It takes a long time and hard work!
Published by Matt Glover August 14th, 2007 in Business TipsI’ve received numerous emails over the last few months from people wanting to know how they can make money from cartooning.
I don’t have a problem with that. Afterall, it’s the reason that Chewing Pencils was started in the first place!
What does frustrate me are those people who think I can tell them how to make thousands of dollars instantly, with little effort on their part. Their drawing is usually average at best. Their story telling is terrible. And the expectation that they can somehow achieve in a week what it takes everybody else years to do - well that just staggers me.
Being a professional cartoonist is one of those jobs that looks great from the outside. But like all things that seem to good to be true, the reality is much different.
It takes lots of hard work and lots of time.
The hard work comes via hours and hours of practice, trying new methods and media, exploring new markets, writing submissions and the inner strength expended when dealing with rejection after rejection. It takes time to build a client base and to become well versed in the business side of the craft. And then there are the deadlines…
Sure, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist. But an idiot won’t make it in this game either. You’ll need persistence and patience and a dogged determination that will push you through the disappointments.
So, please keep sending your emails. But if you’re asking me how you can become rich instantly from drawing cartoons, save yourself the time and go and by a lotto ticket instead. You’ll have more chance of being successful there.
Haha, Matt finally gives it to ‘em straight and frank.
I agree that there are a lot of people who think they can get rich in a day just because they can draw a smiley face. But you make it sound like the work is daunting. It can be stressful, some times, but if you really enjoy cartooning, I don’t think the business/practice portion of the job is so bad… I enjoy it just as much as drawing the cartoons themselves, because it’s all tied in together.
Can you tell I was in a ‘mood’ when I wrote that?!
Hi Matt
I can only agree with you, although my own expectations have never been so high!!! lol But I would say it is something that stretches across a generation of kids who want the top money/position/status at entry level when they start out in all industries…
Starting at the bottom and working your way up seems too tough for a lot of people these days!
Thanks for a great article
Yep, which is why some of us are still at floor sweeping level. But man, you should see it sparkle!
Hey, my names jonathon and most my life I thought my art sucked. I would draw some thing and my friend would laugh at it, this was along time ago and I stoped drawing. Probally 4th grade and now I’m a senior in high school, 17. I started to draw again, but this time I drew what I was looking at a picture, sophmor year. It came out really good so since then I ve drawn alot. I’ve taken classes at school, and I’m trying hard to get better. I’m I to late to become a good artest, since alot of artist start at really young ages. I’m trying to decide if I’m going to go to college for art but I’m going to decide at the end of my senior year depending on how my art is and the chance of geting a job for it. Sorry for how long i wrote but i really need help. I don’t know what i should be doing to get better. If it helps Ill post some of my pictures Ive drawn so you know were I’m at.thanks for reading.Also I don’t really care about money as long as Its enough to live on and I can have fun, having work be the best part of the day, just drawing and learning sounds good eough for me.