Drawing (Cartooning) Tips and Pointers

[Weirdusername]

I'm guessing this would be the best forum for a question like this.

I've been working on my own cartoons and comics recently, I used to always doodle and just got back into it. I have a couple pictures of characters I like and I like what I've drawn. They're simple, but not too simple and also have some detail. I'd like to start a few comic strips, but the problem I have is character consistency. I can never seem to redraw my characters in different stances or positions and can't seem to copy proportions. It's quite irritating.

I know the best advice is to practice, practice, practice, which I am, but does anyone have any tips on keeping characters consistent between panels? I'm drawing by hand with paper and pencil, by the way.

[Tyler_Legrand]

Consistency is overrated. It leads to shows like Family Guy and the current Simpsons.

http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/uploaded_images/pbanimation09-720297.jpg

Anyway, the best way to have consistency is to have construction, and the best way to learn construction is to practice drawing from life.

An alternate way is to, like you said, practice with your own intricacies over and over again. Then you'll be stuck being good at just these particular intricacies and hopefully it'll be popular like Dilbert and Foxtrot.

[Captain Insanity]

As Tyler was passive-aggressively alluding to (sowwi Tyler!) I would recommend practicing real life.

I'm only just starting to dig my way out of my cruddy-little style. Had I spent the time learning to draw in general as apposed to just learning my own characters i would be a much better artist. For now I'm stuck doing little cartoons and being frustrated at my continued attempts at realism.

If you can draw the world you can draw what was in the last panel of your comic again with ease!