Chewing Pencils

NAME: Mick Ward (Wardy)
AGE: 36
LOCATION: Tasmania Australia
SITE URL: http://wardy.wordpress.com/

How long have you been drawing cartoons? For as long as I can remember. While distracting myself from mundane classes at school cartooning became such a habit I have in my adult life found drawing whilst in lectures or similar actually keeps me awake and listening. Go figure!

What made you start to think more seriously about making some money out of it?

My work colleagues and my wife. I’ve been in the same work place since 1992 and since then my cartoons have become an expected product of the daily routine so to speak. Everyone has always asked when I would “get into the papers” etc and although that’s not my chosen direction, only recently I’ve felt happy enough with my cartooning to ‘think more seriously about making some money out of it’. My wife is also great support.

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

No formal training as such, only a couple of short courses here in Tassie. I did start a well recognized Australian course by correspondence but didn’t complete it. Perhaps I should have (cost me a small fortune too!) but I found after a time although the feedback was all positive I just wasn’t learning what I wanted to learn.

Where was your first cartoon published?

I think it would have been for our work news magazine. It’s a quarterly publication and is sent out to over a thousand employees. I still draw for the magazine today.

What materials do you use to create your work?

Pretty basic. I will normally use A4 size ‘bleed proof’ paper. I will rough the drawing out in pencil and lately have been playing with drawing roughs in blue pencil to negate the need of an eraser. I then use a Micron pigment ink pen for inking the picture. I will then go over the outlines or chosen areas requiring more depth with a larger nib Micron pen. For color I use Letraset Pantone ink pens. These come with three different sizes in the one pen and are handy for outlines and coloring.

I love the natural feel about doing work by hand I am yet to use any computer programs for any of my cartooning although I am interested in doing a short course in Photoshop or similar in the near future to see what all the fuss is about!

What hardware and software do you use?

Hardware wise I am using a basic Canon Scanner to capture my work and to date the only software I use is what limited software came with the scanner.

From where do you draw your inspiration?

Everywhere. Life is an inspiration. Not a day goes by where humans don’t put themselves in the most awkward situations lending themselves to a laugh and not a day goes by where I don’t see at least one person who is simply a walking cartoon. People are inspiring. And knowing you’re possibly going to get a laugh from one of your cartoons can be inspiring. Or a black eye or blood nose, this can be inspiring too in a weird kinda way. That’s why it pays for cartoonists to keep fit and be good at running!

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

The internet is invaluable for finding answers and inspiration.

A few books have inspired me but not necessarily answered my questions. The most recent book I bought which I would recommend is The Cartoonists Bible which has been reviewed right here on chewingpencils. Wanting to source opinions of The Cartoonists Bible is what led me to chewingpencils and without a doubt this site has since proved to be the best resource available. But you all know that don’t you?

What is the best piece of advice you have EVER been given? The worst?

The worst piece of advice I ever received was through a potential client. A long time ago this client had seen some of my work and asked me to submit some cartoons for a local catalogue they were responsible for. My work was rejected (although I did get paid!) but as the client was known to me I politely asked for some feedback on why my work had not been suitable hoping to use some constructive criticism wisely. Eventually an answer was forthcoming which was that my work was too basic, too common, boring, and amateur like.

I did learn a long time later that this advice had come from that client’s already employed ‘artist’ who had not been consulted about me producing work for his part of the world, and had felt threatened by my work and taken quite a stance against it. Understandable of course but his kind words of wisdom had me second guessing myself for quite some time. If you are reading this a-hole, **** you! Can I say that Matt?

Matt: Sure can - sounds like they deserve it anyway…

The best advice EVER?

That the art isn’t even half the picture. That the art supports the gag and it is the gag that is the primary part of a cartoon. Not the picture.
This is the advice given to me (and reluctantly received by me at the time I might add) by a dear old friend This is of course proved to be true and I saw the same advice given recently by chewingpencils.

And I thought I had it made cause I could make people laugh with just a drawing!? Darn!

Take us through the process you use to create one of your drawings:

Minutes, hours, even days of thinking about a gag during my daily grind. I like to think crazy things. Not what you’re thinking, crazy subject matter for a cartoon. Put the characters in crazy beyond the norm situations and scale it back to something less out there and more acceptable. If that doesn’t work just go with crazy.

The process then is to work the characters in, get them looking something like who they are, then work on the situation and placement of the characters.

The rest is pencil and pens on paper.

How long does it generally take to create one piece?

Depending on how involved the cartoon is or for what it is being used for. If it’s just for a laugh I can pen something not requiring roughs in about ten minutes. If it is for a publication for example then it can take a couple hours or more. As I’ve mentioned all my cartooning is by hand so this doesn’t lend itself to great time management. I have been known to take five hours on one A4 size cartoon.

What do you find the hardest to draw?

Backgrounds. City areas such as street corners. Vehicles. And Women. I can draw women sure but trying to caricature a female in a drawing can be hard.

Matt: Why is it that us blokes spend most of our time either looking at or thinking about women, yet can never draw them? Go figure…

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

It came with the package. I don’t know of anyone in my life who knew me before the age of… gosh, I can’t even think when it was I actually started drawing cartoons!? I still love to read comicbooks and the daily strips, I think it’s just an accepted part of who I am. No-one seems to have any issues with me drawing cartoons except perhaps those who have been subjected to a cartoon.

My old man and my mother like my work so that’s surely the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow yes?

I have caricatured most people I work with and some a little more than others (a great character based on an okay kinda guy called Hobbsy comes to mind) and to be honest it’s become such a part of our daily routine if I stopped drawing for us all I would probably wind up hurt!

What do you think is the best part about being a cartoonist?

Aside from the fact that I love it? Getting a laugh or a smile. It makes me laugh seeing people laugh at my art. Can I call it art? Some people say I can’t, I refuse to bow down, let’s call it art! I can often judge whether I’m on the right track with a piece by the reaction of a select few. If my wife laughs then I know I’m onto a winner. Again Hobbsy comes to mind, if he laughs I laugh with him, and maybe a little at him too…

Laughter. It’s the best medicine!

What has been the standout post on Chewing Pencils for you? Why?

Gosh, too many to think of. I love the fact that Matt will reply to my many annoying emails regarding software etc. The recent scanner thread helped, threads on what tools to use, as I said the book review for The Cartoonists Bible was a tremendous help. The one that really stands out though which seems to pop up regularly are the posts on what to expect from potential clients. The experiences shared by chewingpencils and its readers are quite mind blowing really, but for someone like me who isn’t yet trying to make a living out of cartooning, these posts on what can be expected and how to deal with bad clients are essential.

Anything else you’d like to say….

Would you believe no? Hobbsy wouldn’t believe me though. He says I always have to have the last laugh. But he’s just an ‘alright kinda guy’ and alright kinda guys are just walking this planet waiting for their turn to be drawn. The last laugh indeed!

That’s cartooning for you!

Thanks to Wardy for taking the time to be this weeks Feature Artist!

Hi Hobbsy…