Cartoonist - How to become a Cartoonist ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Cartoonists are a professional who expresses their thoughts, feelings and ideas through cartoons, drawings, and sketches. Their work combines writing and drawing to convey humour about current events, recent trends and even everyday life situations. They may create single pane drawings, like commenting on an issue or event, or publish a serial cartoon, which follows a character over a period of time. Cartoonists’ work may appear in newspapers or magazines, graphic novels, Internet publications and computer games as well. Cartoonists’ work comprises such as to draw freehand, using a pencil to sketch their creation. The next step is to go over the drawing in ink, erasing the pencil marks; preferring to use computer drawing software. A Cartoonist’s job is not limited to newspapers, magazines and other print publications. They also work in the television and film industries. They draw animated cartoons, prepare model drawings, and sketches of characters, and draw special effects for animation projects. Cartoonists are more specialized than illustrators because they only deal with animated characters, subject material, and special effects. Illustrators may have dozens of specialties. Cartoonist Eligibility The minimum requirement to become eligible for Cartoonist courses is graduation in Fines Arts. Cartoonist Required Skills Cartoonists should be able to draw from the personal perspectives to create cartoons that amuse, educate, or entertain readers. They need to know that how to develop animated narrated sequences; interpret news in the form of cartoons in the political arena and develop ideas from context. They should also be able to confer with editor or publishers representative on ideas; sketch rough drafts and submit to editor for approval; participate in the storyboard, typesetting and editing process of animation. Cartoonists should be able to assist in story development, directing, cinematography and editing; make changes to drawings as necessary. They should also be able to utilize computer software or hand render drawings in accordance with preference; develop and draw comic strips on a regular basis for national or local publications. Institutes offering Courses for Cartoonist Indian Institute of Cartoonists, Bangalore National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad Academy of Animation and Gaming, New Delhi How to become Cartoonist? One has to follow the below given steps for becoming a Cartoonist- Step 1 As the most employers prefer, there must have a bachelor’s degree in fine art, illustration, painting, or animation. The degree program should include courses such as drawing, painting, illustration, anatomy, computer graphics, and photography to name a few. Some of the Graduation Courses: B.A. (Fine Arts) B.F.A. (Animation) Educational qualification- For graduation courses, they must have been passed 12th class with one of Fine Arts subjects. Step 2 In addition to a degree, most employers prefer candidates with a minimum of 2 years’ experience in the industry for intermediate positions. An advanced degree is required for upper level positions or at least 5-7 years’ professional experience in the industry. M.A. (Fine Arts and Painting) M.A. (Fine Arts) Educational qualification- For Master Degrees, they must have passed their graduation with Fine Arts subjects. Cartoonist Career Prospects Cartoonists are usually self-employed and must devote a significant amount of time to building their following and promoting their work. They may maintain a website where they respond to fan comments and offer cartoon-related merchandise such as t-shirts, mugs or greeting cards, as well as books featuring their most popular characters or comic strips. Cartoonists also seek out potential new clients either in the media or with advertisers looking for a cartoon character. Conferring with clients to incorporate their ideas into the artwork is essential to maintaining good client relationships and can lead to referrals for additional work. Freelancers have the option to work from homes anywhere in the world, so long as they have access to an internet connection. In India, most cartoonists are based in Mumbai and they work as freelancers. They can also work as political cartoonists or comic cartoonists in any newspaper or magazine, or can seek employment opportunities in animation houses. Nowadays, almost every newspaper reserves some space for cartoons. Cartoonist Salary The salary a Cartoonist depends a lot on a number of factors such as what you are making the cartoon for. And if it is likely to get reproduced in a large number of areas, the earnings can be considerable. However, the remuneration of a cartoonist depends on the organization he/she is working for. A Cartoonist can start his/her career with a salary between Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 per month. With experience and proficiency, one can expect higher pay packages.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Dec 2014 18:55:53 +0000