DRAWING A CARTOON FACE
“copy poorly to look original. draw inside-out. imperfection is style.”
The Lesson
The best way to develop your own style is to copy other cartoonists poorly. I copied Gary Larson and Sergio Aragones badly, and the poor copies became my style. Eyes: circle with dot, suspicious slits, or surprised circles. Eyebrows tell the story: angry (down-V), quizzical (one up), devious (both down). Noses: U-shape forward, C-shape from side, or just leave it out. Mouths: line variations, open with/without teeth, Charlie Brown upside-down bean. Key technique: draw eyes, nose, mouth first, THEN draw the head outline around them. This gives more life than drawing the head first. Leave parts out. Dilbert has no visible eyeballs or mouth usually. If planning for animation, use big eyes and expressive mouths.
Real-World Example
A founder wants to add simple character illustrations to their product updates. They pick two cartoonists they like and try to copy their eye styles. The copies are terrible but interestingly unique. They develop a simple formula: two dots for eyes, U for nose, line for mouth, then circle the whole thing for a head. They leave out ears entirely. Within a month, they have a consistent, recognizable style that took almost no artistic talent. Just copying poorly and being consistent.
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