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My Technique
I am a digital illustrator, which means that my artwork is created on the computer. I paint using a stylus, which looks a lot like a pen, and a flat tablet. If I move the stylus across the tablet, a corresponding line appears on the computer. By pressing harder on the tablet, I can make a thicker, darker line. My painting program allows me to change the stylus into different paint brushes, and to change colors to create whatever effects I want.
Here's how I make a painting:
Step 1
First I make a sketch. Sometimes I make a pencil sketch and scan it into the computer. Other times I sketch directly on the computer.
Step 2
Using my stylus, I trace over my sketch with a black line. As I go I edit the drawing: in this case I decided Frog needed to be taller, so I gave him longer legs.
Step 3
Now I am ready for the fun part: adding color! I can turn my stylus into many different "brushes" to create different textures.
Did you know?
Even for a cartoonist like me, it's important to sketch from photographs to capture the essense of a subject. For example, before making this painting I realized based on my photos research that Frog's arms should be held backwards, not forward when he jumps into the pond, because this is the way real frogs jump. Google is a great place to find photos, under the "more" menu.
On the other hand, sometimes we cartoonists have to fake things a bit to make our animal charaters more human. In this painting I have Duck bending his wing in a way that a real duck couldn't so that he can hold the jam.
