How to Draw a Political Cartoon

For well over one hundred years, cartoonists have satirized current events.

Creating a political or editorial cartoon requires a different skill set, thought process and occasionally different materials from any other type of comic art. Not only does an artist need to be able to draw, but he also needs an understanding of current political and social trends, and a sense of irony in order to express that trend in a creative yet humorous manner.

Things You'll Need

• Drawing paper
• Pen
• Ink
• Graphite, charcoal, lithograph pencils
• Brushes
• Newspapers and magazines

Instructions

1. Familiarize yourself with masters of the genre including Thomas Nast, Patrick Oliphant, Bill Mauldin, Herblock, Paul Conrad and Walt Handlesman. Daryl Cagle's Professional Cartoonist Index website is a great place to study works of modern political caricature masters from around the world.

2. Visit an art supply store and purchase art materials political cartoonists usually use. For example, many political cartoonists have favored a type of drawing paper, such as coquille board, with a surface that has a "tooth" that's receptive to a softer medium like graphite and grease pencil for creating shading effects. Another type of paper that has been traditionally specific to editorial cartoonists is Duotone or Craftint paper, where photo-chemical developer type solutions are applied with a brush to reveal one or two crosshatching textures. While its use seems to be fading away, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Walt Handlesman still uses Duotone paper.

3. Unlike other types of cartoonists, editorial cartoonists must keep up to date with news and events of the day. They must read, watch or listen to a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, broadcasts or reliable online news sources every day. Timeliness is a critical factor for editorial cartoonists. After reading, watching or listening, select a political issue or event that fires your imagination.

4. Make rough drawings of your idea until you think you've got the images, message and satire right. At this stage, ask friends, family or total strangers if you're hitting your target and if you've graphically captured the targeted political figure. Like one-box gag comics, the success of an editorial comic depends on whether the audience "gets it." If your audience doesn't understand your comic, ask them what they think it represents, then move on from there to refine your cartoon until the correct idea and image are clear.

5. Create the finished art by inking the image and caption. Cartoonists dealing with old school mainstream media submit the finished artwork as is, while a growing number of artists submit a digitized version of their finished work. Consult with the media agency you are hoping to solicit to find out what their specific requirements are.

Tips & Warnings

• Note that the majority of editorial work is contained in one box.

References

• The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists: How Do I Become an Editorial Cartoonist?
• The Cagle Post Cartoons and Commentary

Resources

• Tips from Arizona State University art school