Christopher Hart - Cartoon Cute Animals: How to Draw the Most Irresistible Creatures on the Planet

Copyright 2010 Cartoon Craft, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Watson-Guptill Publications,
an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of
Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com Watson-Guptill is a registered trademark
and the WG and Horse designs are
registered trademarks of Random House, Inc. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hart, Christopher.
Cartoon cute animals: how to draw the most irresistible creatures on the planet / Christopher Hart. 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
eISBN: 978-0-7704-3428-1
Design by Vera Thamsir Fong 1. 2. 2.

CartooningTechnique. 3. DrawingTechnique. I. Title. II.

Title: How to draw the most irresistible creatures on the planet.
NC1764.8.A54H376 2010
741.5362dc22
2009035904 v3.1

Now, for the first time, you can learn the secrets professional cartoonists and animators use to turn regular animals into the adorable characters that audiences love. This book is designed to show you the exact techniques for putting that irresistible quality into your cartoons. Our favorite warm and fuzzy characters all have that certain something. But what exactly is it? Although you may not be able to articulate it, this sought-after, ultra-cute quality is based on specific techniques that, when applied to character design, result in an irresistible cartoon animal. These are techniques that you can now learn, too! With the right instruction, anyone can learn to draw those wacky and charming animals that tug at the heartstrings of readers. In addition to being a book for those who simply like to draw cartoons, this is also a practical guide for all aspiring cartoonists, animators, comic strip artists, and childrens book illustrators.

This subject is essential for them. And this book is the perfect go-to reference for those seeking inspiration for drawing all types of cartoon animals. The broadest possible spectrum of popular species is covered, including the character types that are currently the stars of television and the big screen. But it also features exotic animals, such as the ferret, badger, armadillo, meerkat, moose, wild boar, porcupine, lemur, and others not typically covered in a how-to-draw cartooning book. We cartoonists use our pencils to guide readers emotions along specific lines. As a result, readers worry when the cartoon animal is in trouble.

Theyre sad when the animal appears lonely. They exult when the animal triumphs. We accomplish this through techniques that enhance character design, body language, and expression. All of these techniques are broken down in easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions throughout this book. You wont have to read yourself into drawing better; instead, youll be provided with plenty of visual examples. This book features an extensive amount of illustrations and a generous offering of visual side hints designed to give you an edge up on your competition.

The techniques presented here have been culled from years of experience and wrapped up into one simplified tome, which can save the newer artist countless hours of trial and error at the drawing table. Its everything youd expect from a Christopher Hart drawing bookand more. Learning to draw has never been so much fun!

Appealing and charming characters are created, not born. By making use of certain elements, you can turn an ordinary cartoon animal into something special. There are seven basic ingredients that go into creating cute cartoon characters: proportion (both of the body and facial features), roundness (or squeezability), exaggeration (enough vs. too much), solidity (or three-dimensionality), rhythm (repeating shapes and lines create pleasing forms), perspective (foreshortening and overlapping), and cartoon anatomy (simplifying animal anatomy).

Audiences respond favorably to specific shapes and combinations of shapes. Its bred into us. For example, roundness is cute, chubby is cute, short is cuter than tall, and so on. By employing these elements and techniques, working on a subconscious level, artists create characters that evoke empathetic responses. Thats the key. At the heart of it, our job is to manipulate the feelings of the reader.

These techniques show us how to do it. How diabolical of us!

Before we get to the more specific character design stuff, theres one important technique to mention first: the use of the center line . The center line is a guideline artists use to indicate where the center of the form is falling in any given pose. If youre looking at a character head-on, the center line will be in the center of the form; if the character is in a 3/4 view, the center line will fall more toward the side of the form. No matter whether the animal has a nose, a beak, or a trunk, the center line is still drawn down the length of the face, unifying it into one form. Notice how the center line, by following the contours of the head, accentuates the roundness of the face.

But its only a sketch line. Its sole purpose is to help you visualize a more solid foundation in the initial sketch. You erase it in the final drawing. HORSE ELEPHANT CHIPMUNK PIG BEAR DOG