How to Start Cartooning with an Idea Notebook
Find a suitable notebook., Be inspired by exercise., Find inspiration in food., Tune your ear to the catch phrases, cliches, proverbs and old sayings that pepper our speech., Go shopping., Look to what has passed already., Observe your pets., Watch...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find a suitable notebook.
Choose one that is easy to carry about with you, sturdy and has plenty of space for you to take notes in.
Consider whether you'd like blank pages, pages with lines, or a combination of both.
If you like sketching as well as writing, the combination can be ideal. -
Step 2: Be inspired by exercise.
Do you work out? Mosaics from Roman ruins indicate that exercise was as valued in Roman times as it is today.
What is it about exercise that transcends the ages? How are the styles of exercising different from early ones? How do you feel before and after exercising? Do you wear special clothing to exercise? , How much do you love food? It is a vast and varied part of our lives from shopping, prepping, and sitting down to eat.
Do you dine alone or with others? What is your favorite food? Do you admire chefs who make food their life focus? What dishes can you create? What holiday foods and nostalgia for the foods of yesteryear are repeated time and again? , The way we pronounce words has traditionally been fodder for songs.
Do bits of conversation, floating in the air, sometimes spark imagination? The mere act of writing those words down on paper can start a chain of connections leading to funny situations and, eventually, cartoons. , This can open dozens of avenues in our brains for laughter.
Clothing trends are funny all by themselves, then, add the emotional aspect we have all felt wearing different items, and fun lies ahead.
Going shopping for the basic necessities of life, not to mention luxuries go from the sublime to the ridiculous.
What do you buy? Why did you buy that item? How large can stores get? How far have we come in terms of necessities than our forefathers? How does the science of marketing affect us? , The past can yield great material.
A wise person once said, "The more things change, the more they remain the same." Do you agree? What is an improvement and what should be buried and left alone? , Is your home graced with pets? Animals are comedians by nature, so watch and jot down their antics.
The Internet is loaded with clips of animals at their zany best, so keep that notebook handy when you use the computer, or sit at the local coffee shop to observe the dogs on leashes passing by. , Noting how differently men and women think is a rich mine for cartoons.
What makes the opposite sex tick? Observe TV sitcoms and take notes of conflicts and how they are resolved.
Relying on pop psychology is something we all do from time to time, for the good or the bad. , A love of the arts, be it visual, auditory, or tactile can unearth lots of funny situations and observations. , Getting older is lampooned more than it ought to be, but isn't it better to laugh than cry at the changes age brings? Dying and burial with the complicated, sometimes inexplicable rituals can have surprisingly light moments. , Can stories we have known since childhood survive scrutiny by our older selves? The written word, from fairy tales to master works, seen through fresh eyes, can have funny moments. , Who among us is without an occasional misstep? The foibles of human beings have always been held up to scrutiny from the Three Stooges, and slapstick comedy to touching dilemmas seen in old movies.
Life decisions are fraught with emotion.
Have you ever wished you could take back a choice you have made? Did you ever see a silly situation that was avoidable? , Does anybody like chores––dishes, vacuuming, and laundry? We do them dutifully because we know to stop might be disastrous, but do we love the humdrum, repetitive, often thankless routine? Write out your boredom and frustration to discover humor in household duties. , Going outside and onto the road can be hair raising, either as a driver, passenger, jogger or pedestrian.
The ordinary paths we tread each day doing errands, getting to and from work, just getting from place to place can be eye opening, to the point of terror.
You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, so shine a light on bad driving and rude events on the road, and maybe you can help change the way things are done.
Packing for a trip and traveling is a multi-faceted thing to explore.
New experiences, places, activities, modes of transportation and just being outside our normal environment can cause anxiety, be funny or downright pathetic, depending our your mood and stamina level.
Keeping an idea book helps pass the time en route, too. -
Step 3: Find inspiration in food.
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Step 4: Tune your ear to the catch phrases
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Step 5: cliches
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Step 6: proverbs and old sayings that pepper our speech.
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Step 7: Go shopping.
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Step 8: Look to what has passed already.
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Step 9: Observe your pets.
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Step 10: Watch relations between people.
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Step 11: Use art for ideas.
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Step 12: Consider aging.
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Step 13: Use existing stories.
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Step 14: Make use of error.
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Step 15: Consider the possibilities of daily work.
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Step 16: Enjoy the great outdoors as inspiration.
Detailed Guide
Choose one that is easy to carry about with you, sturdy and has plenty of space for you to take notes in.
Consider whether you'd like blank pages, pages with lines, or a combination of both.
If you like sketching as well as writing, the combination can be ideal.
Do you work out? Mosaics from Roman ruins indicate that exercise was as valued in Roman times as it is today.
What is it about exercise that transcends the ages? How are the styles of exercising different from early ones? How do you feel before and after exercising? Do you wear special clothing to exercise? , How much do you love food? It is a vast and varied part of our lives from shopping, prepping, and sitting down to eat.
Do you dine alone or with others? What is your favorite food? Do you admire chefs who make food their life focus? What dishes can you create? What holiday foods and nostalgia for the foods of yesteryear are repeated time and again? , The way we pronounce words has traditionally been fodder for songs.
Do bits of conversation, floating in the air, sometimes spark imagination? The mere act of writing those words down on paper can start a chain of connections leading to funny situations and, eventually, cartoons. , This can open dozens of avenues in our brains for laughter.
Clothing trends are funny all by themselves, then, add the emotional aspect we have all felt wearing different items, and fun lies ahead.
Going shopping for the basic necessities of life, not to mention luxuries go from the sublime to the ridiculous.
What do you buy? Why did you buy that item? How large can stores get? How far have we come in terms of necessities than our forefathers? How does the science of marketing affect us? , The past can yield great material.
A wise person once said, "The more things change, the more they remain the same." Do you agree? What is an improvement and what should be buried and left alone? , Is your home graced with pets? Animals are comedians by nature, so watch and jot down their antics.
The Internet is loaded with clips of animals at their zany best, so keep that notebook handy when you use the computer, or sit at the local coffee shop to observe the dogs on leashes passing by. , Noting how differently men and women think is a rich mine for cartoons.
What makes the opposite sex tick? Observe TV sitcoms and take notes of conflicts and how they are resolved.
Relying on pop psychology is something we all do from time to time, for the good or the bad. , A love of the arts, be it visual, auditory, or tactile can unearth lots of funny situations and observations. , Getting older is lampooned more than it ought to be, but isn't it better to laugh than cry at the changes age brings? Dying and burial with the complicated, sometimes inexplicable rituals can have surprisingly light moments. , Can stories we have known since childhood survive scrutiny by our older selves? The written word, from fairy tales to master works, seen through fresh eyes, can have funny moments. , Who among us is without an occasional misstep? The foibles of human beings have always been held up to scrutiny from the Three Stooges, and slapstick comedy to touching dilemmas seen in old movies.
Life decisions are fraught with emotion.
Have you ever wished you could take back a choice you have made? Did you ever see a silly situation that was avoidable? , Does anybody like chores––dishes, vacuuming, and laundry? We do them dutifully because we know to stop might be disastrous, but do we love the humdrum, repetitive, often thankless routine? Write out your boredom and frustration to discover humor in household duties. , Going outside and onto the road can be hair raising, either as a driver, passenger, jogger or pedestrian.
The ordinary paths we tread each day doing errands, getting to and from work, just getting from place to place can be eye opening, to the point of terror.
You catch more flies with honey than vinegar, so shine a light on bad driving and rude events on the road, and maybe you can help change the way things are done.
Packing for a trip and traveling is a multi-faceted thing to explore.
New experiences, places, activities, modes of transportation and just being outside our normal environment can cause anxiety, be funny or downright pathetic, depending our your mood and stamina level.
Keeping an idea book helps pass the time en route, too.
About the Author
Mark Ortiz
A seasoned expert in biotech, Mark Ortiz combines 19 years of experience with a passion for teaching. Mark's guides are known for their clarity and practical value.
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