Jan

7

Cartoons, Caricatures, and Mountains

Filed Under Comics Artists | 5 Comments

I’m doing a caricature of my nephew. It’s a challenge because I really have difficulty drawing likenesses. It’s something I really don’t do at all, actually. But I make exceptions when it’s family. So don’t anyone else ask me to do it because I most likely won’t. Some people get the idea that all artists can draw caricatures. But that’s not necessarily true. It’s a gift to be able to draw, and it’s another gift all together to be able to draw likenesses. I’m amazed at how good Arnold Arre is when it comes to this. He’ll just look at you and he’ll have a quick sketch that looks remarkably like you in just a minute or so. It’s a talent I always wanted to have. It’s a great way to meet girls, well, if you’re single that is. Nervous about approaching a girl, you just draw her on the spot and give it to her. That will melt even Iceland, I tell you.

Another peculiar thing I encounter are people who seem to confuse comics with animation. It’s easy enough to make the distinction, I suppose, when it’s your job. Comics, cartoons… it’s probably all the same to many people. I try not to get annoyed when I’m pestered by people why I don’t get a job at an animation company, or when I say I do comics, and they say, oh, you draw those cartoons on TV!

I really can’t imagine myself working in an animation company when it has been my dream all along to draw comics. It’s like dreaming you want to be a dentist and people insist on having you check their eyes out because it ought to be the same thing. The discipline of creating comics is completely different from the discipline of creating moving cartoons. The storytelling is different, the technique is different, and it requires a whole different set of skills. I don’t want to be an animator simply because it’s comics I want to do. In comics, I feel I can exert more of my identity into it, whereas in animation I would have to go along with an established style, subverting my own identity in the process. And identity is something that’s important to me.

A few people have the idea that comics are a stepping stone to something else. Like animation. Like film. Not surprisingly, a lot of successful filmmakers once dreamed of being comic book illustrators. There’s James Cameron, and there’s Russel T. Davies, head writer for Doctor Who.

It’s difficult for me to explain to those who voice incredulity to my hesitation to move on to animation or film after having done comics. In all honesty, it’s not even hesitation because there’s no hesitation involved. Those are things I simply don’t want to do. Well, I do experiment with video shooting and editing, and I enjoy it tremendously. But as far as I’m concerned, comics is the end all and be all of everything. There’s no moving on from comics. This is exactly where I want to be.

Neil Gaiman, by way of Budjette Tan’s blog, spoke of having your mountain as your goal in life. Once you know your mountain, everything you do should lead you closer to that mountain and not away from it. Comics is my mountain. That’s all it is. If film or animation is your mountain, please go ahead and pursue it, but it’s your mountain and not mine.

Comments

5 Responses to “Cartoons, Caricatures, and Mountains”

  1. Ed on January 7th, 2009 1:54 am

    I get that a lot too, Gerry. Kaya pinangungunahan ko na sila na COMICS ang ginagawa ko, hindi animated cartoons.

    Caricatures–mahirap talaga yun kahit alam mo ang techniques. Dati kaya ko yan, ngayon hindi na yata. :P Ikaw lang kaya kong gawan ng caricature, Gerry. Wehehehe.

  2. Gerry Alanguilan on January 7th, 2009 2:09 am

    Ed, nabuhay ka. :) Ayoz ba tayo dyan? Kumusta na kayo?

  3. APOniKAPRE on January 7th, 2009 6:19 am

    Marami talaga ang nagugulohan kung ano ang kaibahan ng comics at animation. Mas malawak ang sinasakop ng gumagalaw na animation kaysa sa hindi gumagalaw na comics, at ngayon ang animation at ang live-action ay nagkaisa na. Halimbawa, ang huling Star Wars movie ay halos mahigit kalahati nito ay animation.

    Ang comics at animation ay parehong sinasakop ang cartoon at realistic drawings. Pangkalahatan, sa drawings ang comics ay ARTISTIC sa pananaw at angulo ng MATA, samantala ang storyboard drawings sa animation ay TECHNICAL at ARTISTIC na ginagamitan ng CINEMATOGRAPHY sa pananaw at angulo ng CAMERA. Kaya nga ang tawag ko sa storyboards ay comics in motion.

    Si Carlo Caparas ay comics writer lang nuon, kung hindi ito nag-ambisyon na pumasok sa cinematic movies bilang director ay comics writer pa rin ito hanggan ngayon. Pero tingnan ninyo ngayon, ang daming naiinggit kay Caparas, HHHHHHH. Kaya mula sa comics, ang logical na susunod na pupuntahan ninyo ay animation o live-action movie bilang mga directors o film makers, pero mag-aral muna kayo ng cinematography para lagpasan ninyo si Caparas.

    Ito naman ang sekreto kung paano mag-drawing ng caricature. Una, kopyahin ng esakto ang figura ng tao na gustong gawan ng caricature. Pangalawa, i-exaggerate unti-unti ang mga prominente na mga features nito. Halimbawa, kung ang prominente na feature nito ay ang ilong, palakihin ng unti-unti o sobra ang ilong. Kung maliit naman ang bunganga nito ay paliitin ng unti-unti o subra pa ang bunganga. Kung payat ito ay gawin mas lalong payatot, etc.

    Ayan, kahit na sinong lasinggong artist ay puwede ng gumawa ng caricature. Pero paano kung hindi pa obra itong paliwanag ko sa sinumang artist? Di kumuha siya ng maso, sa halip na lapis at papel, at hatawin ang kanyang sariling tuktok para siguro matauhan ang walang purdondeng tuktok niya, hhhhhhh.

  4. Reno on January 7th, 2009 11:45 am

    Kamakailan lang ay nangyari sa akin yan. Habang naghihintay sa LTO ng pagkatagal-tagal ay nagpasiya akong gumuhit muna ng isang pin-up na ginagawa ko. Lumapit ang isang lalaki at tinanong ang trabaho ko. Sabi ko nagko-komiks, pagkatapos sabi niya agad “Ah, yung gumagawa ng cartoons, parang sa Disney.” Para hindi humaba ang usapan sabi ko na lang “oo.”

    Hinggil sa caricature naman, kaysa hatawin mo ang mukha ng kina-caricature mo, i-distort mo na lang sa Photoshop tsaka i-trace. Hehehe.

  5. dexter on January 7th, 2009 2:17 pm

    Yup. I get a lot of that comment too.
    Doing caricatures is not easy.
    I’m not good with it. I used to have difficulty doing caricatures.
    A person needs to train his eyes and hands.
    But one thing I learned is you just need to believe in yourself and be confident.
    A positive mindset is important and your hand will follow.

    I believe in you Sir Gerry!!! =)