Drawing Comics Lab

UNIT 1

You’ve Got Character

TO TELL A GOOD STORY, you need to know your characters well. Any good writer is familiar with their characters’ desires, histories, and weaknesses. Cartoonists need to know this, too, but they also need to know the shade of the character’s head, the curve of his spine, or the way that she smiles. Sketching your characters, over and over, is one way to get to know them well.

When you first draw a character, it probably won’t go quite right. That’s okay—you’ve only just met. Good relationships grow over time. As you sketch your characters, not only will you get a better understanding of what they look like, but you’ll also get a better understanding of who they are.

Materials

• paper

• pencil

• pen

Have you ever ...