CARTOON

The concept originated in the middle Ages and first described a preparatory
drawing for a piece of art, such as a painting, fresco, tapestry, or stained-glass window.
In the 19th century, it came to refer to humorous illustrations in magazines and
newspapers, and after the early 20th century, it referred to comic strips and animated
films

A cartoon is a type of two-dimensional illustration, possibly animated. While the

specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to;

a. a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic artistic style of drawing or painting,

b. an image or series of images intended for satire, caricature, or humor, or c.
a motion picture that relies on a sequence of illustrations for its animation. An
artist who creates cartoons is called a cartoonist.

ANIMATION

Because of the stylistic similarities between comic strips and early animated
movies, cartoon came to refer to animation, and the word "cartoon" is currently used
about both animated cartoons and gag cartoons. While animation designates any style
of illustrated images seen in rapid succession to give the impression of movement, the
word "cartoon" is most often used as a descriptor for television programs and short films
aimed at children, possibly featuring anthropomorphized animals, superheroes, the
adventures of child protagonists and/or related themes. At the end of the 1980s,

"cartoon" was shortened in some cases to create the word "toon", which came into
use with the combined live-action/animated film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). Two
years later, the animated TV series Tiny Toon Adventures (1990) demonstrated the use
of the term.
CHARACTER CREATION
1. DECIDE WHO YOUR CHARACTER DESIGN IS AIMED AT

Think about your audience. Character designs aimed at young children, for
example, are typically designed around basic shapes and bright colors. If you're
working for a client, the character's target audience is usually predetermined.

2. DECIDE WHERE YOUR CHARACTER WILL APPEAR

Where will the character design be seen and in what medium? This will have a
direct bearing on how you go about your character design. For example, if it's for
a mobile-phone screen, there's no point designing it to have a lot of intricate
details and features.

3. RESEARCH OTHER DESIGNS

It can be helpful to try and deconstruct why certain character designs work and
why some don't. There's no shortage of research material to be found, with
illustrated characters appearing everywhere: on TV commercials, cereal boxes,
shop signs, stickers on fruit, animations on mobile phones, and more. Study
these character designs and think about what makes some successful and what
you like about them.

4. MAKE YOUR CHARACTER DISTINCTIVE

Whether you're creating a monkey, robot or monster, you can guarantee there
are going to be a hundred other similar creations out there. Your character
design needs to be strong and interesting in a visual sense to get people's
attention.

5. USE LINE QUALITIES AND STYLES TO DESCRIBE YOUR CHARACTER

The drawn lines of which your character design is composed can go some way to
describing it. Thick, even, soft and round lines may suggest an approachable,
cute character, whereas sharp, scratchy and uneven lines might point to an
uneasy and erratic character.
6. USE EXAGGERATED CHARACTERISTICS

Exaggerating the defining features of your character design will help it appear
larger than life. Exaggerated features will also help viewers to identify the
character's key qualities.

Exaggeration is key in cartoon caricatures and helps emphasize certain

personality traits. If your character is strong, don't just give it normal-sized
bulging arms, soup them up so that they're five times as big as they should be.

7. CHOOSE COLORS CAREFULLY

Colors can help communicate a character's personality. Typically, dark colors

such as black, purples and greys depict baddies with malevolent intentions.

Light colors such as white, blues, pinks and yellows express innocence, good
and purity. Comic-book reds, yellows, and blues might go some way to giving
hero qualities to character design.

8. ADD ACCESSORIES

Props and clothing can help to emphasize character traits and their background.
For example, scruffy clothes can be used for poor characters and lots of
diamonds and bling for tasteless rich ones.

Accessories can also be more literal extensions of your character's personality,

such as a parrot on a pirate's shoulder or a maggot in a ghoul's skull.

9. GIVE YOUR CHARACTER PERSONALITY

Interesting looks alone do not necessarily make for a good character design; its
personality is key as well. A character's personality can be revealed through
comic strips and animations, where we see how it reacts to certain situations.

10. FOCUS ON FACIAL

EXPRESSION

Expressions showing a character's range of emotions and depicting its ups and
downs will further flesh out your character. Depending on its personality, a
figure's emotions might be muted and wry or explosive and wildly exaggerated.
LIP-SYNC ANIMATION
GUIDE
Lipsync Animation Guide Chart by DOMICS