The concept of "cartoon" came to us from France. Based on the French definition, we can say that a cartoon is a drawing that depicts the desired characters in a comic, but at the same time good-natured form. Most often, the artist paints portraits in this style, but a group of people or even animals can be depicted.
The cartoon differs from the usual drawing in that the main recognizable facial features and dignities of the character are much exaggerated than it really is.
Friendly cartoon
All cartoons are essentially friendly, since they do not carry a negative load. They have a touch of humor, but not sarcasm. Namely, a friendly cartoon is distinguished only by the fact that the drawing should not make fun of the flaws of the drawn character, but cause a slight smile. For example, if a person has large ears and beautiful lips, then for a harmless cartoon, you need to highlight the second rather than the first. It was then that the drawing would not be so offensive and would carry the meaning of a good-natured joke. Indeed, the level of perception of each person is different. And for some people, a sense of humor is completely absent.
Cartoon is a great gift
If the drawing turned out to be of high quality and interesting, then it can become an excellent gift to the one who is depicted on it. This sign of attention will be very original against the background of the rest and undeniably pleasant, and also make you smile and the person to whom you made a surprise, and other friends and relatives. And so that the gift does not seem banal at all, you can in the form of a cartoon depict your favorite pet or even the objects that surround the image shown, for example, a funny computer, an interesting sofa and many other home decoration. Thus, you definitely will not offend anyone. The gift will remain pleasant, unexpected and interesting, and the artist’s task will be fully completed.
Learning to draw cartoons
Everyone who is interested in art has at least once wondered how to draw cartoons. Therefore, if there is a desire to independently learn this matter, the most basic thing is to carefully examine the face of the person whom you are going to portray. Assess its strengths and weaknesses, pay attention to lips, ears, eyes, nose and even hair. If this person is a man, and on his face there is vegetation in the form of a mustache or beard, then do not forget to draw it. Such elements make it possible to better recognize the person depicted. Women are much more difficult to draw than men. The difficulty lies not even in facial features, but in greater touchiness. The line between a good joke and a mocking mockery is easily lost. After all, women often hide their flaws. And if you depict exaggerated some facial features, because of which the lady feels awkward, you can greatly offend her. Each person is unique in his own way, and the artist’s task is to catch this unique feature and to focus on it. It can be a smile or facial expression, a figure or even the position of the hands.
When the main features and characteristic features of a person are found, and then drawn, we can stop here. This is the charm of cartoons. It is not necessary to come up with a plot and work on a supporting plan. The main thing is to catch the very elements - and the portrait is ready. If desired, you can paint the finished drawing, but this is an optional process. Sometimes a color picture can have the opposite effect and change the portrait beyond recognition. Therefore, more often than not, an ordinary graphic image is enough. However, with a strong desire, you can add dim and discreet shades in characteristic places.
Modern Art
Previously, cartoons were always drawn only in pencil on paper. However, nowadays it has become popular to portray portraits using a graphics tablet. Naturally, such cartoons are painted in color. Thus, the characters depicted are more like the original. To draw a color cartoon means to be able to choose and combine colors correctly, otherwise you can completely ruin your work, just like on paper.
Comparison of cartoon and caricature
Many people compare these two concepts with each other. But this is not worth it, because a cartoon is just a kind of caricature.
This type of art appeared and became popular in the 19th century. At that time, people thought it was funny if the artist combined a large head with a small body. The main difference between these styles is that caricature is more an ironic genre of art that, without fear, makes fun of a person’s traits or certain life situations. For example, there are a large number of political cartoons that emphasize all the shortcomings of officials. And the cartoon is more good-natured, its purpose is not to ridicule certain shortcomings of a person, but, on the contrary, to please and make him laugh.
The man who glorified the cartoon
One of the most famous cartoonists is Honore Daumier. He was both a sculptor and an artist and raised this art form to a new, worthy level. He is one of the few who was able to show the most hidden features of nature. This is cunning, greed, anger and many other aspects of man. Especially impressive he painted political cartoons. He depicted everything as it really is, with a slight note of irony. And in our time, the political cartoon is almost the main element in newspapers and magazines. A particularly large number of such drawings appear during periods of crisis or war.
This genre of art requires considerable life and artistic experience. And it doesn’t matter, cartoons are drawn with a pencil or using a graphics tablet. If the goal of the cartoonist is to reach the general public, then you should draw world-famous stars or politicians. Thus, the drawing makes a famous person closer to the people.
We hope that thanks to this article, those who were interested in how to draw cartoons understood this. Or maybe someone discovered a new genre in art. Indeed, in our time this is a very popular destination. Cartoons draw for themselves, portray a friend and present him as a gift, they simply enjoy at exhibitions. It should be remembered that cartoons and caricatures are not exactly the same thing. A cartoon will always cheer you up and remind you of the time that is associated with it.