Ml ae So. & S Imes DBOOK ©BULGY EYEBALLS AND FREAKISH OVERBITES: AN INTRODUCTION ‘ve beon a drawer of curves and ovels and squigaly lines for about at long os | can remember. | can even pinpoint the moment when iny fate 0s a lifelong compulsive doodier was sealed: the first day of the first grode. That's when | began to draw, and draw ond draw and draw, on whatever suface and with whatever tool had handy. Why? Because | found school so unbelievably bering that Thad to do tomething-onything-to keep myself from going out of my mind Eventually, those crude grade-school scribbles grew more polished ond refined, resulting in that crude grownup cartoon powerhouse we ‘ll love ond worship, “The Simpsons.” And today, “The Simpsons” remains part of e speciel but disappearing art form: two-dimensional hand-drawn animation, with heavy emphasis on large heads, beard lines, and comical flab. Back in 1993, we put together Cartooning with the Simpsons, the inspiration for this monumental instructional ort tome. But os great as the ‘original work was, i looks like a bootleg coloring book for litle babies compared to this big ol’ brick. Check out the gatefolds and tracing ppoper overlays, the oodles and oodles of Simpsons characters, including Milhouse, and the highly professional tips and tricks from the ani- Imators who have foiled on the show til they have weird litle skin grooves where they hold their pencils. I assure you thot if you practice hhard ond long enough, you too can develop your own special litle skin grooves. I've got lots of cartooning advice, ifyou can stop drawing for @ second and pay attention: Keop things simple. (You can convey space, motion, ‘end fealing with surprisingly few lines.) Save your stuft. (Don’t let your mom or stepmom throw it out.) Always finish what you're working fon. (There’s nothing like completing a full story.) Go ahead and copy other styles. (But don’t just stick to one.) Check out the original ‘artwork of cortoonists and artists you dig. [Pros do make mistakes, bul you have to see the originals to learn how they fixed them.) And finally (hore’s the tough one): Be original! (Keep practicing, develop your own style, and try to surprise yourself) This book is full of rules about how to draw the Simpsons characters, and those rules have made it possible for thousands of artists (penciles, clecneruppers, eroser-monkeys, inkers, inbetweenshediners, crayonisis, colorizers, mouse-lckers, and mogieal elves) to drow the Simpsons pretty much the same way. This process has foken vs years to get righ. But when | started drawing Bar, Lisa, Homer, Marge, ‘and Maggie for the first fimo, there wos no “right” way to draw them. I had tried, and filed, to draw lke the sick professionel artists I'd ‘edmired. So | gave up trying to be © drawing master and went back to doodling freakish humanoids with no chins. For me, thot wos when the fun begen. Your pel MAT GREGWelcome to the world of cartooning...”Simpsons”-style! Bele yu ol up your sleeves ond str geting your hand ty you needa few supplies Here ae some erential ome pls sme focy exes you fel ike pemparng youre Pencils @- A stondord #2 will work fine, bu ert pencil came in many varieties, from very sof lead (for dark lin) to very hord lod [fora ight line) Pick the one tha suits you best. Also, you'll noice that much of the rough sketching inthis book i done wih alight color pencil Then the final line is put ia wih e dorker lead pencil. You may wart ory some of he many clor pencs available ond find @ brand thot you ike Fora shorp drawing, you'll ned 0 sharp pencil Fo ho! you'll need « Penil Sharpener @, You con splurge and get coal, noisy electric mods ‘or economize wih ove ofthe hond-crank varity. You might also want to pek up small portable handheld sharpener for when you're drowing on the go. Erosers @ I's good to have a plas eraser such a @ Stondar Mors for eradicating unwanted dorier lines, and a kneaded eraser for geting rid of sft lines and removing dit and smudges fom your paper. Specking of Paper @), youll nce some ofthe, oo. Ill kesp you fram drawing all var your walls. Ary pope will do for pracce, even © poper bag. But you may want 2 good drawing paper, layout band r bristol boar, for your more finished drawings Pens @=Inorimoton, height pencil drawings ar scanned del, but for pring purposes fished ink ne is necessary. "Simpsons comic books, calendars merchondie ce all equi king ovr the finshed perl drowings. Mos! "Simpsons ors vse Rapidograph technical ‘pon ora Micon erchivalnk pene achieve those consstn! “Simpson ines ‘White Opaquing Point @ suchas Fro White is good for covering up inking mistakes, ond you con easly ik back vit afer hes. You'll rely sce perfec shaight nein “Simpsons drawing, but a Tesquare @, Plastic Tringle@, and Ruler @ wil occasionally come in handy for lying ou ines of perspective, flor and celing lines, ec, in background drawings ond large props. Final ins ore done without hese items to give the backgrounds ond props an ergonic hond drawn look Drawing Boord @® — A good sturdy surface essen o a good sturdy drawing. A drawing boord is idea, but a desk or kchen table wal do os ‘well Some orf ke fo work wth hei poper ono fat surface, while cthers prefer to work ot an angle. You decide what works best for you. I you cor‘ afford on adjustable drawing board, inexpensive lightweight boards are availabe hot you cen hold on your lap or prop agains the edge of robe, It you'te working olen angle, White Paper Tape @) is esxonl for keeping your drawing on your bord and off the lo. Lighting — Your drawing will came out bate fyou con actually see what you'e doing. If you decide fo wotk ota drawing bow, i's © good ideo to get an adjustable Clamp-on Lamp (®. Otherwise, moke sxe your space is wll itor hat you hove accesso los of SunlightlLNow it can be revealed... the jealously guarded secrets of how to draw Lets start ith Homer's Head od wor ory doom Fam thar As you can sez From the roxsh construction ines on is doing, omer’ cal ball-shaped, bt Ws exerall ead s srt of We a art ‘hom once Youve dram that base ‘ape, You can add all the other detals cone by one, and tomer’s head will begin to tole shape, a8 by nage pea ee } cae Repronmartaly 5x eyeballs high! w the patented Matt Groening she Notice! Big, bug eyeballs are a ust! Shapes an sizes ray ery, depending on the deign oF ‘he wand character, wt ahays Weep ‘em bua RLS & observel Mats characters ‘ALUIYS hae an ouerbitl Behold! Less is indeod were eazp Hf sole vith os Fast Ines 05 possible! But Fist, « Feu ground res For deavingay, step by step lets construct SI Front a oF HOMER'S HORD, er hes begesnatly et ” rot oe S 7 pa A ests ery om eee Xa a tnfle blow Na sar wth that base D. estblsh he postion of the rin Bis he ose tan de 4H, ara he novi /eu hope “ereré ny at he btn Aa cer ead bin 408 he a cette on he Fiihucemsn te — Sesnewb netic, barat Retna Coe oF ha a |S. ue tomer pap oda har eer cores Ee jv determine oF te mall, ont etnias io Sea covet hoor, nen eee teen Font of fe oherl cab ar on hese rans fr tat ete oe esr aaa etapa jt a ne Ned CPD OD we WE CB we No. “esl rs ere cond ih tary ehoped ree Bee eC E oe Tooele, Teothn st right! OC (> ode ha norte hing i Fie acne, se oie BayNow is time to put all this boot AR learn fo action a ve anne THE MANY MOODS ED oF HOMER DETERMINEDGury CONDESCENDING As You can see, a. conplete range of emotions can be ackieved by changing pst a Fa lines, WwTRiGueD RUE FenRFULVe nay tnd ean anynoron, bt Nera look ot ROMER IN ACTION OF tomer From Fie main angles ore estential We body wort, nd hus beng ble #2 draw lm nation conuincinghy.Body LANGUAGE ‘hudy ese drovings and note how Homer's 4 all ct togetnar 4 tell vs what he’ something without the benefit of a.con eee ones penetra eS eee, see the elements of Homer's head. 6 greater becaise were Seeng more » OY Feed Calor Sots er of goer Slee sgnco p Feet) yy S Gaile rivets, G, é mi p <And now for something Mi EAR? (Ez conpletely different, let’s draw ure, Nat tonoring hide i winding , bor Let cela ake a deep brew, and begn wih MARGE 'S HEAD Zid er go, Peed cinied Te ale amp pert