Ryan Holiday - Finding Courage & Overcoming Fear
Here are some Illustrated Podnotes to go with the Modern Wisdom episode where Chris Williamson talks with Ryan Holiday
#378 - Ryan Holiday - Finding Courage & Overcoming Fear.
Here is the intro that accompanied the episode.
Ryan Holiday is a podcaster, marketer and an author.
Ryan's next series of books are on the four cardinal virtues of the Stoics with courage being the first and most fundamental. Courage isn't the sort of trait you consider as modern or sexy or massively advantageous when the world isn't at war. But having the ability to overcome your fears is a superpower no matter who you are.
Courage is all the virtues at their testing point - C.S. Lewis.
That it took Florence Nightingale X years to do it is secondary to the face that she did it.
There’s a spectrum between cowardice, recklessness, and courage.
Between the consideration and the act is the torture, Once you go it all falls away.
Waiting for the right moment is everything.
Brad Stulberg - 6 Principles To Stop Feeling So Frantic
Here are some illustrated podnotes to go with the Modern Wisdom Podcast - Brad Stulberg - 6 Principles To Stop Feeling So Frantic.
Here is the introduction that accompanied the podcast:
Brad Stulberg is an expert in peak performance, a coach and an author.
The pressure we put on ourselves to achieve can be intense. But what is the point of success if it crushes your spirit while you're doing it? Brad has coached some of the world's top performers and come up with 6 principles for groundedness - a path to flourishing which feeds rather than crushes your soul.
Switching between tasks is the thing that drains you not the task itself.
Beating yourself does nothing to help you mobilize and take productive action.
Every itch not scratched is a lesson in self-compassion.
“I want to unfold. I don’t want to be folded, anywhere, because where I am folded, there I am a lie”. - Rainer Maria Rilke.
You say that you really want to be good at a thing, but you’re not turning up the way an athlete turns up. Athletes cover every single base.
The first arrow is a thought, feeling, event, or circumstance. You cannot control the first arrow, but the second arrow - your self-talk, judgment, denial, and magical thinking, you can control. The second arrow hurts worse than the first arrow.
How To Create A Cartoon Without Drawing One
Aside from venturing to the extremes of fringe science, how can we create a cartoon without actually drawing one?
In this article I’m going to show you three different ways of creating a cartoon, even without having to draw a single one.
Here’s what we’re going to look at:
Alter someone else’s cartoon
Draw faces on an existing cartoon
Put a character into a new scene
To really get the idea of these exercises, it’s best to play along and try them out for yourself.
Okay, so let’s get started with the first exercise!
Alter Someone Else’s Cartoon
A fun activity to try is doing your own version of someone’s cartoon.
Regardless of your own current drawing ability, you can find a cartoon to modify. Just make sure you credit the original cartoonist.
I’ve always been a fan of Calvin and Hobbes. Not only is the strip a lot of fun with great writing and drawing, there is also so much to learn by looking carefully at what Bill Watterson gets up to within the panels.
As Calvin gets into frequent trouble with his parents, I thought it only appropriate to try such a scene. I copied the poses from two separate cartoons for this one. I traced over the originals and then modified them slightly.
You don’t even have to modify the original drawing, you could simply write a new caption or speech bubble for the character/s instead.
So why not give it a try? Choose a favourite cartoon, or one that catches your eye, grab a pen and get going!
If you work digitally, you can copy and pasted an existing cartoon. If you’re working old school, you can find a cartoon in a newspaper or magazine and to alter.
2. Draw New Faces On An Existing Cartoon
This exercise has a little bit more to it than the previous one, but not much. This time, find a cartoon you like and blank out the faces.
If you work digitally, you can copy and pasted an existing cartoon. If you’re working old school, you can find a cartoon in a newspaper or magazine and to alter.
After you’ve blanked out the faces, draw your own new ones.
Below is an example, blanking out the faces to the above cartoon. You are welcome to use this one if you like.
3. Put A Character Into A New Scene
.
This last exercise is a little more complex than the previous two. First of all, find a scene that you like. You can use a drawing or a photograph.
Next, get a character or two from another picture. In this case the leopard and Dalmatian were from different scenes.
Finally, drop the characters into the new scene.
I hope that the above three exercises have been useful, and that you’ve tried out one or more of them for yourself.
Beau Lotto - The Neuroscience Of Awe, Distraction, And Anxiety
Here are some illustrated podnotes to go with the Modern Wisdom Podcast - Beau Lotto - The Neuroscience of Awe, Distraction, And Anxiety.
Beau Lotto is is a professor of Neuroscience at the University of London and an author.
Beau is the founder of the Lab Of Misfits which he describes as "lunatic fringe neuroscience". He's created nightclubs in his lab where every action people take is measured, he's locked people in dark rooms and waited to see what happens and he's got actors to have a fit on the floor to observe how people respond.
If someone gives you data and information to show that you’re wrong, there’s a good chance you will hold to your view stronger than before.
Awe is amazing…you don’t really get it, and you have to shift your view..
The only way to learn is to move.
Life is movement.
If you don’t move you die. O
Do you have the desire to look?
Celebrate ‘I don’t know’.
There’s something that comes before awareness - the desire to have awareness.
Will Storr - How To Play The Status Game
Here is the introduction that accompanied the podcast: Will Storr - How To Play The Status Game.
Will Storr is an award winning author and journalist.
Status is the original human currency. Prestige, renown, respect and admiration are all sought after because it gave our ancestors better access to mates, safety and resources. Now the modern era has arrived, the lions are no longer chasing us but our desire for status is a strong as ever.
Change our circumstances rather than change self.
It isn’t possible to exit status games, but you can play different games.
Humiliation is the nuclear bomb of the emotions.
We have evolved to crave status.
We’re constantly measuring other people’s status versus us.
A successful group is a status generating machine for all members.
We are the games we play.
The three routes to status:
Dominance
Virtue
Success
Dr Samantha Boardman - Positive Psychology’s Lessons For Coping With Stress
Ben Aldridge - How To Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable
Ben Aldridge
Here are some illustrated podnotes to go with the Modern Wisdom Podcast -
Here is the introduction that accompanied the podcast:
Ben Aldridge is an author, musician and teacher.
After finding himself increasingly anxious and suffering regular panic attacks, Ben purposefully spent an entire year doing things which really pushed the limits of his comfort in an effort to regain control of his mindset.
anti-bucket list
Make an anti-bucket list of things you don’t want to do - and then go do them.
Level of discomfort
The level of discomfort you’re going through isn’t a mortal threat.
Challenges are everywhere
Challenges can be found in many different places, they don’t have to be epic.
do something you can’t
When you think you can’t do something and you prove to yourself you can, it’s a very powerful things.
deep-water soloing
Deep water soloing - you have to deal with height, falling, and hitting the water.
Over To You
What would be on your own anti-bucket list?
If you could chose one thing to do that would really challenge you, what would you choose?
Cricketing Critters
Creating Cricketing Critters
That’s a very wintry wicket and a totally unseasonal way to kick off what has become an occasional series of cricketing critters.
Hang in there if you’re a non-cricket fan, as I’m focusing on how I created this and subsequent cartoons, rather than musing on the delights of test match or the shorter formats of the game.
I was looking for something to draw off the cuff for fun, something a bit looser than my usual cartoons. I wanted to explore a new subject matter, and also to experiment with producing cartooning quickly without much revision.
I think that a T20 series between India and England was being played at the time, so the phrase ‘don’t hang around at the crease’, meaning to hit out and not play too defensively, had stuck in my mind. I’d also been reading about Shackleton and Antarctic exploration, so that was lurking in the background as well.
One simple yet very effective device for generating ideas for cartoons is to combine two different elements together. One acts as a base element which remains the same, and the other is a different topic that you change each time. In this case the base element is ‘cricket’, and the topic was ‘the Arctic’.
I drew the cartoon in the same style as the dog batting, not hanging around too long, trying to do as much of the cartoon as possible in one take.
It was a fun one to draw, and upon completion it struck me that I could have a never-ending stream of ideas simply by combining cricket with a different animal each time.
The Animal Kingdom Takes To Cricket!
Sledging is a term where the fielders make comments to the batsmen to try and put them off their game, things along the lines of ‘my grandmother could have hit that’, or ‘try using the other end’. Of course that’s the sort of stuff that’s fit for print, I’ll leave some of the more regular witticisms on the field of play.
So thinking along the lines of a couple of different species that would be antagonistic towards each other, at least commonly in cartoon terms, I came up with the cat and dogs.
Whereas the first cartoon was done entirely in digital pen, for subsequent ones I decided to use the 6b pencil in Procreate. For colour I went with watercolour as I wanted a softer feel to it, and also thought it would go better with the pencil. This is the first one I tried in the new style.
Outline
This was drawn with a 6b pencil on Procreate. I tidied up some of the lines, but not too much. Instead of doing any outlining in pen, I then tripled the layer to create a bolder outline.
Monochrome Version
I thought I’d try both a monotone and a colour version. For this one I set the wash tool at 20% opacity and the built up the layers.
Colour Version
I again set the wash brush at 20% to build up the colour gradually. There was a little bit of overspill of colour, however, I wasn’t fussy about cleaning all of it up as I wanted to retain a loose feel to the cartoon.
I really enjoyed creating the cartoon, and as I’m a huge cricket fan, and like drawing a lot of different animals, I look forward to seeing what other cricketing critters I can come up with.
A Simple Guide To Dog Ears - Part I.
I draw a lot of dogs, and also seeing as I run a course on drawing cartoons dogs, thought it would be useful to share some of the different types of dog ears.
V-Shaped Ears
Dog ears: V-shaped ears
The outside of the ear folds forward into a triangular shape.
Breeds include:
Labrador Retrievers, Vizsla, Golden Retrievers.
2. Folded Ears
Dog ears: Folded ears
The ears extend away from the face and then fold down.
You could say they’re a bit like curtains!
Breeds include:
Bloodhound, Field Spaniel.
3. Bat Ears
Dog ears: Bat ears
Upright ears that angle slightly outwards beyond the side of the face.
Breeds include:
French Bulldog, Chihuahua, Pembroke Corgi.
4. Prick Ears
Dog ears: Prick ears
Erect, upright ears similar to wolves.
Breeds include:
German Shepherd, Siberian Husky, Yorkshire Terrier.
Part 2. to follow soon!
Luke Burgis - Mimetic Desire: Why Do We Want?
Here are some illustrated podnotes to go with the Modern Wisdom Podcast - Luke Burgis - Mimetic Desire - Why Do We Want?
Here is the introducti0n that accompanied the podcast:
Luke Burgis is an entrepreneur and author.
We feel like we are in charge of our wants. Like we're the creator of our desires. But Rene Girard's theory of Mimetic Desire suggests an alternative - all we are doing is copying and modelling other people's wants, and then spitting them back out as our own.
We want what other want because other people want it.
We want what other want because other people want it.
Freedom is something we win or lose. It’s what happens with vices and addictions.
Freedom is something we win or lose. It’s what happens with vices and addictions.
Mimetic desire can lead to great innovation. The Lamborghini car company was born out of this.
Mimetic desire can lead to great innovation. The Lamborghini car company was born out of this.
Step back in.
Step back in.
It’s mimetic desire all the way down.
It’s mimetic desire all the way down.
Social media platforms are machines of manufacturing desire.
Social media platforms are machines of manufacturing desire.
How To Deal With Your Inner Art Critic
“This drawing is terrible…you’ll never be a cartoonist…why are you even bothering?…”
…and those were merely the repeatable comments being levelled at Cathy’s artwork. To make matters worse it wasn’t an anonymous troll online that she could ignore, or even the vanishingly rare person who would say such things face-to-face, but rather the all-too-common inner art critic who supplied that internal dialogue - it was Cathy herself herself who her own harshest critic when it came to judging her art.
It was like having a pet vulture always at hand to pick over the bones of a canvas…
In this article, with the aid of both a goat and a penguin, we’re going to look at five ways to deal with the inner art critic.
Aim For Good Enough
The critic will never be satisfied, if you allow it to it will keep on trying to find something wrong with everything.
Accept the fact that it won’t be perfect - aim for good enough. And remember that what is good enough for you may not be the same as what’s good enough for someone else. Let’s illustrate this point with the help of a penguin.
Many moons ago, I had posted an image of a penguin sporting a set of wings. I can’t remember whether it was a stand alone image or part of an article or set of pictures.
I thought the image was a bit rough-looking, but had decided to put it up anyway.
A pastor from a church in the US contacted me and asked if he could use it as part of a T-shirt design. While pleased that someone wanted to use the image, I really didn’t think it was good enough to use. I contacted the pastor and offered to draw a new version from scratch.
He turned down the offer and said that the original rough-around-the-edges penguin was exactly what he was looking for. We agreed a price, and while the penguin may not have ultimately taken to the skies, it did take to several dozen T-shirts on a summer camp.
So it just goes to show that there may be a gap between what you think is good enough and what someone else does.
Which leads us to the next point..
2. Get It Out There
You don’t have to put everything you do on social media or on a website, however, it can help to show your cartoon to someone when its finished, This might simply be in the form of showing a good friend your drawing, especially if the drawing is specifically for them, as folks love being given personalized things, after all its the thought behind the uniqueness of the gift tailored just for them, rather than the object itself.
It doesn’t even have to be a great work of art, or a finished, polished drawing. It could simply be a doodle passed to a colleague at work or a friend over coffee..
Which brings us to the next point…
3. The Inner Critic Will Never Be Satisfied
No matter how long or how hard you work at a drawing, the inner critic will always find something wrong with it or something that if you just spent a little more time on it could be improved. However, its a bit like climbing a hill, only to find another hill that you’ve got to ascend as well…and another one…and so on…
We can keep endlessly chasing perfection, and just go round and round in circles, or we choose not to focus on the unobtainable goal of perfection and to enjoy the process more. After all, it’s the process that takes up 99% of the time spent on a project, so we might as well aim to enjoy the journey as much as possible.
Following onto…
4. Give the inner critic a name.
One way to help separate ourselves from the inner critic, is to give it a name. When we give something a name it becomes more of a separate thing, because things have names. You can also trying giving the critic a silly name, because, after all, we don’t take silly names so seriously…
And finally…
5. Tell It To Butt Out!
Try talking back to your inner art critic. After-all we probably wouldn’t normally let another person talk to us the way we talk to ourselves. So try telling the critic to leave you alone for a while.
Review Of The Five Points
Aim for good enough
Get it out there
The inner critic will never be satisfied
Give the inner critic a name
Tell it to butt out
Drawing A Dog Strip Cartoon
It is said that Bull Terriers are one of the most stubborn of all dog breeds. Certainly that’s the case with Bertie in the above cartoon.
Today I’m going to talk through how I came up with and created the above cartoon.
Initial Rough Sketch
Rough layout sketch. I quickly sketched out how I imagined the cartoon would appear. I wasn’t sure about what the dog breed would be at this point.
Laying Out The First Panel
I wanted a dog breed known for its stubbornness, so a dog trainer friend recommended the Bull Terrier.
Colouring The Characters
For Suki, I basically used the same pose and then adjusted the legs. For Bertie I used four different poses.
I’ve now started colouring in the characters.
Colouring In The Background
I coloured in the background using the watercolour tool, and added shadow using back at 20% opacity.
Moving It Forwards To Night
To establish the fact that a long period of time has pasted since the previous panel, I washed over the scene a few times with the 20% black watercolour tool to give the impression of night.
The Completed Cartoon
Would You Like To Drawn Cartoon Dogs Of Your Own?
The course will cover:
-Drawing dogs in different poses, so you don’t have to keep on drawing the same old hounds.
-Learning about dog body language, so you can have a greater range of expression with your pooches.
-Thinking up gags for dog cartoons, so you’ll never be stuck for something to draw.
-And lots more!
Making Your Characters Move Faster
Today’s article gives you a few quick tips to make your characters move faster.
Add movement lines. You can experiment with the number of lines, and also if they’re solid lines or broken-up.
If you separate your character from the ground entirely, then it’ll give the impression that it’s moving so fast that it’s flying.
You can have the ears and tongue being blown by the wind. For human or long-haired characters, you can also have the hair trailing in the slipstream.
Try adding a more dynamic pose. In the above case, our everyday pooch is now zipping along like a greyhound.
Space permitting, have a trail of dust extending beyond and beyond the character. You may recall similar effects from cartoons such as the Roadrunner.
Spot the mistake in the above caption!
A diagonal angle can really give an impression of speed, along with making a picture more dynamic in general.
Over to you:
Have a go at doodling your own dog or another character going flat out. Experiment with using a combination of the previous techniques.
Feel free to try out different ideas, whether your own or from other cartoons.
Would you like to draw your own cartoon dogs?
Add your name, best email address, and type “woof!’ in the subject line, and I’ll send you details of the ‘Cartooning Canines - How To Draw Cartoon Dogs’ course.
Have You Ever Drawn A Cartoon Dog And Then Immediately Regretted It?
Sally had...again...and again...
There was a slowly forming Eiger-mountain of screwed up balls of paper containing failed drawings next to her desk - and if she’d been working digitally she would have almost worn out the ‘undo’ button if that was at all possible...
She wasn’t trying for a perfect pooch, but she did want a more correct canine than the ones she’s just drawn...
She thought it would be fun to draw some dogs, and even better if she could share them with her friends or put them on her site.
At the moment though her doodles were more likely to generate a howl rather than a tail wag of joy...
Maybe you’ve also at times felt a bit like Sally, and pondered whether cartooning is simply a talent that some folks are born with...while others struggle...
Perhaps you’ve already drawn a few dogs, but somehow they didn’t quite turn out right - and you couldn’t quite work out why.
Whether you’re starting out in cartooning, or looking to to work on your skills, it would be nice to draw some dogs.
Cartooning is not fine arts, but it would be nice to get your dogs looking a bit better.
If only you had a reliable system to help you understand dogs better - and how to draw them.
A step-by-step guide that would give you clear directions to know what to do, when to do it, why you should do it, and how to do it.
That way you'd have confidence during the whole process – every paw-step of the way.
Presenting Cartooning Canines: How To Draw Cartoon Dogs
So what is it?
It’s an eight week, step-by-step course that will take you though all you need to know to draw cartoon dogs.
Let's take a look at what's in the Cartooning Canines course itself.
Daily feedback on your cartoons
A chance to share your ideas with others
A mini-community of cartoonists all working together
Learn about basic dog anatomy so you know why they should look the way they do
Learn how to draw cartoon dogs using variety of different exercises to help you
Learn how to create cartoon gags, so you’ll never be stuck for something to draw
Learn about canine Body Language, as it’s not all about happily wagging tails
Learn how to draw dogs from different angles, so you’re not restricted to drawing them from the front or side.
Learn and practice drawing different poses so you can add more variety to your cartoons.
Learn how you can keep it all going after the course, so you don’t lose your motivation when you run out of exercises.
And more!
Here are some sample pages:
Some Frequently Asked Questions:
Can you show me how to be a great cartoonist?
I can show you some techniques to help you improve your cartooning, but nobody became a great or even good cartoonist as the result of doing one course or reading one book. This is a skill you can learn like any other - and like learning any skill it takes time to put it into practice.
What equipment do I need to do this course?
You don’t need anything other than a pen and paper. However, feel free to use hardware or drawing app you like. The principles work equally well if you are working with the latest tech or prefer to go old school.
I don’t know how to use Procreate (or some other drawing app) Will this course show me how to use it? Can you help me?
This course isn’t about learning how to use any particular drawing app or software, so it would be good to have a working knowledge of Procreate before the course starts. However, it is likely you’ll pick up a few tips about Procreate during the course.
How much time do I need to do this course?
I recommend putting aside around 20 minutes a day, as it’s better to try the exercises for yourself as you go along.
Why should I listen to you?
I’ve drawn thousands of cartoons, and made an awful lot of mistakes while doing so. Along the way I’ve picked up quite a few tips and tricks which have made my cartoons a lot better - and can do the same for you too
What if I don’t like the course?
While I try hard to make courses and to answer any student request, I realise that sometimes it just doesn’t work out. My standard refund policy is a 30-Day, 100% Money-Back Guarantee. If you don't love this, email me at: rob@everyonelovescartoons.com any time during the first 30 days and show me you're doing the exercises and not getting results. I’ll refund 100% of the purchase price.
I’ve already got a holiday booked for one of the weeks, will I fall behind?
It’s an eight-week course, so there’s time to catch-up. If need be, I can jump on a Zoom call and help you out.
Interested? Add your name, best email address and type ‘dog’ in the subject line to get on the waiting list
Sounds good?
The course includes:
8 weeks supervised coursework, Mon-Fri
All the course materials for you to keep…plus extra goodies…
Rob’s ‘exit output’ — individual guidance about ‘where to from here’ to ensure your skills keep growing beyond the course.
The rest of the course materials will be delivered week-by-week throughout the course.
Here’s what some folks have to say about some of my courses.
Ideanator - How To Think Up Cartoon Gags
“I loved how Rob broke everything down into simple blocks. I tend to spend all my time concentrating on getting technically good at cartooning, so coming up with ideas was just another (hard) thing to do. Rob made it much easier.” - Vicky Frazer- Moxie Books, Hertfordshire UK.
Storytails - Storytelling For Cartoon Strips
“Rob's courses are amongst some of the most easy to understand, and immediately accessible courses around. He breaks all concepts down in to it's simplest parts and is always on hand to provide feedback and answer any questions you may have. He truly embodies the beginner's mindset and can put you at ease very quickly with even the most technical aspects of drawing. I highly recommend any of his current and future courses!” - Nigel D’Souza, Melbourne Australia.
Meet Rob The Cartoonist!
Hi, I’m Rob the cartoonist behind this course. I’ll be around to help you by giving you feedback and tips on your cartoons.
If you’re ever stuck for an idea…then fear not! As I’m particularly fond of thinking up ideas for folks who are staring at a blank canvas.
So soon you could be sketching Schnauzers, doodling Dachschunds, or cartooning the canines of your choice!
How To Draw Dog Hind Legs
Drawing dog hind legs can be tricky.
Maybe you’ve found that the front legs are quite straight forward, but you’ve come unstuck when it comes to the rear half of the dog.
You could only draw the front half of the dog…
…or you could portray all your dogs standing in water…which might be appropriate at least some of the time if they’re Labradors or Spaniels…
…or maybe only draw really hairy dogs, so you can’t actually see the legs…
…or you could try the tips in this article on how to draw dog hind legs.
Draw an oval shape.
Draw a small circle, slightly to the left or right of the oval depending on what side you’re drawing.
Draw a straight line connecting the oval and circle.
Draw a curved line connecting the oval and circle.
Draw two parallel lines for the lower leg.
Draw the paw.
Look For This Shape
Look out for the above shape when drawing hind legs. Note that this shape is going to change a bit depending on the breed and the pose, however, it will give you a rough guideline for most standing poses.
Draw Hind Legs On These Dogs
Now trying drawing hind legs on the four different dog breeds above. If you like you could also try the same exercise for the following breeds as well
Greyhound
Husky
Labrador
Poodle
Examples For #4
Over To You
Now try doing some quick random dog doodles to help you remember the principles from this article.
Are You Interested In Learning How To Draw Cartoon Dogs?
Fill in y0ur name, best email address, and type “woof!” In the subject line, and I’ll send you details of the ‘Cartooning Canines - How To Draw Cartoon Dogs’ Course.
Improving A Cartoon
You might be wondering what the dog is doing up in the tree and what the connection is with the monkeys…
I recently drew an Affenspinscher for the first time. ‘Affe’ means ‘ape’ or ‘monkey’ in German. The dog is also nicknamed ‘the Monkey Terrier. Playing about with its name, I came up with the above cartoon.
A friend of mine gave me some feedback on how I could improve the cartoon. Here are his points.
The Background Is Too Strong
The background is too detailed and busy around the characters.
2. The Interaction Isn’t Working
The interaction is not working, as Suki is in the middle and the dog and monkeys are almost off the image.
The trees are really breaking the line of sight.
Applying The Rule Of Thirds
My friend expanded the frame and roughed in a grid to put Suki and the dog closer to the focal points. That way the animals aren't falling off the frame.
He also suggested adding a stronger colour to Suki and the monkeys, so as to add more contrast against the busy background.
I took these suggestion on board with the improved version below.
Improved Version
Here are the changes I made:
I rearranged it using the suggestion about the rule of thirds.
I removed some of the tree branches, so that the background was less busy.
I added a red collar to the dog to help catch the eye and also to connect it to Suki.
I changed the colour of Sukis coat so that it was similar to the monkeys.
Final Version
After seeing the previous version, my friend replied with the following feedback:
“One thing I am just noticing now that the other stuff is out of the way... the lower monkey is kind of floating. He has one foot on the branch, but no other point of contact. Perhaps the hand on the right should be on the branch above him? Or his contacting leg should be centered under his body so he is balanced on it?
I don't see a reason for his pose, (such as his being in motion).”
As a result of that I made the changes to the final version.
Summary
Here are a few points to keep in mind with your own cartoons.
Be aware of the rule of thirds.
Don’t make the background too busy around the characters.
Don’t break the line of sight with objects.
Use stronger colours to contrast against the background.
Are you interested in learning how to draw Cartoon Dogs?
Add your name, best email address, and type “woof!” in the subject line, and I’ll send you details of the Cartooning Canines - How To Draw Cartoon Dogs’ Course.
Richard Lang - What It Feels Like To Have No Head
Here are some illustrated podnotes to go with the Modern Wisdom Podcast - Peter Crone - Defeat Your Limiting Beliefs
Here is the introducti0n that accompanied the podcast:
Richard Lang is the Co-ordinator of the Shollond Trust, a UK charity focussed on sharing the Headless Way.
If you see a person from 6 feet away, they're a person. From 100,000 miles away they're a planet. From a few microns away they're cells. So what are they at their very centre? Who are we?
This is the central question of The Headless Way and today Richard takes us through Douglas Harding's work to answer it along with some meditations and experiments you can do to illuminate these insights for yourself.
I particularly enjoyed putting this set of illustrations together, as I’ve been interested in the Headless Way for a number of years, and have attended some workshop led by Richard.
I highly recommend trying out the experiments for yourself, as it is one thing to read about something - and quite another to experience them for yourself.
Further information about the headless way can be found at:
https://www.headless.org/
How To Draw Cartoon German Shepherds
Werner proves once again the adaptability of the German Shepherd.
Today Suki has enlisted the help of Maxie to look at drawing cartoon German Shepherds.
Before we go any further, What do you think have three features of German Shepherds?
1.
2.
3.
German Shepherd Characteristics
German Shepherds are powerful, intelligent working dogs.
Orignally bred as herding sheep, because of their intelligence, trainability, and obedience, they have also found work in disability assistance, search-and-rescue, police and military use, and various acting roles.
Here are some other characteristics:
Pointed muzzle
Triangular, forward pointing ears
Noble stance
Powerful appearance
Lowslung tail
Porsches To Pooches?
Unfortunately, a sloped back has been aimed at by some breeders, this has been nicknamed a ‘Porsche back’ after the German sports car. This has led to some dogs having a lot of hip problems. So after the above illustration, I’m not going to draw any more Shepherds with sloped backs.
German Shepherd Colour Variations
…and the incredibly rare black and blue…
A Few More Points To Consider
Some German Shepherd Poses
Some More Cartoon German Shepherds
I’ve drawn Shepherds a few times before, here are some examples. Actually, to be honest the top right one is a wolf, but they do look quite wolf like!
The bottom-right one is simpler than the others. You don’t have to d0 a complex drawing for the audience to still recognise what dog breed it is you’re portraying.
Rex is a reoccurring character in the Gerald the Goat Strip.
Over To You
Now it’s your turn to have a go at Cartooning a German Shepherd.
Now it’s your turn to have a go at cartooning a German Shepherd.
First Find A Picture
Find an image of a pose that you would like to draw. If you’re working digitally create a transparent layer on top, if you’re working old-school, then get some tracing paper.
Trace The Image
Drawing as quickly possible, trace an outline. Tracing an image helps you to familiarise yourself with the proportions of the dog.
You can even do this a few times if you like.
Copy The Image
Keeping the image in site, copy it a few times. You will probably find it very useful to use a grid to help with gauge the proportions.
Work as quickly as you can with the copies.
When you’ve finished, paused for a moment and see if there is anything that doesn’t look quite right, or could be adjusted. For example, in the top right copy the head looks a little on the big size.
Now Choose A Copy And Tidy It Up
Choose the copy that you are most happy with. See if you can make any alterations to improve it.
Although I chose a black Shepherd to draw, I’ve added a Black and Tan coat to my copy as it will make it more easily recognisable.
Now Try A Different Angle
This is a page from the ‘Cartooning Canines - How To Draw Cartoon Dogs’ Course. If you’d like to find out more about the course, fill out the form at the bottom of this article.
