Welcome to the first installment of “Inside The Artists Studio.” I thought it would be a cool treat to get a look at some hard-working cartoonist’s studios. This will be a running thing. If you’re interested in submitting your photo, fire it over to me. (note: Images are thumbnails…click on them for the larger versions).
I’ll start with my studio. Let me just preface this entry by saying that, when it comes to cartooning, I am the least technical mofo in the bunch. Everything is hand drawn on good ol’ fashioned dead trees. It’s then scanned into Photoshop, lettered and (if necessary) colored, and uploaded to my site.
Yes, that’s a lava lamp. I LOVE lava lamps. Must be the hippy in me. The television on the right was provided last Christmas by my lovely (and very understanding) wife. The cartoons on the wall are merely there for reference…so I don’t forget how to draw them. The lighting is provided by Wal-Mart. I had a decent drawing lamp but one of my cats decided to try to mate with it. The rest is cat history…literally. This whole studio is actually a room that I built in my basement and it provides the seclusion from little prying eyes and stinky ugly dogs that I so sorely need.
Jonathan Mahood’s Studio:
For those of you who don’t know Jon, he’s the artist/creator of “Bleeker: The Rechargeable Dog” which is featured over on GoComics.
Blurb from Jon: Hey here’s a picture of my space…small monitor and all! It’s kind of shoe horned into the side of a room but at least it’s paid for!
Note the near-empty glass of beer. I have a theory that cartoonists are all substance abusers.
Next entry: Alex Hallett of Arctic Circle and Jim Tierney of Jet Packs and Time Machines!
Sweet. I enjoy seeing where the cartoons are created. I have noticed though I always have to continually clean my little studio. After a week of tooning I have cartoons spread everywhere across the tables, desks, printers, etc. I guess I have the luxury of no pets in the studio that can actually pose a hazard to toons in progress. Except I have that bad habit of usually leaving Pepsi on the desk. This is why I usually have it in a plastic bottle form. Accidents can and will happen.
I was so thankful the day I got an angled desk. Keeps me from leaving drinks on the table.
You know, one would think you cartoonists would have more “inspirational” type stuff around you. Im not seeing any of that other than (in Wit’s studio) a TV and a lava lamp and then a window for Jon. It all looks very drab.
Very good point, T. Matter of fact, I DO have inspirational stuff. On the window sill just out of view on the left I have a collection of action figures, plush toys, Happy Meal Figurines, and other novelties. Among the list: Jack Skellington, Homer Simpson, assorted “Monster’s Inc” characters, a dancing frankenstein, a dracula flashlight, cartman, Angelica (from RugRats)…I steal my kids toys.
Maybe you should show the 360 view vs the angle that only shows the drawing board.
You mean like with those online new car pages? Damn, woman. You’re lucky i figured out how to post pictures.
Love the pics of your studio. My studio consists of a portable drawing board I place on the kitchen table, the living room coffee table (though I am 6′1″), or my lap anytime I want to draw. The one benifit is that I can draw even if inspiration hits while I’m on the throne.
Usually, in terms of inspiration, I can’t speak for everyone, but I keep all mine in book format, and pick it up when I’m stuck… I don’t really like to have a bunch of stuff on the walls though, for a couple of reasons:
1. My work would end up constantly looking like whatever was around my computer monitor.
2. If you’re working on a lot of color computer graphics, you want your studio space to be completely neutral colored, otherwise it screws up your perception of colors and can throw off the balance (says the guy who only works in black and white.)
Wit: No, not like those new car pages! Just MORE than one picture, no movement necessary, will do! HAHA
Kevin: TMI!
Jim: I can see your point but to me, a neutral environment is just not something I would expect for maximum creativity.
No, Jim is right. Plus, the less distractions the better…specially when you’re in a visualization mode.
I think we spend so much time staring at blank pieces of paper we’re kinda blinded to the rest of the room…or just generally stunned.
Mike I like your tv…that wife of yours is a keeper!
You have a nice desk there jonathan.
Wit, I can’t believe you have a folding chair in your set-up. I tell you man, the office chair is one of the better purchases to splurge a bit on. Admittedly, working at home means I spend a whole lot more time in mine, but any time I’ve ever spent less that 150$, I’ve been sorely disappointed (and usually sore as well.) We’re talking back problems later in life here man.
It’s strange that you say that. I just stole the desk chair from my kids computer desk…MWUAAAA HAHAHAH..
Hey, you have the same art desk as I do! I chose mine because it was sturdier than the other one, but mostly because the other one was out of stock. I bought mine from Hobby Lobby, where I worked at the time, and thanks to a combination of 5-year service awards and Christmas deals, I basically got it for free as a thank-you for working there 5 years.
Maybe I should send you a few pics of my studio(I’ve added on to the desk), although I only use it for one comic a month, and sometimes I do comics 100% digitally, which means I might not use the art desk at all in a month. I’ve been in the middle of designing my studio for many months, and currently it has leftover fake fur on the floor from when I created a fake ferret for the Deathly Hallows release party in July. Yeah, I need to use that studio more.
Inspirational stuff is essential. A lot of it is online, but when things really inspire me I blutack them to the wall too. This is great unless, a couple of days before going off on a two month trip, you find that your studio won’t be there when you get back (pregnant gallery owner selling the lease) and you have to pack everything up and move it into storage… it took a long time taking all that stuff down off the wall…
Those (black and white) comic strips on the wall are huge. Is that really how large you draw them?
Teresa: Don’t let Wit fool you. He’s really a master of Photoshop.
In fact, I checked with the Pinkerton Post (the competing paper to the Pinkerton Times) and they dug up the original photos of Wit’s office, before Wit edited them: http://www.geocities.com/thpr/studio-witmer.jpg
You see, Steve really has the silverware to serve as Wit’s TV antenna, and Tucker really does live in the trash can. Apparently the characters have been misbehaving ever since Tucker’s post on the Panel Mammals got them riled up about their conditions, and Wit could only get rid of Martin (who was up in the kitchen eating bran flakes) as he was trying to capture the shots.
HAHAHA! That’s great!
Those are, in fact, my originals. They are 16 1/2″ x 6 1/8″ and they make GOOOORRRRGEOUS Christmas gifts *wink wink*
Cartoonist stumbles in, falls down in corner clutching his Jagermeister. Staring at the Pinkerton Times screen awaiting the next installment.