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Cartooningmadeeasy Circletrianglesquare Preview

The document emphasizes the importance of recognizing shapes in both the natural world and in drawing, particularly for artists. It explains how breaking down subjects into basic shapes can simplify the drawing process, improve proportions, and enhance efficiency. Additionally, it highlights the role of shapes in cartooning, affecting character personality, style, and the exaggeration of features.

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ich du
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9 views5 pages

Cartooningmadeeasy Circletrianglesquare Preview

The document emphasizes the importance of recognizing shapes in both the natural world and in drawing, particularly for artists. It explains how breaking down subjects into basic shapes can simplify the drawing process, improve proportions, and enhance efficiency. Additionally, it highlights the role of shapes in cartooning, affecting character personality, style, and the exaggeration of features.

Uploaded by

ich du
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CHAPTER ONE:

Shapes Are Everywhere!


One of the first things we’re taught as children is how to
identify shapes. Now, as an artist, you need to learn this
skill again—only this time, you need to be able to find
shapes in the world around you. This will make drawing
subjects—any type of subject, really—much, much easier.
Does this sound difficult? It’s actually pretty
straightforward! In fact, you can probably find shapes
wherever you are right now. A rectangular door, for
instance. A circular clock. A square picture frame.
The list goes on and on.
These are some of the more obvious ones. The truth
is that even organic things, like trees and trees, tigers,
and yes, people, can be broken into shapes. You just
need to learn what to look for.

11
Drawing Shapes
(and Why You Should Do It)

OK, even if we can find shapes in everyday objects and animals, why do we need them in drawing?
The answer is quite simple, really: shapes help you draw. Here are just a couple of things shapes can
help with:

• Getting started: Imagine you’re drawing an elephant. Such a large animal can be overwhelming if
you don’t know where to start. By breaking it up into a rectangular body, rectangular legs, and so
on, you make it a gradual, step-by-step process, thereby removing some of the hesitations.
• Proportions: Regardless of what the subject is, it’s difficult to translate size accurately on paper.
Shapes can help you create a basic framework so that it’s easier to measure proportions.
• Efficiency: This goes hand in hand with the first bullet points, but shapes will make your drawing
process dramatically more efficient. Instead of struggling with sketching a subject line by line and
taking a long time to get it the way you want, drawing shapes will cut that time in half.

13
Shapes & Cartoons
So, why are shapes important in drawing cartoons, specifically? Well, we already talked about how
cartoons capture the essence of something. And since shapes create the foundation of drawings,
it only makes sense that these two things—which are both based on simplicity—work harmoniously
together. Here are some more reasons why it’s important:
• Personality: Each shape has a feeling to it. Circles feel softer and younger, and squares have a
more rigid impression. Using certain shapes in your cartoons will give your characters a distinct
personality.
• Proportions: Measuring proportions is just as important in cartoons as it is in realism. The only
difference is that in cartoons, you may want to exaggerate certain features, which still comes
down to measuring proportions.
• Style: The way in which you use shapes will also determine your style. Using mostly round
shapes, for instance, will give the impression of a certain style. The same is true if you prefer
using other forms in your art.

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