Continuing on, I’ve been spending my mornings doing the Center of Cartooning Studies One-Week Cartooning Workout! Or, as they call it, the #CCS1WeekWorkout on the Twittersphere. If you are interested in participating, the program is free and open to anyone, find out more about it here: http://www.cartoonstudies.org/index.php/programs/ccs-one-week-cartooning-workout/
I’ll also note that I’m independent of them and doing the program and showing my work just so others interested in cartooning know this program exists, becuase I sure didn’t before happening upon it on Twitter!
Onto Day two! Day two is all about introducing your characters to readers. I kinda already did that in my last post, the characters are really just myself and my goofy dog Wheatley. Any-hoodle-doogle-poodle, this is what today’s daily workout description is:
Doodle out two different characters and get to know them by drawing them in different positions and with varied facial expressions (happy, sad, angry, etc.). Then explore your characters even further by answering this simple questionnaire.
After you get to know your characters better, create an eight-panel comic using only dialogue (no backgrounds) where your characters resolve a conflict or misunderstanding.
As noted before, there are tips and a link to the questionnaire provided in the e-mails. I am not posting them here, please sign up for the program to get them yourself!
So, the first thing I actually did was the second thing suggested, I filled out the questionnaire- as my dog. Who wants to read a questionnaire about me? No no, my dog is far more entertaining, or at least, me answering as my dog is more entertaing. Here is the result below:
Even wrote out the responses in crayon! Well, the crayon brush in Manga Studio at least?
The next thing I did was do the sketches of Wheatley and myself. One thing I love drawing is all of Wheatley’s wavy hair and all the funky directions it sticks out in. He has black paches of hair in his overall white coat (it’s called “partied”) which I just fill in with small hash marks.
Now that last bit of today’s assignment is to make an 8-panel comic using just dialogue and now backgrounds. It is suggested that you use an 8×11″ (A4) size piece of paper to accomplish this, but you can put your panels however you want. I ended up drawing this in my 9×12″ sketch book. The topic is a fairly common one in our house (or any house wth multiple pets who interact), the sharing of toys.
Wheatley’s favorite toy is by far, a yellow fuzzy duck named “Ducky. He carries it around everywhere, even takes it outside with him on nice days and sits with it while watching the world go by, and knows that his toy is called Ducky. If you ask him to fetch it, he will, even when hidden somewhere in the house. Now, Portuguese Water Dogs (which both of mine are) have a habit of needing to self-sooth, or comfort, themselves. This is done by finding a fuzzy toy they love and just knead it while sucking on the toy, much like how cats are known to do. It’s like when a little kid sucks their thumb, it helps calm down and relax them. Mickey does this on a daily basis, but Wheatley only occasionally does it, and when he does, it is with lil’ ol’ Ducky.
Mickey however, is also kind of a bully to Wheatley. She is his older aunt, and she will take toys and chews away from him if she feels like it. She will eventually let him have it back, however. If she isn’t playing by their set rules though, Wheatley will come find me or start barking. You know it’s serious when he barks (and you know it is super serious if Mickey does!) So, this comic just plays out a scenario that’s happened a few times in our house.
My favorite panel is panel #4, where Wheatley is just barking. I don’t know why, but I’m smitten with it and think I did a good job.
Stay tuned for Day #
Keep being awesome,
Kat
