Harry Hamernik - Drawing Cartoon Faces: 55+ Projects for Cartoons, Caricatures & Comic Portraits

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Two panel: Shot/Reverse Shot
Noir Interrogation

Three panel:
Establishing Shot and Close-ups
Western Standoff

Single Panel:
Sectioned With Three Characters
Mexican Standoff

Single panel: Three Characters With Inset
Damsel in Distress

Cover: Splash Page
Superhero Team

Cover: Splash Page
Supervillains

Art and expression are commonly considered synonymous. This is especially easy to see in the world of comics and cartoons. The main purpose of a comic was to grab the readers attention with larger-than-life drama. The stories and characters were big and bold. Comics and cartoons have progressed into areas of sophistication and subtlety today, but they are still all about expression and telling a story. All comics have characters, and all characters have expressions.

A compelling story is told with a range of emotions. The characters are more than just happy, sad or angry. They can be ecstatic, depressed or full of rage. If you truly want to create characters that are realistic, three-dimensional and engaging, you have to start delving into the infinite number of complex expressions we possess. Why? Because the human experience is deep.

Well look at many different emotions to explore that human experience. Faces are made up of many shapes that change with each expression. Cartoons frequently take these main aspects of the face and exaggerate them to show more expression. Caricatures are a perfect example of exaggerated features. Thats what makes drawing them so much fun! Youll learn how to focus in on the standout pieces of the face, such as the eyes, nose or lips. Then these lessons can be applied to explore various expressions. Practicing caricatures of real people will help stretch your imagination and ability to create new characters. By the end of the book, youll know how to draw cartoon faces, expressions and how to put it all together to create a story.

There are a lot of different reasons for expressions, but whatever the reason, it all ends up on the face. That is why we have to start with the fundamentals. In this chapter, well cover basic sketching techniques as well as how to draw heads, mouths, noses and eyes. Youll learn about all their standard movements and how they change shape when they move. Once you learn these foundation lessons, complex expressions will be much easier to draw!

These pages show the materials and tools that we use for expressing our ideas visually. All artists are unique. So when it comes to tools, each of us prefers something different. But every artists arsenal includes such basics as paper and pencil.

Paper

Any paper will doeven yellow sticky notes work great for nailing down your ideas. However, a ream of cheap 8.5" 11" (22cm 28cm) copy paper purchased from your local grocery or office supply store will give you a little more room to work. Most of us prefer spiral-bound sketchbooks with nice, heavy paper and a medium tooth, like 30 to 60 lbs. (65gsm to 125gsm). Sketchbooks in a variety of sizes and weights can be bought at art supply stores for the same price or slightly more than a ream of good, thick paper.

Pencils

This is where it gets personal. A good pencil is an artists best friend, and when you find a brand that you like, the relationship may last for a lifetime. (Even so, many a drawing has been well rendered with a standard, chewed-up no. 2 pencil long after the eraser has been worn away.) Our list includes the following: Mechanical pencilany weight is fine, but make sure you get soft lead (HB or B). Col-Erase pencil in Blue or Carmine Redfor blocking in your rough; these colors are easily removed on the computer or copy machine after your dark line has been drawn over the top. Faber-Castell Polychromos pencilfor your tight clean-up drawing. Remember, in the end its really up to you and what you like.

Pens and Markers

For some of us, using a standard black ballpoint pen for drawing and sketching is a lot of fun, considering that it forces us to be accurate because mistakes cant be erased. Others prefer to use them for the finishing touches because they make a nice black line. You may also consider using felt-tip pens like the Sakura Pigma Micron, which comes in a variety of sizes. The Pilot Precise Rolling Ball pen (extra fine) works great for inking in details and making sure they are black. A variety of pens and markers can be found at your local art supply store on racks with places to test each one before you buy. Once youve found a pen you like, pick up a few of them in case the ink runs out right in the middle of a big, life-or-death project.

Mirror, Mirror

What does a mirror have to do with drawing? Well, nothing, reallyexcept that a good facial expression is usually based on a good reference, and your handsome mug in a small mirror taped to your drawing table might provide all the reference you need. No longer will it only be used for cleaning the spinach out of your teeth.