile, one of the Couch Gags I scrambled to board last season is out and is being promoted. This is cool, so I thought I’d share it, so here you go:
VIDEO – Gaiman on Being Like Dandelions
Speaking of Dandelions, there’s this video making the rounds. It’s Neil Gaiman making a speech on many things. Mostly storytelling and publishing, BUT there’s also a bit on how to find the thing that will click with people. It’s very interesting and worth listening to:
For more comics and stories written by me: COMICS AND STORIESIf you like what you read, please consider signing up to my rss feed.
I’ve been asked how people are caricatured in different animation styles. You often see celebrities show up in you’re favorite cartoon and they look like the celebrity but they also look like a cartoon from the show.
in your drawing.
