Chewing Pencils

Name: Roy Delgado
Age: 71
Location: Petersburg WV
Website:
Roy’s Photobucket Album 

How long have you been drawing cartoons?

I have been drawing cartoons for 60 years.

What made you start to think more seriously about making money from your work?

I enjoy drawing cartoons more than anything, so I decided that is what I’m going to do in my life.  To validate my thinking, I read in several books by respected thinkers, that if you do that what you really love with a passion, you’ll be able to make a good living at it.

Paul Meyer of Success Motivation Institute said:  “Whatever you vividly imagine, ardently desire and enthusiastically act upon, will inevitably come to pass. ” I believe this with every fiber in my being.

Have you done any formal training? If so, what and where?

My formal training consists of attending 2 years The Billy Hon School of Cartooning, Los Angeles, CA.,  I also studied figure drawing at The Corcoran School of Art, two years, in Washington DC.  Also took the Famous Artists Cartoon Course through correspondence.

Where was your first cartoon published?

My first cartoon sold and published was by The Prarie Farmer Magazine for $4.00 when I was 18 years old and while attending Billy Hon’s School.

What materials do you use to create your work?

I use white Typewriter Bond, 88-20. I start with a No. 2 HB pencil and rough in the staging of the scene and placement of elements, the people, props, etc. very rough.  I then trace it and make adjustments and corrections and clean it up and sharpen it up.  I do the same thing again and again til it’s right. The finish is usually with a micron pen, sometimes I do the finish in pencil, because when it’s scanned as black & white, it comes out as if I used a pen.

I then scan my drawing, reducing it  to about 86%, and then I apply my wash tones or color. I use an EPSON STYLUS RX 500 Scanner and printer. I use a program called PAINT SHOP PRO 9, just acquired by COREL.  I would recommend this program.

From where do you get your inspiration?

I get my inspiration from daily reading of great motivators and thinkers and philosophers. I’m too stupid to know any better, so I just take their advice and it works, it always works . . never it doesn’t work.

What are some of the resoures you’ve found most helpful?

Recommended: Wayne Dyer, Napoleon Hill, Paul Meyer of Success Motivation Institute.
Norman Vincent Peale, Pycho-Cybernetics.

What’s the best and worst advice you’ve ever received?

Best advice to write down and remember: Focus, Keep your eyes on the prize, Don’t give up, don’t give up, don’t EVER give up!

Socrates said :  ” You learn to play the flute by playing the flute. ”

The worse advice: ” Man, why don’t you just quit. maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. “  Or, ” Look, we can’t ALL be prize winners. ” or still yet . . ” Why are you so obsessed? ” This type of advice usually comes from losers, who want company down where they are at, so they’ll feel better that you too are a loser like them.  Misery loves company.

What do you find the most difficult to draw?

I find everything difficult to draw, but the more you do it, the better you get.

How long does it take to produce one of your cartoons?

It usually takes about 15 to 25 minutes to do a drawing, sometimes longer.

What do your friends and family think of you being a cartoonist?

I’ve always had moral support by my family.  Most people don’t have the slightest idea of exactly what I do or what I have to do to make a sale .  Too hard to explain, so I don’t try any more.  Like Sam Gross handles the same problem, he just tells them he’s in the drycleaing business.  That does it the quickest. 

I’m going to start saying the same thing.

Thanks to Roy for being this weeks Friday Feature Artist. If you’ve got any questions for Roy, feel free to ask them in the comments section. If you would like to be a feature artist, see this post.