Curtoons Cartoon Blog

My Latest Cartoon Project

2009-12-02T23:36:00.000-06:00

Presley, a boxer born in Perry, Oklahoma, is the "Greatest American Dog." He won that title on the CBS competition series that aired in summer 2008. He and his owner Travis Brorsen are off on another adventure, and asked for my help.

"Adventures with Travis and Presley, Part 1" is a DVD and book set that teaches children the importance of good manners while helping Presley find his bone. The series, the first of eight, is designed for ages 2 to 6, but it is entertaining and fun for all youngsters.

My company, The Curtoons Cartoon Company collaborated on the project to help bring it to market.

The DVD/book combo can be ordered for $9.99 at www.travisandpresley.com.

Watch the trailer here... http://www.youtube.com/user/travisbrorsen1

What is vector art?

2009-01-25T13:34:00.004-06:00

If you do not know the answer to that question or cannot create vector art out of your raster (pixel) images, you may have a tough time in today's commercial cartooning industry.

I receive many submissions from newbie cartoonists wanting to know what I think about their cartooning and also wanting to know if I would hire them. I have to say that there is almost no way I could hire a cartoonist that does not know how to turn a sketch into a high resolution digital file and then turn that file into a vector art file. If you don't know Adobe Illustrator, PhotoShop or Corel Draw you most likely will not be hired as a cartoonist or be able to supply clients with the correct files they will need to have their projects printed.

Vector art is scalable and does not lose detail when resized. It is made up of lines that can be moved and stretched with a pointer tool. A vector image is much like a wire frame that creates the shape of a design. Adobe Illustrator now has Live Trace built into the program which turns most any file into a vector.

Vectorizing colored bitmaps or photographs can be pretty tough. The file output is never that clean of a file. My suggestion is to create your cartoon designs as high resolution bitmap (300 dpi) files, namely TIFF files. Clean all of your lines and make sure your TIFF file is as clean as possible. Place that image into Illustrator and Live Trace. You will then have a nice, crisp black and white vector image. Ungroup it and you can easily Fill each section of the image with color. Add shading, blends and gradients to create professional cartoon artwork.

I will provide visuals of this process in the future. Learn Illustrator and PhotoShop and get busy creating those vector art files.

My Best Cartooning Advice

2009-01-16T22:17:00.004-06:00

1. Do it. You will never be a great cartoonist if you only talk about being a great cartoonist. The day I decided I wanted to quit my job and become a full time cartoonist I pulled out a pencil and pad of paper and started developing my own characters. I drew 12 cartoons, put them in an envelope, mailed them to a magazine and then I started all over again.

2. Draw. My original cartoon drawings sucked! My characters were flat and I only had two views, complete side view or complete front view. My cartoon hands were awful. The only way to draw better is to draw MORE!

3. Don't take things to seriously. Most all cartoons are meant to be funny. You can't create funny and whimsical cartoons if you are in a bad mood or are stressed. You need to learn to relax and look at the world in a way that most people don't see. The wackier, the better. Dress funny and give your kids off the wall names.

4. Write. If you are doing gag cartoons, greeting cards, comic strips or other funny cartoons you will need to exercise your funny bone. The more you write the easier it becomes. Always write down a funny thought or observation because I promise, if you don't, you'll forget it. Many times bad cartoons can be sold with good writing, but great cartoons rarely get sold with bad writing.

5. Display. You can't sell your work if nobody is seeing it. Send it to editors, enter it into art shows, create online galleries, email samples to friends and always have a portfolio handy of your BEST work samples.

6. Create cartoons for free but never work for free. If you need to build up a portfolio or want to practice drawing, think about offering to do a few cartoons or designs for free. But only if the client will be using the designs commercially and will provide you with samples. If you are a working cartoonist and a client wants you to create a cartoon for free because they are unwilling to pay, ask them if they will offer you their service for free.

7. Don't steal. In today's world it is very difficult to create something so new and original that it has never been seen before. Ultimately your designs will in some way reflect images that you have seen over the years. But whatever you do, do not copy an exact cartoon and claim that it is your own. You will never, ever, build a business on stealing other peoples ideas and designs. Originality is what makes some cartoonists millionaires.

8. Be prepared to fail. A cartoonist will be rejected more times than most other professionals. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Getting a cartoon into a top magazine or a comic strip into a newspaper may be harder than winning the lottery. A cartoonist should take pride in his rejection file folder. If it is not full, you are not drawing enough or trying hard enough. Many clients will hate your first attempt at a design. Accept the challenge and draw better, write better and improve with each rejection. Eventually you will fail to fail.

9. Diversify. Don't put all of your cartoon eggs into one basket. A gag cartoonist can also create greeting cards. An illustrator can also do tattoo designs. A logo designer can also create cartoon fonts. Create multiple streams of income with your talent.

10. Ask questions. If you don't know what to do or how to do it, ask! Find a few professional cartoonists that are willing to answer questions as you begin your career. Stay in touch with fellow cartoonists. Build up a network of cartoonists that you can rely on. Find a mentor. Once you become the cartoonist you never thought you could become, begin answering questions and offering advice to those that will be asking you.

11. Never give up. I never sold a cartoon to the BIG magazines, I never had a comic strip syndicated and I was never hired by Hallmark. But, I draw cartoons full time for a living, I have clients all over the world and I sell my characters and clip art out of a room in my house. I have my own small greeting card company, I sell t-shirts online and people wait weeks to have me create their cartoon logos.

Good luck and much success!

Make Money With Your Funniest Cartoon

2008-12-17T18:53:00.004-06:00

Trying to earn some extra income? How about taking your best cartoon and turning it into a gold mine?

I drew a cartoon years ago that seemed to get laughs from everyone that read it. This cartoon has been used over and over and has become a part of that spam email that travels around the world with a dozen or so really funny gag cartoons.

I decided to turn this cartoon into some profit. One of the first things I did was put this cartoon on one of my ChuckleBerry's greeting cards. It is my most sold card ever. Buy the card here.

I then opened a FREE Cafe Press store and threw on some specialty items including t-shirts. This design is by far my most sold design on Cafe Press. See merchandise here.

I also allow people to purchase rights to print the actual cartoon. It has been published in papers, on posters and other silly merchandise. See cartoon licensing here.

Sooo, take one or two of your favorite cartoons and turn them into money making machines!

Something Free For You!

2008-12-09T21:27:00.002-06:00

Okay folks, if you're checking in on my blog I've got something free for you! A fantastic funny free Christmas eCard. Send this card to all of your friends and family. It's brand new and only on ChuckleBerry's so no one will have seen it yet.

Enjoy and Happy Holidays!!

Send card here.

Turn A Negative Into A Profit

2008-12-07T23:16:00.004-06:00

From time to time if you do freelance long enough you are going to get stiffed on a payment. Many times it is not on purpose, rather unfortunate circumstances. To avoid going out of business you should require a deposit from new clients before you begin a project. I require a 50% deposit or I don't add a project to my schedule.

On numerous occasions I have had clients pay a deposit, receive art, make changes and then vanish without their high resolution art files and no explanation. Rather than spend time hunting these clients down I have created a few good side ventures with this left over art.

On one site I outright sell these orphaned images for the amount owed by the original client, which basically makes the designs half price for the new client. On another site I use these images as royalty free designs which I sell over and over again. I eventually make more money off the reused artwork than I would have originally.

The art below was abandoned and will be added to my www.lifesacharacter.com website. I lost $550 on the project but will price each image at $29, two for $49 or all for $99. It will only take about a dozen sales and I will make my money back and eventually make more than I would have.

Do you have old cartoons or art just laying around? Why not turn them into profit? Clients are looking for funny original cartoons, clip art and royalty free characters.

Video Marketing 101

2008-12-05T12:49:00.003-06:00

Are you getting any business? Do people know who you are?

I've been adding short videos to my personal blog and also to my greeting card site. I've gotten really good feedback that people really enjoy the videos. I also pick up traffic from YouTube.

Why not add a little video to your cartooning site? It's simple! I bought a cheap Canon PowerShot SD1000 digital camera for a trip to Disney World. Come to find out you can shoot movies with the darn thing also!

I set up the camera in my studio, turn it on, act like a goof and upload the video to my computer. I then open my YouTube account (you should have one, do you?) and upload the video to YouTube. I then take the code it creates for me and paste that into my HTML or blog. And Bingo! Instant video.

The video below is a prime example. Total time to film, upload and embed was maybe an hour. Most of that was waiting on the file to upload to YouTube. Lights, camera, action!

ChuckleBerry's Paper Card Co.

Market Yourself Online

2008-11-26T11:27:00.000-06:00

When the associate editor of Midwest CEO Magazine went looking for the latest professional to feature in his December issue, he went straight to the Internet. Dayne Logan was looking for a cartoonist to feature in the magazines Goat Locker section.

Each month a person is selected and their unusual or unique working environment is focused on in the magazine section. Logan ended up on MY blog and found several photos I posted showing my fun cartoon studio. I was contacted by email and agreed to a short phone interview about Curtoons and an in-studio photo shoot.

Midwest CEO Magazine is a regional magazine and can be found in most large book stores. From Denver to St. Louis, Kansas City to Oklahoma City, businesses in the Midwest all face a similar set of challenges and can learn from each others solutions. These solutions, tips and articles are what you will find in each issue of Midwest CEO. Visit their site.

Read the short article here.

A Fun Dog and Cat Cartoon Logo

2008-11-18T21:41:00.004-06:00

Here's one of my new favorite cartoon logos recently completed for a company in the U.K. This fun cartoon dog and cat logo can be utilized on many forms of marketing. Great character logos are easily remembered and bring smiles to all potential customers.

Marketing Yourself

2008-11-18T10:16:00.004-06:00

If you want to get jobs and you want to stand out from the crowd you'll need to do a little marketing of yourself. Part of marketing is creating a brand that can easily be tied to you. My brand is That Sneaker Wearing Entrepreneurial Cartoonist Internet Guy that draws cartoon logos.

My brand includes the nickname, a certain style of clothing that I wear and the "look" of my art. My cartoon logos are clean, vectored and easily recognized. Part of my brand is being small and having lower rates than the big agencies.

Market yourself online. I currently have at least three personal cartooning websites, a FaceBook site, MySpace site and a YouTube account with videos I have created promoting my services. I keep several blogs updated with current news, tips and ideas which helps build my reputation as an expert in my field.

Due to my blog and photos of my cartoon studio I was asked to do an interview and photo shoot for Midwest CEO Magazine. I will have a one page article about my services and my working environment. That's advertsing you don't have to buy! I will let you know when the December issue is out.

Get busy and start marketing yourself! If you're not standing out from the crowd, you will be lost in the crowd and clients will choose other artists over you.

Talk About Toons at Toon Talk

2008-11-03T18:18:00.002-06:00

If you are searching for a cartoon forum that is open to the public you might want to join up at the new Toon Talk. Darrin Bell has moved the forum to a new host with new bells and whistles.

Join up, you should be able to learn a bit about the cartoon biz and find some useful tips.

Toon Talk

How Much Money Does A Cartoonist Make?

2008-10-30T10:04:00.004-05:00

Bunches. If you're dead that is. Forbes Magazine has listed the top earning dead celebrities. Number one on the list is Elvis, The King. Surprisingly number two on the list is none other than...

Cartoonist Charles M. Schulz, creator of the Peanuts Gang. His 12 month earnings estimate was $33 million. Although Schulz died on Feb. 12, 2000 his cartoon empire continues to thrive.

A partnership was formed last October between the Peanuts comic strip and Warner Bros. studios. The deal sparked a spate of new DVD releases with fresh Peanuts content, sending the cult cartoons flying off shelves. In the spirit of the U.S. election season, Peanuts' main character, Charlie Brown, teamed up with the Rock The Vote campaign, and the movie You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown was re-released.

If that is not motivation enough to get busy with your cartooning career I don't know what is.

Careers In Cartooning

2008-10-28T22:10:00.004-05:00

Being called a cartoonist can mean very different things to different people. When I tell people that I am a cartoonist they ultimately ask what papers my cartoons are in. Most people think cartoonists just draw comic strips.

If you are considering a career in cartooning you might think about what field of cartooning you would like to specialize in. Here are a few examples if how diverse the world of cartooning can be.

1. Gag cartoonist - these guys draw simple single panel cartoons with or without punch lines. Most gag cartoonists work for magazines and newspapers but can also have great careers selling cartoons for newsletters, presentations and books. Many times the writing is harder than the cartooning in this field.

2. Comic Strip cartoonist - these are probably the most famous cartoonists and are the most associated with a career in cartooning. Getting a comic strip in the funny pages today is about like winning the lottery. A comic strip artist must not only know how to draw on some level but must be a great writer and storyteller. The best cartoonist in the world would not be able to sell one comic strip if it wasn't well written.

3. Graphic cartoonist - I put myself into this category of cartooning. A graphic cartoonist creates cartoons, logos and mascots for marketing purposes. There is no need for writing skills but a creative eye and a knack for color can really help out in this field.

4. Cartoon Illustrator - I think this is the most talented group of cartoonists. Just about anyone can learn to draw cartoons but very few people have the raw talent to become great illustrators. Cartoon illustrators create very detailed images that rival photography and painting. These artists design movie posters, illustrate books and create works of art.

5. Animators - these guys are a bit of a mix of everyone. They need good drawing skills, strong design ability, writing aptitude and for backgrounds they need illustration skills. Some animators are unskilled and use static cartoon images that are moved by hand rather than by drawing.

6. 3D Computer cartoonists - 3D guys create cartoons on the computer and use sophisticated programs to help animate the characters. The ability to use a computer is a must.

7. Caricature artists - a caricature is a cartoon interpretation of a persons face. Caricature artists take a persons features and learn how to exaggerate them. These cartoonists can work in a studio or on the street. Some caricaturists can draw quick facial sketches in a matter of moments while others take hours after studying many photographs of the subject.

8. Editorial cartoonist - these guys are a bit like the gag cartoonists but they must combine their drawing and writing abilities into a single image. Most editorial cartoons are political and run in print.

9. Greeting card designer - a greeting card designer has to convey a feeling or grab someones attention in just a split second. A card designer should have strong writing skills and a tough of illustration ability.

10. Comic Book illustrators - drawing for comic books takes the talent of being able to draw the human body. Comic book illustrators are very talented and have the skill to draw the human body in the best shape it can be. Writing skills are a plus in this career.

11. Internet cartoonist - due to the reach of the Internet, a new field of cartooning was created. Many unpublished cartoonists have started online comic strips and have had success. Most of their money comes through subscriptions, advertising and merchandise sales. You really need to target a small niche to be successful in this field.

Cartoon Logo Portfolio

2008-10-23T11:28:00.004-05:00

Here are my most recent cartoon designs.
Click it for an outside view and then click for a larger view.

A Scanned Cartoon Sketch

2008-10-20T18:07:00.000-05:00

This is about what each sketch I do looks like after I scan it at 300 dpi. I open the TIFF in Photoshop and start cleaning up the drawing. This is where the image becomes inked.

Sketching Cartoons

2008-10-13T15:19:00.002-05:00

(Click for a larger view)

I continue to sketch with pencil on paper at my drawing board. I normally use Bic or Papermate disposable pencils and refill them with .05 mm or .07 mm lead. I sketch on HP Brite inkjet paper or whatever is handy.

I do draw on a very small light box. If you do not have a light box you are missing out on a major time saver. You can make quick changes to a drawing by using a clean sheet of paper and the light box. Just trace over the original while making the new changes you would like.

I draw my characters pretty small, most averaging only about 4" tall. The smaller size helps in the clean up process by speeding things up. Some cartoonists draw very large with thicker lines which looks more detailed once reduced and eliminates as much clean up. Many cartoonists actually ink the drawing before scanning.

I try to keep my sketch as clean as possible but I do end up with many erased areas. I scan my sketch into PhotoShop to clean up. This is where I "ink" my designs. More on that later.

How Much Do YOU Charge For A Logo Design?

2008-10-09T09:52:00.005-05:00

I recently had a logo designer contact me and ask for my advice. They were just starting out, had a small portfolio and wanted to know how much to charge for a logo design. I get this question frequently because I have written an article explaining how much a logo is really worth. My article has helped out countless designers and is cited often when a client balks at paying more than they think is fair.

Although my article gives reasons as to why a logo is worth more than an illustration and why a designer needs to get paid a certain amount it doesn't take into account one other important factor... free market. In today's market it's not how much are you going to charge for a logo, it's how much is someone going to pay for that logo.

There's no rule, book, committee or law that states how much you have to charge for a logo design. There are guides given by different organizations and ways of comparing the rates of differing agencies and designers but there is no way to create a definitive standard rate.

All clients are different and all designers are different. You are not selling them an object that has set value, you are selling them an idea, a brand, an image. For some it may bring wealth, for others it may just be a mark on an envelope.

I explained to this questioner that selling usage rights to a logo is a difficult process. When a client buys a logo they pretty much want all rights and want the ability to protect their investment. There's not much value in owning a logo design that is not yours.

I felt the designer should just set a flat rate and forget about trying to keep track of usage rights. I also suggested that this upstart artist might be charging a bit much for the design. I received a polite response thanking me for my advice but also stating that they were not going to follow it and that I was underselling myself.

Wow! This coming from a designer with very little experience and almost no portfolio. I was a bit miffed at first but thought about the comments for a while. My conclusion is this:

I am a cartoon logo designer. I began this adventure online in 1998 before two-thirds of the country even knew what the Internet was. I was the first designer to specialize in doing just cartoon logos. I've done hundreds of designs for clients in just about every country in the world.

I own my business, I work from home, I belong to the country club, my kids are in private school, I have more work than I can handle, I have kept up to four different cartoonists busy with work and I have helped dozens of mom and pop entrepreneurs get their dreams started.

Am I selling myself short? In terms of dollars, maybe. Could I charge more? Probably. Am I only in this for the money? Nope.

I create these designs because I love to draw cartoons. I love to help working people start those side businesses that they have dreamed of for years. I could charge an arm and a leg and make more money but I would have missed out on helping the Mexican mother in San Antonio get a fun character for the side of her ice cream truck, I would have missed out on creating the design that helped a couple launch their milkshake business, I wouldn't have heard back from the father that wanted to launch a website with a fun little character logo.

I enjoy helping these people and after being online for several years I have a feel for what many people are able to pay. I can predict pretty accurately that raising my rates will kill off many of the quotes I send out and I'm usually correct because my bookings begin to drop.

You can't base your rates on something you read in a book. You have to get a feel for your ability and a grasp of how many clients will be interested in what you have to offer. You have to know who your clientele are and how much they can stretch their budgets to pay. If you're making a good salary, providing for your family and you're happy doing what you love, why get greedy? Don't always charge more just because you can. Help people out. Give them a fair shake like someone gave you when you started out. Be fair to yourself, but also be fair to the client.

Cartoon Greeting Cards

2008-10-02T14:52:00.002-05:00

I'm on the verge of relaunching my greeting card line and my website. These are the new logos for each card division in my ChuckleBerry's line. I'll let you know when the new site is launched.

Selling your cartoon designs to greeting card companies is another great niche for making money with cartoons. Most card companies pay around $150-$300 per design for all rights. Be sure to pick up the latest copy of the Artists Market for all of the card companies accepting freelance designs.

I've sold a few designs to companies like Gallant Greetings but I'm now on a mission to start my own greeting card company big time. I'll soon be starting a greeting card blog which you can read and follow my entrepreneurial progress.

Stay tooned!!

Cartoon Contests

2008-09-30T23:26:00.003-05:00

When I was first starting my cartooning career I was always looking for ways of getting printed work into my portfolio. One the most unique things I found was entering design contests. I would always submit a cartoon as my entry and I actually won several early design contests.

The largest Rock station in Oklahoma is Rock 100.5 The KATT. This radio station used to have a yearly calendar design contest to see who could create the best design for the years calendar. I entered the contest in 1988 and did not make much of a statement. I did however know the artist that won that year. That motivated me to try again the next year.

Well, I won first place in 1989 with the design displayed here. It happened to be the best selling calendar they had and turned out to be a fun promotion for the station. I used a cartoon scene to create clues to the names of 100 top rock groups. The idea hit me when I thought about drawing a plant that had a name tag with Bob written on it. Robert Plant. From there I created 99 more clues and combined them int this calendar.

The look of the design comes from my love of the old Six Flags park maps I used to collect as a kid. Click on the photo for a much larger view and see how many groups you can find.

I entered the contest for the next few years and won again being the first two time winner and also had a third place design. After winning my second time the radio station stopped having the contest. My second win was a continuation of this theme. I created a second list of 100 rock groups and built a design around those clues.

I also won a few other design contests and started to build a pretty nice looking cartoon portfolio. Once I posted these and other designs online I started getting requests from clients all over the world. That's how my own cartoon business began. Look for unique ways that you can create designs, make a little money and start building your portfolio.

P.S. I'll try to post all 100 rock group names when I get a chance. Enjoy!

A Cartoon Studio

2008-09-28T16:59:00.005-05:00

Welcome to the Curtoons Cartoon Studio A.K.A. Shaggy Duck Studios. Before you can buy any cartooning supplies or equipment you will need a place to practice your craft.

I have created a cartoon studio in my home using a spare bedroom. It consists of a 5 foot drafting table, three computer desks housing four Apple computers, a TV, an American Fender Stratocaster, a fully functional airplane pedal car, a six string Takamine acoustic, a drawing stool, two computer chairs, three ink jet printers, stacks of books on cartooning, logo design and marketing. Shelves full of greeting card stock, polka dotted envelopes, blank CD's, mailing supplies and hundreds of pages of cartoon sketches.

Make your studio fun and a place where you will enjoy spending many hours. If you truly want to be a successful cartoonist you will need a comfortable spot to get those juices flowing. I'll give you ideas in the future on what essential cartooning supplies you will need to create a professional cartoon studio.

Make Money With Cartoon Caricatures

2008-09-26T10:34:00.003-05:00

If you are looking for a cartoon niche you might want to consider becoming a caricature artist. Caricatures are very popular and fun to create. You can start a web site, attend fairs and carnivals, be a part of reunions or parties or just create caricatures from a street corner.

I do not specialize in caricatures but I do get requests several times a year. The image above is for a local business that deals with cleaning supplies. You might recognize the guy on the right. That's NBA star Brent Price.

Cartoon Flash Sample

2008-09-25T21:13:00.008-05:00

Here's an example of a simple Flash animation. Flash has become the standard in animation today. To create movement you must have vector art images. Vector art can be created in Adobe Illustrator and then imported into Flash.

Flash animations are great for eCards. Start your own eCard site or create tiny animations for eCard clients. Flash designers can make $50 per hour and more.

Learn more about Flash and see how much fun it can be by visiting this awesome animation web site. Create your own Flash movies without any experience. Go Animate.

Need your cartoon logo animated? I can help do very simple Flash animations or create animated GIF files. Contact me for more information.

P.S. You can right click on a Flash animation and it will provide you with a few Flash controls.

Welcome To The Cartoon Blog

2008-09-25T20:27:00.001-05:00

Welcome Toonheads and Clients!

How about some updates, tips, samples projects and money making ideas? Although I'm swamped as usual I'll try to keep you updated on what's going on around the Curtoons Cartoon Studio - and there's plenty!

Keep checking in and see some of my all time best cartoon logos and many samples of designs I have not posted yet.

I may even serve up a video or two on how to cartoon. Come back often!!