1. How to Draw New Retro-Style CharactersChristopher
hartWatson-Guptill Publications / New York
2. Published in 2005 by Watson-Guptill Publicationsa division
of VNU Business Media, Inc.770 BroadwayNew York, NY
10003www.wgpub.comExecutive Editor: Candace RaneySenior Development
Editor: Alisa PalazzoDesigner: Bob Fillie, Graphiti Design.
IncSenior Production Manager: Ellen GreeneInks over pencil: Rich
Faber(pages 99. 103, 105, 106, 107. 109, and 110)Copyright 2005 Art
Studio, LLCLibrary of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication DataHart,
Christopher. Cartoon cool; how to draw the new retro charactersof
todays cartoons / Christopher Hart. p. cm. Includes bibliographical
references and index. ISBN 0-8230-0587-9 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1.
Cartooning--Technique, I. Title. NC1764.H34 2005 741.5--dc22
2004024844All rights reserved. No part of the contents of
thispublication may be reproduced or used in any formor by any
means--graphic, electronic, or mechanical.including photocopying,
recording, or informationstorage-and-retrieval systems--without the
writtenpermission of the publisher.Printed In USA2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 /
13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05
3. Cool Retro Action Poses 56 TRADITIONAL VS. RETRO ACTION
POSES 57 INTROVERTED POSES 58 THE MEGAPUNCH 59 FLYING 60 THE RETRO
TAKE 61 MORE ACTION POSES 62 THE EPIPHANY 63 The Retro Family Pet
64 THE CARTOON DOG 64 PUPPY DOG EYES 65Introduction: Lets Go
Retro!4 COMMON HOUSEHOLD DOG BREEDS 66 MUTTS 69Retro Basics 6 CATS
AS PETS 70 BASIC CAT HEAD SHAPES 71THE RETRO HEAD 6 THE SIAMESE CAT
72MORE HEAD SHAPES 9 SURLY CAT 73ENLARGING THE UPPER JAW 10 BIRDS
AS PETS: POPULAR TYPES 74DRAWING FLAT CHARACTERS 11 TROPICAL FISH
AND AQUARIUM PETS 75EYES 12LIPS 14FACIAL EXPRESSIONS 15 Cool Retro
Teenagers76 SERIOUS TEENAGE BOY 76RETRO BODIES 18 CAREFREE TEEN
77PROPORTIONS 22 PRETTY TEEN 78BODY SIZE 23 STYLISH TEEN 79THE
IDEALIZED CARTOON FIGURE: TRADITIONAL VS. RETRO 24 COOL CAT 80THE
NECK AND SHOULDERS 26 HANGIN AT THE MALL 81BUILDING THE BODY
SECTION BY SECTION 27 LOOSEY-GOOSEY TEEN 82MOLDING THE TORSO 28 THE
GIRL NEXT DOOR 83THE FEMALE TORSO 29 SCHOOL SCENE 84THE ATTRACTIVE
FEMALE FIGURE STEP BY STEP 30 THE REBEL 86RETRO HANDS 32 POSTURE
87FEET 33 BASIC TEENAGE STANDING POSTURE 88 POSE AND EMOTION 89The
Retro Family 34THE SUBURBAN DAD 35Pretty Retro Women 90HOME ON THE
RANGE: THE BARBECUE 36 THE FACE 90A DAD, A BATHROBE, AND A CUP OF
COFFEE 37 THE VOLUPTUOUS FEMALE FIGURE 92DADS WITH GLASSES 38
MIDRIFFS AND LOW-CUT PANTS 93MORE DAD SHAPES 39 COOL CHICK 94THE
PERSISTENCE OF DAD 40 CANT BUY ME LOVE 95THE BASIC RETRO MOM 41
NOTES ON DRAWING ATTRACTIVE POSES96MOM HEAD PROPORTIONS 42
PRIMITIVE BEAUTY 97DANGERMOM ATTEMPTING TO BE COOL 43PERKY MOM
44SHOP AROUND THE CLOCK 45 Cool Retro Scenes 98WALK-ABOUT MOM 46NO,
YOU GO FIRST 98THE SADISTIC OLDER SISTER 47 SECRET AGENT CHICK
100YOU ARE SO DEAD! 48GALACTIC MEDAL OF VALOR 102DOLLS AND PAJAMAS
49 SHH! SECRET MISSION 104THE BRINGER OF BAD CHEER 50JEWEL THIEF
106THE KNOW-IT-ALL SISTER 51MY HERO! 107EVIL AT HOME, EVIL IN CLASS
52 HERE MONSTER, MONSTER 108THE YOUNGER BROTHER 53 BYE FOR NOW: A
CLOSING NOTE FROM CHRIS HART 111MORE BOYS 54RETRO KIDS AND SPORTS
55 Index 112
4. ts everywhere you look, in animated cartooning on the
planet. Retro-style animated television shows and comic books. Its
TV shows have completely stolen the thunder the new retro style.
What is retro? Its the of hand-drawn, animated feature films. While
biggest thing to come along in cartooningthe popularity of the
hand-drawn, realistic style in decades. Its a style of illustration
of animated movies has waned, retro cartoonsloosely based on the
animated TV shows of are proliferating all over television. And
eventhe late 1950s and early 1960sa time whenthe most heroic comic
book characters and badeverything had a flat, graphic look, and
theguys have been redrawn by publishers andsly humor didnt play
down to children. studios into modern, retro versions. But retro 5
Retro is also based on character types-- is about more than just
style; its also aboutcharacter types influenced by the popular
laughs. Its truly wacky stuff. The characters arefamily sitcoms of
the early to mid-60s, when quirky, perky, and just a little bit
warped. Theireverything looked nice on the surface: brownies
break-neck pacing and hysterical characters areand milk, moms in
the kitchen, and fathers whogenerating legions of fans of all
ages.never yelled. Yet there was always lurking a This book is
packed to the brim with easy-to-sense that these families were too
good to be follow, step-by-step instructions and loads oftrue and
were repressing some truly bizarre special hints. Anyone, at any
level, can benefitpersonalities and behaviors. Add a modern and can
improve his or her skills by using thislook, bring those bizarre
personalities to thebook. Youll be shown how to create
retro-stylesurface, ratchet up the pace to a fever pitch,heads and
bodies from basic shapes, making itand youve got retro. As a
cartoonist, you oweeasy and fun. Youll learn how to create theit to
yourself to stay current and learn how to basic cast of characters
that make up thedraw this growing, popular new style. bizarre retro
family unit, including retro pets. Interestingly, some of the
retro-style Youll learn how to caricature action poses indrawing
principles are the exact opposite the unique, retro style, with
examples thatof the principles used for drawing traditionalcompare
the new way to the traditional way ofcartoons. For example,
retro-style action poses cartooning. Retro facial expressions and
bodyare drawn so that the figures seem to conservelanguage are
illustrated clearly and in detail.energy rather than expend it
(which would beAnd at the end of the book, youll be guidedthe look
of a more traditional cartoon).through an exciting section on how
to draw Retro characters are so nerdy theyre cool.scenes with
multiple characters. Are you ready?The retro style is, in fact, the
coolest style of Lets go retro!
5. I believe in drawing the fun stuff right out of the box. So,
were going to begin with the basic retro head.As you go along,
therell be lots of specialhints throughout the book to help
youunderstand the principles of characterdesign and to provide you
with optionsfor creating variations on a theme.Simple shapes are
the key to creatingtodays "new retro" look, and theresno shape
simpler than a circle. Itsperfectly symmetrical and has nosides.
But pay close attentionImdefinitely not talking about the
old-fashioned, start-with-a-circle approachto cartooning. Im
talking about a self- Draw a thin neck thats soconsciously round
cartoon, in whichskinny it would never reallythe shape of the
circle is not just thesupport the weight of thatstarting point but
the whole point. To head. Exaggeration is the key to cartoon
humor.emphasize the circle further in thefront view, dont open up
the circleat the chin as it crosses the neck;keep it a closed loop.
Tilt the eyes, in tandem, to one side. This is a cartoonists trick
that adds more zing to the character. Big irises (the colored parts
of the eyes) are the favored look in Retroland. The nose is tiny
and petite, letting the oversized eyes dominate by way of contrast.
And, the lips are full and curvya caricature of female lips. The
hairstyle should never be carefree or natural looking in retro
cartoons. Instead, it should look stiff, not soft. Now draw small,
dark pupils inside the irises. The eyelashes should look like
little spikes that could kill (which makes them funny). And you can
add striations to the interior of the hairstyle, to give it more
flair.
6. The oval is also a popular shape for retro Start with the
ovalcharacters. Notice that the oval shape istilted on its axis.the
dominant feature of this figure. The tilt gives the pose more
energy. The eye is quite oversized, which is a popular trait in
retro-style cartoons. 7Indent theforeheadlip detailNotice how big
the hair isanother retro trademark. Also,you cant keep the outline
of theoval completely closed in the sideview because theres no chin
toobscure the neck. So, open it upwhere it attaches to the
neck.
7. Now lets modify the basic shape a bit more so that its
somewhere between an egg shape and an upside-down teardrop shape.
This is a common shape for teenagers of about 14 years of age. The
face is still round but shows signs of elongation, especially in
the jaw and chin. Yet the face is somewhat soft, as shown by its
rounded sides. Keep the features simple, big, and clear, with no
subtlety. Eliminate allStart with the basic shape.facial creasesyou
dontNote that boys necks getneed them, and they takethicker as they
grow.away from the clean look of the character. The ears stick out
conspicuously on retro characters so that Sketch in guidelines.
theyre funny looking! (Only one ear shows in this angle, though.)8
Add the hair, and thicken the eyebrows. Heres another character
with a crystal-clear shape for her head. Not even her chin, cheek,
or hairlineRetro cartoons are based more on designcreates so much
as a bumpprinciples and less on drawing principles. in the outline
of the head,Its like fitting together cool parts to createa snappy
character. Sometimes artists try which is a simple oval. Itsto do
too much with their drawings. bo less, a very pleasing look. Thenot
more. Concentrate on the overall shapes, eye is drawn to simplenot
on the interior features.shapes.
8. Any basic shape can be turned into a retro-type cartoon
character. Give these three a try.The back ofhis head is
acontinuationof the jawline. Jazz up basic head shapes on female
characters with creative ponytails.The ears droop on sullen 9 and
glum characters.
9. To make your character stand out more, try this effective
technique: enlarge the top of the mouth or upper jaw (the maxilla),
and leave the lower jaw (the mandible) unchanged. This will
immediately add a goofy look to any character. Top extendsBottom
remains10the sameTop extends Bottom remains the same
10. The key to drawing retro characters is to make them look
flat. This probably goes against everything youve learned about how
to draw, when the whole point is to make things look real and
three-dimensional. But the flat look is indispensable for drawing
this new retro style.Forehead Here are some important tips to keep
in mind.Shoulders curves inslopeamiably Cheek Hair hasprotrudes
striations in itLower lipshows thicknessTummy sticksout in
aEyebrowscute wayare thick andare visibleA bold, simple, and clear
outline through hair11is all-important in creating a flat ( as if
sittinglook. To create a flat character, the on top of it)outline
of the head and body should beemphasized so that the overall
shapeis unmistakable. Make the outline thickEarsBack isstraight
Front of headand make the lines for the details inside stick outthe
main outline thin. Thats the general (for s stiff is a single,rule,
although you can break it and flat look) unchanging curvewhen, for
example, one part ofthe body overlaps another.Start by drawing
theentire character ina regular, thin line.Dont thicken the thin
lineoutline as you go! Main pencil line Then, choose onlyis quite
thickone side of the lineon which to add wrongwidth. If you
addwidth to both sidesof the line at thesame time, you end rightup
with a mishmash.
11. Since the eyes are the most expressive featureTheres no
wasted effort in drawing eyes! (And of the face, matching the
correct eye style to thecertainly no waste in designing and drawing
them character type is essential. Whenever I begin tofirst.) All of
your efforts will pay dividends. draw the features of the face, I
start with the eyes. If they dont come out just right, I erase them
and start over. I just cant get the feeling of the Style, and lots
of it, is the name of the game in character, and go on to create
the expression and drawing retro cartoons. And thats especially
posture, unless the eyes are working for me first.important for
female eyes. This is a classic. Circular eyes with attached
eyelashesHeres another favorite for cartoon moms that can also be
and large pupils. Very popular, very funny, especiallyused
effectively for perky teenage girls. The eyelashes curve for
cartoon moms. upward. The eyes are vertical elongated ovals. Note
the use of a two-toned iris and pupil area here.12 These are for
attractive female characters only. The half-This eye type can be
used on an attractive character, closed eyelids always indicate an
alluring character. The top a mysterious character, or a sinister
character equally eyelid is always drawn darker. The eyelashes are
bunchedwell. The eyelids are shaded to indicate eye shadow. The
into a single, thick lash that sweeps up at the end.eyeballs have
pupils, and the eyelashes curve down. (Note the thick eyebrows.)
These kooky eyes are shaped like rounded rectangles. ForAnother
appealing, goofy look. The eyes press together, an even more
stylized look, place the pupils in the centerthe pupils are small,
and the eyelashes "float." (See page of the eyeballs, instead of
close together. It will give74 for more on floating.) your
character a weird, vacant stare. Shes the girl next door. Innocent
characters have bigPretty severe, eh? Shes evil, you betcha. Apply
that eyeliner eyes with big shines in them. The overall form of the
eye like shellac. is almond-shaped. To make her sexier, tilt the
eyes up slightly at the ends.
12. For male characters, too, theres a wide variety of eyetypes
from which to choose. Although male charactersdont have eyelashes
with which to play, their eyebrowsare far more varied than those on
female characters.This is the classic retro look, good for almost
any maleAn appealing, quirky look. The eyes are oval and spaced
apart,character: round eyes, with medium-size pupils (and no
irises). with small pupils floating in the middle and thin
eyebrows. 13A good type for boys ages 8 to 12. Huge pupils dominate
The eyes stand up, vertically, with small pupils. Good forthe eyes.
The eyebrows are small. worried and high-energy grown-ups.This is
the overworked dad type. Note how the eyelids Isnt this one a riot?
Hes either a mad professor or an evilslope down at the ends. Bags
form under the eyes, and scientist. Heavy eyelids and bags under
the eyes, with onlythe eyebrows are thick and angular. This is how
you slits for him to see through. Tiny beady eyes peer out at
us.will look at 40. Trust me.The eyebrows are thin, crooked, and
delicate.Almond-shaped eyes always indicate innocence and lack
Intense and mean characters (drill sergeants, phys-edof guile on
boys. The pupils must be large, which is also coaches, and the
like) often sport heavy eyebrows thata sign of honesty in a
character. sit right on top of the pupils. Add a little touch
ofshading under the eyes to add intensity.
13. Heres where a lot of beginnersas well as Actually,
attractive, womens lips are some of experienced cartoonistslose
their way and end upthe easier things to drawif you know which type
with less attractive characters than they had hopedof lips youre
drawing. The problem is that many for. Mens lips are so simple that
they dont even cartoonists dont decide on the lip type and end up
require separate examples here. Youll learn to draw with an
uncomfortable amalgam of realistic lips them easily just by
following the steps for the male and cartoony lips. Toss out the
realistic version. characters in this book. Its womens lips that
youInstead, make them highly stylized, which simplifies need to pay
special attention to.them and makes them much more fun.Upper lip
slantsinward in profile This is the classic overbite. Its
attractive, some would even Heres the overbite without the Cupids
bow shape. Generally say sexy, for the upper lip to be longer than
the bottom one.speaking, the more attractive the character, the
bigger The indentation in the center of the upper lip, resulting in
a the upper lip. Cupids bow shape, is simple and doesnt require any
subtlety; it can be used to make a character more voluptuous.14Tip
of top lipoverlapsbottom lipin profile This is a good type for
pouty cartoon characters. BothThe dipping lip is usually used for
attractive female the upper and bottom lips are of even length, but
theyre characters. Its the same as the first lip style, except that
short widthwise and tall heightwise.the middle of the upper lip
dips down and the bottom lip widens slightly to accommodate this.
The big bottom lip isnt that commonly used but can be These are the
simplest lips you con draw. They work well, effective in creating a
unique character.and theyre funny. No Cupids bow shape, not much of
anoverbite. Give it a try.
14. The solid shape of the faceits outlineis soimportant on
retro cartoon characters that it doesntsquash or stretch to fit a
particular expression theway it would in a traditionally drawn
cartoon. Mostof the action occurs in the eyes and the elasticmouth.
Heres a sampling of the most popularexpressions youll need to know.
Note how thebasic outline or shape of the head remainsunchanged
from expression to expression.One eyebrow goes up, theThe eyeballs
mustother down, and both eyes be cut off by theare half closed.
This is aeyebrows. The mouthmuch more sophisticated is small and
taut.expression than one wouldexpect to find on a boy ofthis
characters age. ButUpset eyethats what makes it
funny.variation15The tongue in themiddle of the mouth indicates
that thecharacter is talkingTeeth usually show whena character is
angry.Bright eyes, tongue firmly pasted on upper lip. Yum!
15. Note the body language. Instead of eyebrows, use big folds
of eyebrow muscles to curl up over the eyes. The mouth gets small.
CONCERNED MOUTH VARIATION Scrunch all of the features together in
the middle of the face. The eyes crush down and A surprised
expression is the mouth pushes up.displayed by showing large, round
eyes with tiny pupils. The pupils can actually change16 size to fit
the expression.BIGGER SURPRISED LOOK I love this one. Showing the
lower eyelids in an expression was Closed eyes show confidence.very
popular in 1930s cartoons but Combine them with a big grinwent by
the wayside until recently. and youve got a know-it-all. Now this
technique is used all over the place. Note that the grin must rise
way up into the cheeks.
16. The affable smile is just a big grin with theeyebrows
raised high.It helps if you canposition the pupils ina corner of
the eyes,as this makes theexpression sharper.Even on a
breezy,pleasant expressionlike this, its good toexaggerate
something,which in this case isthe curl of the grin.Take the eyes
from the Superior Combine a scrunchedexpression on the previous
page,smile with evil eyes forflip em over, and youve got the an
effective look.eyes for a laughing character.17The mouth opens
wide, but youdont necessarily have to showteeth or a tongue. All
young characters needto have this look in their repertoire of
expressions.God knows I looked like thisenough when I was
growingup! Tilt the head down. Thepose wont be effective unless the
head is bowed. The character needs to be lookingup from the corner
of the eyes. Keep the mouth tiny. This Sympathy is an important
emotionexpression is often followed to give characters. It
humanizesby the Sheepish one on them. Combine a smile with worried
the previous page.eyes for a look of sympathy.
17. Just like the head shape, the retro bodyespecially the
torsomust Young characters have be based on a simple and clear
heads that are large shape. Dont soften the edgescompared to their
bodies. to make it subtler. Thats a fineThis doesnt usually hold
approach for traditional cartoons, true for adult characters, but
it wont give you that retro look. but in retro-style cartoons,the
head is usually bigeven on adults. Still, letsstart with kids
anyway,because theyre compactand easier to draw.Ponytails floatfor
added style18
18. Since were concentrating simple and slick in order toon
creating a single, basic be pleasing to the eye.shape for the body,
theNote the absolutely flat topsoutline of the dress itself of the
ponytails. This could neverwill become the shape happen in reality,
but again, wereof the body. In retro trying to emphasize
shapes.cartoons, you dont wantThere are only two ways to doto see
the stress marks this: either flatten things out orthat result from
the body make them round. Combining flattugging on the fabric.
There areshapes (the tops of the ponytails)no creases or folds to
complicate with round shapes (the top of herthe drawing, which must
remainhead) adds a lively contrast.19
19. The lab coat is a classic for evil characters. Note the
excessively long body, combined with a big head. This tells the
audience that the character relies on brainpower, not brawn. The
bow tie, which is tight enough to strangle this guy, indicates that
hes tightly wound and barely able to maintain a socially acceptable
demeanor in public.In traditional cartooning, youd first outline
the body, sketching in the legs as they wedge into the hip joints,
and then youd draw the lab coat over it. But that would be a
mistake here. Here, the legs are meant to look pasted onto the
bottom of the coat. The fact that there isnt a single hint or
indication of the underlying body structure is what gives this
cartoon its sought-after flat look.20
20. The older a cartoon character gets, the simpler the body
shape becomes. The neck disappears, and so do the shoulders. The
knees are perpetually bent. The limbsare skinny, and the body is
thick.Bushy eyebrows Sweater to combat poor circulation Skinny
upper arms Perpetuallybent kneesWhen youre trying to depict an Flat
feet 21attractive characters body, youhave to draw a slightly
morecomplex shape for the torso.Its sort of a mangled figureeight,
but you can still simplifyit so that it has a clear outline.You can
squash, bend,flatten, and stretchthe torso shape anyway you
like.
21. The common method of coming up with the proportions of a
character is to "stack heads." The standard approach has always
been: the younger the character, the fewer heads tall; the more
mature the character, the more heads tall. But with retro cartoons,
this isnt necessarily so. This retro-style Kewpie-cloll bombshell
is only three heads tall, whereas most traditional adult cartoon
characters are four to six heads tall.22 1/31/3 1/3The body is a
thirdof the width of the head. This is what gives this figure her
diminutive, cute look.
22. Super slender or on the wide side? Or, howabout splitting
the difference and choosinga body type down the middle?
Todayscartoon characters are so pliable that youcan give them body
types that would havepreviously been considered too thin.The
superthinbody type is agood choicefor the retrolook,
especially23for brainy kids. In the retro style, the average body
type is still thin but not will-o-the-wisp.The larger look is yet
anothervariation; it makes clothes looklike theyre swimming on the
body,which is a good look for kids.
23. Many charactersespecially teenagers, heroes, oval, because
whose ideal would that be? Still, to and action characterspossess
idealized cartoon be retro, the body has to be based on bold,
simple versions of the human body. And many of those shapes.
Compare the figures below and opposite to characters wear tight
clothing that reveals their see how to create an anatomically
viable idealized form. So, they cant have a body that looks like an
model for retro-style cartoon purposes. This is a perfectly good
drawing of a cartoon characters muscles and anatomy. But its no
good for retro cartoons because it goes against the basic retro
tenet: simplify, simplify, simplify!24
24. Instead of focusing on individual muscle groups, curved
outline; no interior muscle definition isas in the traditional
example opposite, concentratenecessary. And the calves, which are
the moston the overall shape of the body. Focusing on
theexaggerated body part of all, curve outwardoverall shape is much
more important than knowingseverely. Its important to draw them
withwhere the rectus femoris (middle thigh muscle) "muscle peaks,"
otherwise the character willbegins and ends. The legs are highly
exaggerated inlook bowlegged. Note the simplicity of the chest
stylized cartoons of this sort. Notice that developed muscles and
also how the elbow joints makethigh muscles are suggested
exclusively by the the arms wider in the middle.25 Muscle
peakMuscle peak
25. This is where things can get trickybut they dont have
to!SLOPING Dont think of the neck and shoulders as two separate
areas.This can be on attractive Theyre fused together to create one
section of the body look, especially with the neck/shoulder
regionand it helps to think of themoutfits that reveal that way.
Whether the shoulders slump or are held squarelybare shoulders. has
a huge effect on a characters posture and, hence, his or her
personality. Note: Female characters can have more variations of
the neck/shoulder region than male characters. SQUARE You probably
think that men have square shoulders but that womens shoulders The
collarbones (A) act like a shelf, should be given a softer giving
the top of the chest its square treatment. Oh, how look. The main
neck muscle (B) (the wrong you are, my friend.
sternocleidomastoideus for all Square shoulders are a you guys who
simply have very attractive look for to know what to call it) any
female character. appears on each side Emphasizing the width of the
neck and travels of the shoulders is from the bottom of the ear
attractive. Burn this to the pit of the neckand its into that
cartoonists accentuated in many poses. brain of yours. SLIGHT CURVE
UP26 This is a highly stylized B B version in which the shoulders
are actually pointed up. Its a sharp, A A effective look for
bombshell characters.ROUNDEDFLAT WITH A SLIGHT SLOPE Nuh-uh. This
doesnt work forRounded shoulders that begin This is the typical
approach male characters. It makesabove the base of the neck can to
drawing male shoulders. them look tense and unnatural.make a guy
seem very powerful.
26. Teenagers, some adults, and action characters often But you
also need to add a neck/shoulder section,need more than a single
shape for the bodybutas well as a simple hip section. Assembling
thenot much more. The torso is still a rectangle, whichparts as
blocks, at least until you get used to thecan be pulled and
stretched into many variations. process, makes the figure much
easier to draw.TrapeziusNotice that theWhen you draw the figureneck
isnt placed onthis way, stacking the threetop of the trapezius
sectionsneck/shoulders,muscle but, instead, istorso/hips, and
legssurrounded by it. The Collarbone together, you dont
losecollarbone gives the any of the flat angularityshoulders their
width. that makes this type of character so appealing.27The torso
is a rectangle,and the hips are shapedlike a bowl. Stack all
threeelementsneck/shoulders,torso, and hipstogether.The legs attach
to jointsockets inside the hips. Notethat the legs usually
dontattach to the bottom of theshirt but to the hip area.
27. You can mold the rectangular torso shape, twisting,
stretching, and bending it like a piece of a clay. But keep the
shape simple, with no muscle definition. In this picture the
trapezius muscle in the shoulders has been eliminated from view. If
it were built up, it would make the character look too husky.Back
ofshoulders isnot built up28 The use of circles to indicate the
joints is aThe eyes can work independently of each other. common
technique that Here, one is opened wide while the other is artists
use to remind squinting, which creates interesting expressions.
themselves that the joint areas have moss and volume and to not
draw them too skinny, which is the temptation among less
experienced artists.
28. The adult female body is a more complicated piece of
workthan the adult male figure, due to the shape of the torso.
Itsnot just because of all the curves, but because of the
contrastof the wide shoulders, thin waist, and wide hipsall in
arelatively small amount of space. However, after you getthis part
down, everything will fall easily into place. Round offRound out
Round outRound inRound inRound offThe female torso isThe first
thing to do is shave The final female torsobasically a very
simplified, off the bottom tip of thelooks like this. It, too,
canrounded diamond, so startdiamond to create a surfacebe
stretched, thinned out,with a simple diamond shape. that fits into
the hips. Then its or adjusted in any way29 simply a process of
rounding off according to your own the outline as labeled
above.taste and inspiration. Place the modified diamond-shaped
torso on top of a squashed oval. The oval represents the hips. Make
sure the torso is placed slightly down insideNote that the bottom
of of the hip area (seethe torso shape is quite drawing at
right).thin. This is important! There should be no gradual widening
from the waist to the hipsits a sudden The thighs wedge deeply up
shift in shape. Thatinside of the hip area and abruptness, that
lack offill out all the room the subtlety, is what yourehips can
give them. This is looking for. It gives yourtrue not only in
cartoons cartoons that retro look. but in real life.
29. Now that youre familiar with how the major sections of the
body are assembled, you can put it all together to make a finished
figure. With this female character, Ive separated the torso from
the hips just a bit on the construction drawing to stretch the
midsection slightly, because she wears clothing that emphasizes
that area. This is just one of the many ways that you can make
small adjustments in the construction of a character to tailor it
to your needs.30Above is the basictorso/hip construction.Above left
is theadjusted torso/hipconstruction withthe torso
separatedTraditionalslightly from thehair ruffles Traditionalhip to
accentuate hair rufflesthe midsection. In a traditional-style
cartoon, the ends of ponytailswould be carefree and ruffled. For
the flat, retrolook, slice off the ends of the ponytails with a
crisp,cleanand unnaturalline. This adds more style.
30. Drawing a mature female figure in a sideview requires a
different approach to theleg treatment. Create the front of the
legswith a single smooth line, while using abumpy line for the back
of the legs toindicate the upper thigh and calf muscles.
31Thighmuscle curve Smooth line Calf muscleLeave spacefor the
highheels whenroughing outthe character.
31. The palm has two basic areas: the heel (A) and the thumb
Like people, hands have muscle (B). The heel section is longer, but
the thumb personalities, and youve got section is wider. You can
draw all the fingers at the same to draw them to reflect their
length, or you can vary them. I choose to make all of the fingers
the same size, except the pinky, which remains owners! Please
follow along,shorter. The thumb has a fat joint at its origin where
it and no talking while thesticks out. bont leave this out of your
drawing! demonstration is in progress. Thank you.Joint at baseof
thumbsticks outJoint at baseof thumb sticks out kid Pudgy and
short.32teen adult /Not too angularor bony. middle-Aged
adultfemaleSlender with thin,tapered fingers. Nailsare
unnecessary.Protruding wrist bone senior citizen Palms get wide,
fingers curl, and bones protrude. Although the hands are large,
they are also skinny.
32. Side of foot hasTheres the temptation to rush
whenpaddingdrawing the feet because, typically,In front and
3/4theyre the final thing to be done in a views, balls ofdrawing.
But why rob your drawing feet show Main ball ofof a finishing
touch? Feet are funny! foot appearsSo, put some effort into them.
Here under big toeare some useful examples.HeelPointing big
Ankletoe up adds aWiggling toes are bracelet bit of humor always
funny ( no one knows why )Balls of feetcan be seen fromunderside,
too 33Womens Tennis ShoesneakerFuzzy slippers are amust for
middle-classfamily types!Womens Tennis Shoesneaker When drawing
feet in high-heeled shoes, first draw the bare foot with the heel
raised. Make sure the bridge of the foot descends at a steep angle.
Then add the shoe.
33. The keystone of so many funny comicstrips,animated TV
shows, andcomics books is the strangely dysfunctional family unit.
The retro familyis a riot. Think of it as the quintessential1960s
sitcom familybut with eachmember suffering from Attention
DeficitDisorder. Each family member is a turbo- charged nerd,
self-centered in the extremebut with a weird patina of
sugarcoating.The cast of characters goes as follows: the retro dad
and mom, who are alwaysannoyingly enthusiasticand cluelessabout
everything; the retro older sister(you know her type: the sadistic
babysitter); and her younger retro brother, who is often the most
likable, creative, andinventive of the bunch.
34. Lets start with the parental units. How aboutthe titular
head of the household: the affable buttotally obtuse dad. Why do
dads always wearshorts with long, black socks? Is there a
fashionpart of the brain that gets damaged as a result ofbecoming a
father? We may never fully understandthe cause of this mysterious
ailment. The Hawaiianshirt, off the rack from a "superstore," is
also anessential characteristic of the fashion-challenged.The legs
are skinny, and the trunk shows a hint ofmiddle-aged paunch. The
nose is almost alwayssharp and angular, and the chin usually juts
out.35
35. The suburban retro dad is king of the barbecue grill but
almost nothing else. The fun of this body type lies in the contrast
of very round lines alternating with straight lines on opposite
sides of the same limbs. And as always, dad sports a large chin and
embarrassingly long socks worn with shorts. Top-heavy characters
are funny because their torsos are much longer than their
legs.36
36. Some things just seem to go together. I dont know howmany
dads actually wear bathrobes and slippers, butretro cartoon dads
certainly do. Just as with the dad atthe barbecue grill, you need
to find the stereotypicalprops of a modest suburban life in which
all is well andshopping from the right catalog brings joy and
harmonyto the household. The bulky bathrobe makes a nicecontrast to
dads skinny calves, wrists, and neck. 37
37. Oversized eyeglasses are a common theme for retro dads but
not for retro moms. Glasses make dads look wonderfully geeky; while
on moms, glasses can have the opposite effect, making them look
stylishand you dont want that. The frames of the glasses become the
outline for the whites of the eyes. All you have to do is draw the
pupils or the pupils in the irises. Open part creates an
interesting Don t drawgraphicside of head through glasses38
38. This new father still has someof his athletic build intact.
Justgive him a few more years!What makes him funny is thathis trunk
is large, while hisarms and legs are so short. 39Skinny dads are
just theopposite of athletic dads,with their legs longer thantheir
torsos. (Note thedifferent style of glasses.)
39. You can take the dad out of the office but you cant take
the office out of the dad. The fun part about these wacky retro
characters is that they never change! You can put them in any
environment, anywhere, dress them in any type of clothing, and
still, its dad, 24/7.40
40. Ah yes, there she is, the happily fulfilled homemaker.She
is frequently seen wearing an apron and oven mitts.Her real
marriage is to her kitchen. Its every feministsnightmareand so
lacking in political correctness thatits hysterical. Nonetheless,
you can be sure of one Basic cartoonthing: her linoleum floors are
always clean and shiny! mom torsoThis characters head, which is
loaded with expression, shapeis always large compared to her body.
And she has "bighair" that has yet to be styled by a hairdresser
fromthis century. Her body is the basic "mom" body shape:rather
small and understated.Waist mustbe small 41 Soft line Hard
lineRight Wrong You can draw the two- Note the overlapping lines
toned eye two different on the elbow: with the armsways: with a
hard line akimbo, the forearm appearsaround the iris or with a
closer to the viewer than thesoft line around the iris. upper arm
and, therefore,Both are good, but I overlaps the upper arm.prefer
the soft line.
41. Here she is again, strolling back from the supermarket,
just before she goes crazy. Just kidding (but barely). Again,
notice how wide and oversized the head is. Its a great technique on
moms, because the head then contrasts nicely with the smallness of
her features, like The leg extends forBack curvesher nose and
mouth. Like most retro characters, her eyes a purposeful
walkoutward to stay big. Also, her clothes are never stylish but,
instead, (when the dynamics of the legs must beabsorb weight of
look like they came off the rack at a discount store. convincing,
its agrocery bags good idea to "sketch through" the dress to get
the position correct, as in the next drawing).42NORMAL LID HEAVY
LID Heavy eyelids resting on top of the pupils give her a weary
look.
42. Oh yes, some mothers just cannot resist trying tothan the
kids, who just want to get the heck outfit in with the youngsters
and using the latest lingo. of there and play video games. Her
appearance isDont you just want to cringe when you hear a momalways
neat and tidy. The smile usually results insay, "Hi, homeys!" There
should be some sort ofsquinting eyes; this is a great look for this
character,corporal punishment for that.making her annoyingly
cheerfulwhich is what you Anyway, here she is, helping to lead the
scoutwant. Play up the oversized eyelashes, which, introop and
enjoying the woods much, much more this case, are floating off the
eyes.43
43. Dont soften thepoint of the cheekMany retro moms are
typified bythis angle makes a relentless brand of perkiness.the
retro look.Make them bright eyed, with their eyelashes at
attention. The posture, too, needs to be upright, reflecting This
is a gooda bubbly personality. Even her hair side view ofis spunky,
for crying out loud! the typical "mom" torso. The knees bend
backward slightly when the legs are locked. (This only works for
thincharacters. Heavy characters dontexhibit this trait.)44 The
waistline is always higher on female characters than on male
characters.
44. Yes, shes a shopper, but its only to keep the fridge
stockedwith all sorts of great-tasting cheese products in a can.
Andlots of green Jell-O. Those headbands are ubiquitous on
retroCartoon momsmoms. A headband stands for "Im so busy, I didnt
havehave big bottoms! time to wash my hair today." And she doesnt
need to either,because her hair should always look the same, no
matterwhat. Not one hair out of place. And heres one moreimportant
note about the retro mom: her upper body isalways short compared to
her legs, and this holds true nomatter what type of personality
your retro mom has. 45 Pants with high hems (known as Capri pants)
are a popular look.
45. Hair up in a bun, sleeveless shirt, and Center line
sandals. This is another good treatment helps locate for a mom
character. This is the walking- middle part about-town uniform for
moms. Youll notice that even though her lower legs arefor hair
skinny, theyre not drawn as straight lines (a temptation among
newer artists)the calf muscles are still given shape and volume.
And note the big feet: Characters who are dainty have small feet.
Characters who are goofy have long feet. Dont hide the fact that
shes goofyflaunt it with a pair of flip-flops!46
46. Now we turn to the character type that everyone loves
tohate: the cruel, older sister. She should have just comeinto her
tweenage years (1012). And she has but onemission in life: to
torture her younger brother. There isabsolutely nothing her younger
brother can do that willnot make her mad. She hates being forced to
babysit whenshe could be out having fun with her friends. But,
shedoesnt hate it as much as junior does. Junior doesnt
darecomplain to his parents, because snitches are dealt withextra
harshly in prison, er, I mean home. If she shootsher little brother
a bold Ill-get-you-for-this glare acrossthe dinner table, their
parents will never notice it.The younger theTo them, she is always
their little angel. character, the deeper the curveof the
foreheadWhen two characters makeeye contact, its imperativethat the
line of vision betweenthem matches up. You shouldbe able to draw a
line from onecharacters eyes to the others.47
47. Yes, its sisterly love at its finest. This stare lets you
know that youre probably going to be the subject of an evil
experiment in the pretend science lab. Its a well-established
comedic technique to take one type of character and dress her in
the opposite type of costume for her personality. The malevolent
sister, therefore, is dressed up in a pretty bows and ringlets,
which dont do a thing to soften her! Quite the contrary, the
contrast heightens her crabbiness and makes her all the more
amusing. (Notice that the bow on her head doesnt have soft rounded
edges, but sharp pointy angles insteadjust like her personality.)
Shoulders tensed, arms akimbo, and a direct stare at the reader is
a great shot to use, whether the medium is animation, comic books,
comic strips, or sassy greeting cards. It directly involves the
reader and heightens the moment.For a broodingexpression,
theeyeball shouldbe cut off by aheavy eyebrow.48 Note the upturned
pug nose Look at how tight her little mouth is
48. The mean sister has dolls that she plays with, just like
anyone else. But when shes angry, she also punishes them, which is
kind of weird. Still, she has to have an outlet, at least until her
little brother gets home. Give your little dictator teddy bears and
other sweet playthings. Teddy bears, in particular, can really take
a punch. Pajamas remind the reader that this character is really
just a little kid. Her outsized personality sometimes makes us
forget that. "Feety pajamas," the kind that cover the feet and
start every youngster off with her first case of eczema, are
perfect because of their cozy appeal, which again contrasts with
this characters wonderfully wicked personality.Push/pull: whennose
points up,mouth goes down49 Ridiculouslyoversized bowOversized Big
eyes head combinedwith tinynoseFunny ears Skinny neck No
shouldersClothes slightly Big hair oversized
49. It doesnt matter how well things are going or by how much
her team is winning, the smallest, most innocuous thing her little
brother does will set her off, big time. For example, he might beg
their parents not to take him to see his bigger sisters
cheerleading competition. But the clueless parents would insist
that the whole family go to support her or shell feel bad. Of
course, she falls flat on her derriere and blames it all on him.
Youll also notice that this character type is never good looking.
One shape forupper body Ears stick outsubstantially and droop
slightly for a sassy lookIts always good practice todraw the upper
body as oneshape first. belineate theblouse from the skirt later.In
a 3/4 view, sneakersneed arches! Make sure50to add them, even if
thecharacter has flat feet. Sneaker arches
50. This ones a tightly wrapped piece of work. Shes got
hairbraided in tight, unlovely pigtails that are knotted so tight
All of the featurestheyre in danger of cutting off the blood supply
to her scalp; are gathered in theoversized glasses; and teeth so
big that at any moment shemiddle of her face.might mistakenly
swallow her own chin. Her outfit should alwaysbe tidy, but
embarrassingly square. Her know-it-all expressionrequires closed
eyes and a smile. And, brainy characters alwayshave huge heads
compared to the size of the body. (Theexception is the adult mad
scientist, who can be tall and skinny.) Hairline doesn t travel
through glasses51Draw small, horizontal rectangles on the teeth;
these are connectedto one another by one horizontal line running
through them. But nomatter how you draw braces, the most important
thing to rememberis to draw gigantic teeth first. If the teeth
arent big, youll never seethe braces clearly, the teeth will look
cluttered, and no one willknow what that stuff is that you drew on
them.
51. What better place to plot your revenge than seated behind
your victim in class. Its as if the back of his head is calling to
you, begging you to paste a "Kick Me" sign on his back. When
drawing a seated character, theres a real advantage to drawing the
chair first and then the figure. Its just so much easier to find
the correct placement of the character that way. Also, a good
approach is to show that young characters all but disappear behind
the desk. Make sure the feet dangle in the air.52 Pointy ponytail
ends reflect her sharp personality
52. The younger brother is a sympathetic character. Hecan be
quirky, nerdy, specially gifted, or neurotic.He should be funny,
unthreatening in nature, andaffable. Readers should like him. He
has his own lifeto lead but is continuously distracted by the
needto dodge the ambush of his evil sister, the stringbean
casserole served by his mom, and thecamping trips planned by his
dad.This younger brother type gets a semicoolhaircut and a pair of
jeans. He has a bright-eyedlook. Thin legs work well in combination
withoversized jackets, but make sure the jacket lookspuffy, not
tight. One way to do this is to drawthe jacket as if it were sewn
in sections, like skijackets filled with goose down.
Overstuffedbackpacks are a fixture on youngsters today, whohave to
haul fifty pounds worth of textbookson their backs eight hours a
day. If the countryhas an epidemic of scoliosis outbreaks in
thenext decade, youll know why. 53Admit it, hes a funny character.
Butthe important thing to ask yourselfis, Why does he strike you as
funny?Its that retro look: the outline of hisbody dominates the
entire character.That round oval of a body has notbeen modified to
give him moreconvincing shoulders or hips. Heremains a graphic
design based onan oval. Also, his proportions havebeen incredibly
exaggerated: hesonly two head lengths tall.
53. This type of character is never named Jimmy or Billy. Hes a
Chip or a Fenton. Neatly groomed and nattily dressed, hes a funny
supporting cast member. Maybe hes a friend of the younger brother.
He could even be the boy the older sister has a crush on. Those
half- closed eyelids give him a perpetually haughty demeanor. He
only wears grown-up clothes, such as this jacket. He should look as
if he were dressed to loll around the country club. And notice
those sneakers: theyre the type used for walking on the deck of a
yacht, not for shooting hoops. Play sports? Gads, no!54No! YES!
Never show the neck of a rich character. Cover it with either a
turtleneck or an ascot.You can take this type of character as faras
you like. You can cast him as a goodstudent; a brilliant scholar;
or, with thecorrect expression, a world-domination-desiring
supergenius. He should havea very big head for the extra room
hisskull needs to house his superior brain(notice how the back of
his head bulges), A character whose necka puny body, and large
glasses. And he slopes forward usually has to dress like a nerd
(notice the white looks better with asocks and regular shoeshe
doesnt slack jaw and no chin. own a pair of sneakers).
54. The star of a retro animated TV show, comic book, orcomic
strip is not a gifted athlete and is never going toNote thebe.
Thats a rule in retro cartoons. The gifted athlete gets
differentthe girl and makes the main character feel just two feet
directions the outline of thetall (although he only stands three
feet tall as it is). Toface takes.be the star of a show, a
character needs obstaclesmany of them. Problems, burdens,
challengesthats thestuff your character has to battle and overcome.
Its hisinventiveness thatIl get him there. Thats what makes
awinning charactersomeone who can summon his innerstrength and make
an idiot of himself anyway. A starathlete, on the other hand, has
it all going for himalready. Hes not interesting. Hes one-note.Hes
a jock, period. Therefore, yourguy has to look a little
outclassedin his sports uniform. Note: Thesame physical ineptitude
is equallyendearing for female characters.55
55. Theres a lot of action and movementin cartoons. Action
poses heightenthe level of intensity and can be hilariously funny.
Traditionally, a cartoonist will draw a character in action with
lots of movement, complete with flailing arms and legs. Nothing is
spared or conserved. Everything goes full out. The movements are
fluid.But this is not the case in retro cartoons.Instead of working
to give the reader the feelingof action, retro cartoons are only
interested inhumorously caricaturing an actionmaking funof it,
stereotyping it. Often, this leads to stiffposes, which are very
funny because they makethe actions look silly and colossally
ineffective.
56. Action poses are used in two circumstances: first, heart of
what retro cartoons are all about, and thiswhen depicting an
action, such as running or is where youll most likely start to get
the essencepunching; and second, when an emotion is soof the style
at a gut level. The name of the game isstrong that it calls for a
strong pose, such asto conserve motion and stiffen the pose. To see
howlaughing insanely. The following techniques forthis applies to
actuals figure in motion, lets startcreating caricatures of action
poses are really at the with a typical example: throwing a ball.
The arrow shows how the entire figure is traveling in the direction
of the throw. As in a "walking pose," one arm is forward and one is
back; one leg is forward The knee is and one is back. Everything is
in deeply bent motion, and as a result, the pose is quite
convincing. 57 Here, as little movement as possible is used. Only
one arm is shown. The legs mirror each other, conserving motion.
The throwing arm is straighter (stiffer) than in the traditional
approach. Speed lines are used to add a feeling of motion to the
throw.Tuck legs and feet underneath, making themuseless for adding
power to the throwEven a simple motion likereaching for something
can bemade to look retro by limitingthe movement. In the
traditionalstyle, the character goes allout to reach for
something,In the retro version,pulling the body off balance inthe
characters posturethe process. The arm stretches remains stiff as
he reaches.in length as it reaches.
57. Introverted posesthose in which the character draws into
himselfmake excellent retro poses. In classical cartooning, we
learn that these are not good poses because they would be hard to
read as silhouettesand thats true, for classical cartooning. But in
retro cartoons, the closed-in ball of a figure is funny and,
therefore, effective.58
58. We always think of the punch as a full body
action:everything goes into it. And, yes, even retro
cartooncharacters need a big haymaker to win a fight against
evilmutant aardvarks and other extraplanetary scum. But theapproach
is quite different from the traditional style.Nonpunching arm
stayspasted to bodySmall speed linestrail from heelsAgain, the
"walking pose" isthe model for the punch: onearm is forward and the
otheris back; one leg is forward andthe other is back. The
bodyleans into the punch, and onefoot is off the ground. ItPulling
toes up works, but weve all seen it59The all-out retro punch makes
a pose funnierbefore, many, many times.is as stiff as a
board!Theres actually nomomentum beinggenerated by his bodyposture
whatsoever! Hesflying through the air,horizontally, with an armout,
and yet, its so goofythat it works. But, itsnecessary to turn
thebackground into a canvasof speed lines, otherwise,hed look like
a statuefrozen in air.
59. Were all used to the classic pose of an action hero
charging up into the air to save a worthless city from an evil
monster who might actually gentrify the place and makeOne arm is
up; the it interesting. How do you simplify the other is held out
for pose to make it more retro? Take a look.balance. One leg is up;
the other is down.60Both legs are pastedtogether, conserving
energy.The trailing arm is pasted athis side, too. Remember:
thecloser the body can tuck intoitself, the more retro thepose
becomes; loose limbsare for traditional cartoons. Downward-tilting
feetreflect wind drag
60. You know what a "take" is. Its whena character goes, What
the heck? and thenlooks startled with an extreme reaction. Itsused
many times in all sorts of cartoons.Theres a very cool way to show
a take inthe retro style thats different fromanything in classic
cartoons.The figure stretches and thinsout as the take occurs. All
thelimbs straighten outeventhe ears stick out! This is alot of body
movement, andthe figure will then end upbouncing back (recoiling)to
its previous size. 61The characters formdoesnt stretch at
all!Instead, the characteris drawn on a tilted axis,with a hypnotic
swirlingbackground. Verycooland funnier.
61. Conserve motion by eliminating the swinging arm movement
that you see in traditional cartoons. retro TraditionalTilt hands
backward atwrists for a funny look62Even a pose as breezy asleaning
against a surface canbe done in a funny, retro way.Again, conserve
the movementTraditional retro and bring the body inward. A karate
kick will be retro if you focus more on the attitude than on the
technique of the kick itself. Look how much less motion there is in
the retro kick than in the traditional one.Traditional retro
62. This is perhaps the most intense action pose of to his
movement. Think about it: is he going up,alland it requires a
background to reflect the down, or sideways? Actually, his body is
frozen incharacters state of mind. This kid has just had aair. Hes
not moving at all! Hes just floating abovebrainstorm, and
literally, an electrical storm is the ground, having an intense
moment. This actionoccurring behind him. Although his limbs arepose
has actually eliminated every hint of action!outstretched, theyre
stiff, and theres no direction Thats retro.63
63. All retro families have aretro pet to go with their
2.3children, 2 cars, and chocolatefudge breakfast buns. Pets make
greatsupporting characters and must bedrawn in keeping with the
style ofthe family unit as a whole. The mostpopular pets are dogs,
cats, birds,and fishin that order. If the point ofa cartoon dog is
to appear lovable,then the point of a retro cartoon dogis to appear
so lovable its weird.These are pets who need therapy.Lets compare
the regulardog to the retro dog.This is a simplified versionof an
anatomically correctpooch. Notice that thehead dips at a
45-degreeangle in a relaxed stance.Pointy back of head No bump in
shouldersBig, round rump Front end of snout is fatter than jaw
areaThis is what happenswhen a dog learnsSaggingto operate a can
tummyof cheese spray. No dew claw creating a sleek leg line
Pronounced heels
