Hi friends!
I know things are scary and uncertain in the world right now, so I wanted today's activity to be something really fun and silly. I wanted to focus on something good in our lives--- our pets! If you don't have a pet, fear not! You can make your comic about a toy or object in your home that you love.
I've been making comics with kids for a few years now, and one of the most requested topics is their pets. If I had a dog biscuit for every time a kid asked me, "can I make this comic about my cat?", I'd have two really happy and full dogs haha.
So let's take a que from Garfield (that comic strip has been around for over forty years!!!) and make some fun pet-focused comics. Do you have any favorite comics about pets?
Peanuts by Charles Schultz
Garfield by Jim Davis
A page from "Our Cats are More Famous Than Us" by Ananth Hirsh and Yuko Ota
This activity is for anyone who can draw-- yes, even you stick figure folks, adults and kids alike. For our younger friends, if writing is a challenge, try working as an illustrator & writer duo with an adult or older sibling. If you've never drawn a comic before, don't worry! This is going to be fun! Let's get started!
For this activity you'll need:
-white paper
-a pencil
-an eraser
-a printout of the comic template (or you can DIY it with either a ruler or by folding a sheet of paper into sixths and then drawing lines over the folds)
-optional: pens for inking or coloring supplies (like pencil colors or crayons)
-a subject for your comic: either a pet or a special object (a stuffie, a favorite mug, etc)
"A Day in the Life of" Comic
Step 1
Choose your subject. This will be the focus of your comic. You'll tell your story through this character's perspective. You can choose a pet, or if you don't have one, go ahead and pick a special favorite object (like a stuffie!), the important thing is choosing a subject that makes you happy.
I decided to make my comic about my dog, Severus.
Once you've picked your subject, get a sheet of blank paper and a pencil and sketch out your subject. Start with the basic shapes that make up its form.
Severus is long -- I started with a long oval for his body then added other shapes to make up his neck, head, and legs.
From there, pick a few of its key features to focus on. What are the elements that make it your dog (or cat or fish or stuffie), not just anybody's dog. Add those one or two elements.
Note: Cartooning is all about simplification and summarizing. You don't need to add every tuft of fur or scale-- this isn't a realistic portrait of your pet. You want a character that you can draw over and over again in multiple panels. Look at the examples above for some inspiration.
Severus has really pointy ears and distinct markings so I focused on that.
After filling in the details and finishing your sketch, think about what makes your pet unique. Make a short list (3 - 6 things) of personality traits and things they do often.
Note: If you're going the route of making your comic about an inanimate object, you get to make it up! Use your imagination.
Finally, on the page with your sketch, think of at least three adjectives (descriptive words) that describe your pet. Are they goofy, moody, serious, silly, loud, bratty, rude, smart, bossy, etc. ---?
You're now ready to start working on your story!
Step 2
We're going to work on the next step on the back of that paper or on a separate sheet of scratch paper.
Today's comics are going to be six panels long, so on our papers we're going to write the numbers 1-6, leaving room for writing. Next to each number, we're going to plan what is going to happen in each panel.
The first panel should be morning, and the final panel will be at night, which means we have four panels to represent the day. There are so many things that happen during a single day, but let's just use this comic to show six moments, like six different snapshots of our subjects day.
1. Morning
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Night
Look back at your character sketch and lists and decide what's going to happen in those in-between panels. Do you want your comic to be funny? Is it going to be tender or serious? That might inform what you want to include.
If your subject is a fish or a bird or another pet with less of a daily routine than a dog or cat, you might show the subject doing a lot of the same thing (like just swimming around)-- if that's the case, you can focus more on their inner world. What do they think of themselves? Their habitat? What do they think of the other animals or the people they interact with? Here's your chance to show their personality.
When I told Chloe that I misspelled "morning" she laughed at said "Severus did it. He's a dog so he can's spell."
Note: This part can be challenging, and for kids eager to draw, it can seem boring, but this step is very important! Try really using your imagination. It'll make the next step much easier.
Once you've decided on what to show in each panel, you're ready to start on your comic.
Part 3
It's cartooning time!
Before you can draw your comic, you need a comic page with six panels prepped. You can either use my template or make your own.
Note: "panel" is just the name of a box or frame of a comic. Panels don't have to be rectangles, but I wanted to keep it simple for this short comic.
An easy way to make your own is to fold a paper into sixths and then draw over the fold lines.
Once you've got your comic paper ready, it's time to draw in the first panel.
Using your pencil and drawing lightly (so that it is easy to erase if need be), draw your main character waking up in the morning. Show what they're thinking with a thought bubble, and add some background. Show us where they live.
My partner Chloe working on her comic about our other dog, Theodore.
Note: When adding text in thought or word balloons, make sure to always write the words first. It will prevent your letters from looking too cramped or messy. And remember to write neatly or have a grown up help you. Legibility is important so that your readers can understand and enjoy your story.
Once you're done drawing and writing in your first panel, continue onto the second and so on, until you've finished drawing your comic.
A guide to the order of the comic.
Tip: Add a background so we can really understand the space your character inhabits. It can be as simple as a chair or a rug. No need to go wild on details.
Tip: To help with us knowing that we’re going through a day, try showing the passage of time somehow. Is there a window? An alarm clock going off? A clock in the background?
Tip: If you're adding sound effects, get creative with your letters. How would a "splash" look different from a "zoom"?
Tip: Try drawing you subject in different poses, like standing in one panel and sitting in another. If your subject is an object, try drawing it from different angles.
Here's a time-lapse of me working on my comic. If only I could really draw that fast!
Step 3 (optional)
Now that you've drawn out your whole comic, you can add some finishing touches, like inking or coloring it.
Inking is a process where cartoonists draw on top of their pencil art with a pen (or other inking tool) to get darker and more polished final art. Inking is not a requirement! But it can help your comic feel finished and easier to read if you're sharing it with other folks. Some comics are in black and white, some in color, some are drawn all in pencil-- there's no one way to make a comic! Try different things out and see what works for you.
I decided to ink my comic because that's how I like to finish my comics. If you’d like to do this, find a black pen or thin felt-tipped marker. Test it on another sheet first— you want to be able to erase the pencil afterwards so make sure it doesn’t smudge.
Note: If you decide you like inking comics, consider investing in a set of fine liner pens. You can get them at most art stores or office supply stores. This is not a requirement though! Cartoonists ink with all sorts of materials, including brush and ink, and regular office pens.
Different types of pens will give you different types of lines. You don't need fancy materials to make a good comic though! Try different methods until you find one you really like.
Carefully go over your lettering and art with your chosen inking pen. Let it sit for a few minutes, then carefully erase it.
There you go! You’ve got a finished comic that’s ready to share.
I’d love to see what you came up with. Share your finished comic by emailing me or by tagging it on instagram with #AtHomeArtClub
Thanks for making art with me!
You can read our finished comics below:
My finished comic. Inked with a Tombow pen. I had a lot of fun drawing that last panel!
Chloe's finished comic about Theodore. I'm noticing some similarities! Both our dogs love to eat grass.
Bonus: Here are some photos of the stars of the comics themselves:
Severus
Theodore
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