I have fun all day long … and yes, I have a job!
I actually get paid to sit and draw cartoons all day. When I was a young child, I would get bored, so I picked up a pencil and starting doodling, and I never stopped.
My doodles would get better, and they would gradually resemble cartoons. Not only did drawing pass the time … it was also a way for me to express my sense of humor.
I saw humor in everything. I just wasn’t a serious kid, so being a cartoonist was a natural fit. Realistic art was too difficult for me, and I just didn’t have the patience to spend hours, days or weeks on a piece of art. Cartoons were quick, loose and fun. There were no rules. A dog didn’t have to look exactly like a dog. It was my creation. It was my world. No one could criticize how my world looked.
Drawing is fun, but a cartoon’s strength is really the writing. A cartoon, after all, is a joke. So, the joke must be funny. No matter how good the art is, a cartoon will fail without a funny caption. That’s why I have a college degree in English. Most people assume I went to art school, but cartoonists are usually self-taught. I could already draw, but it was the writing I needed to learn.
Like most things, the more you practice, the better you get. I now create around 300 cartoons each month, so my creative muscles have gotten bigger and better. When I tell people I have to work, they laugh, because no one considers what I do an actual job. Why? Because it’s fun. The best thing about drawing a cartoon is that it only requires fun and your imagination.
Take drawing a dog, for instance. Here are some tips:
Remember, this is a cartoon. The only rules are to have fun, and be creative!
Posted in: Community
Comment Policy: All viewpoints are welcome, but comments should remain relevant. Personal attacks, profanity, and aggressive behavior are not allowed. No spam, advertising, or promoting of products/services. Please, only use your real name and limit the amount of links submitted in your comment.
You Might Also Like...
Working Memory And The Learning Brain: What It Is and Why It Matters
Working with a child as he learns a new skill can be a rewarding experience for a parent or teacher. It can also be one filled with unexpected challenges, requiring […]
Before Sunrise: Making Time for Fitness, Friends and Nature
Three days a week, Anne Ripke works as a veterinarian in Chico. As the wife of a physician and mother of 15-year-old twins, Anne’s day-to-day life is full and active, […]
Meet Your School Superintendent: Interviews with Shasta and Tehama Counties’ Superintendents of Schools
Your county school superintendent plays an important and supportive role for each school district. As an elected position, a superintendent serves in a leadership role and is a facilitator for […]
There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays
Family holiday traditions are those special, personal ways of marking the season each year and making the bonds stronger as children grow. North State Parent reached out to our readers […]
