Learning Cartooning From Calvin and Hobbes

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In this first of a new series, I’m going to see what I can learn from various cartoonists, some famous and well-known, the others more obscure.

Today I thought I’d start things rolling with a cartoon strip that everyone can learn a lot from - Calvin and Hobbes, by Bill Watterson.

Trace

First of all, I’m going to trace the above cartoon. Tracing is a great way to put yourself a little bit inside the cartoonists head

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Before I started tracing, I took the original cartoon, and went over it with an eraser set at 50%. This will make it easier when tracing to see what I’ve covered and what I’ve missed.

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Here you can see I’ve already traced the first panel. Three more to go.

Copy

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To make it easier to copy I thought it would help to add a grid to both the original and my copy.

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Here’s my copy. As you can see, it doens’t quite match the original!

Rewrite the script

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Next I returned to the original and wrote my own version of the script.

What did I learn?

  • Bill Watterson uses great simplicity in line at times.

  • I am amazed at how much expression he can show on Calvin’s face with with just simple notes for eyes and a line for a mouth. A definite lesson there in how less can be more.

  • It’s not easy copying Calving and Hobbes, even with the help of a grid!

  • What’s next?

I put out a Cartoon Newsletter, which a whole host of different characters as well as cartooning tips. Add your name and best email address to the orange box below and I’ll wing a copy your way.

Rob Middleton