All things evolve and so do cartoon characters. Especially cartoon characters. I have always liked looking back at other comic’s early strips to see how things have changed and my own is no exception. I’m going to highlight each character in a blog post like this and who better to start with then Bud.
Each column represents how Bud looked in 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively and each row shows him as his regular self, then as some sort of TV/film character and finally as Budette. I’ve gotten a lot better at drawing women, that’s for sure!
I normally do not use character reference sheets to draw Bud and the gang. It is fairly standard practice in cartooning to have a design sheet of each character showing major facial expressions and various angles of the face. I do not like using those as I think it limits how you draw your characters. I mean, there’s only so many ways to draw a character in a cartoon strip, either from the side or profile. But by having a set design sheet in front of you, I believe it limits an artist’s ability to progress and experiment with a character’s looks. If I do look at a reference, it’s more for their hair. Otherwise I draw them from memory.
It is neat how characters evolve as you draw them. I am happy with how my characters have evolved and often cringe when I look back on the original “two week” submission packet of strips.I must say, your characters are definitely evolving for the better!
This post reminds me of a Garfield book i once owned that showed Garfield through the years. For the first ten years Davis drew (brushed) Garfield, he changed dramatically. It is always neat to see an artists progress.
Yeah, it’s collections like that Garfield one that inspired me to do this with the characters. Over a couple volumes you can see the change, but to see them side by side is sometimes really dramatic.
Very cool to see the progression 🙂 I personally don’t use a reference sheet either. I usually can remember how a character looks, and if not, I look at some previous drawings.
And I have to say, Bud is looking really spiffy lately 🙂
Thanks! I’m happy with how all the characters are coming along. I’m getting more comfortable drawing them and my inking is getting faster, so it’s not such a struggle anymore and think that helps a lot too.
Yeah, my opinion is if you have to use a character sheet all the time for your major characters, then they’re not in your head enough. I do have to go back for sub-characters like Bud’s sister and Chet, but the main foursome, I just start drawing from memory. Makes them more spontaneous too I think.
🙂
Man, my characters “evolve” more than that from comic to comic. Sometimes panel to panel! This isn’t necessarily good, of course. Subtle improvements over time like yours are really the sign of a professional.
One thing I worry about is that as I get older, my ability to keep improving might suffer. This example helps put some of those fears to rest. 🙂
Don’t know how old you are, but I’m 53 and my drawing gets better year after year. Now, I didn’t draw hardly at all for like 25 years, so I guess I’m making up for lost time, but still, if you keep at your craft and push yourself creatively, then the progress will come.
🙂
I’ll be 31 in June. I started my comic when I was 23, but I’ve never really gone full steam ahead and drawn every day, and I’ve been susceptible to numerous whiny art funks. Now I’m committed to it and over the BS, and I’m hoping I’ll develop some consistency to my work soon.
Thanks for the encouragement!
If I lived in the 70’s and Bud was real. I would date him, bot male and female. 😉