Help with cartooning?

[Zimatrix]

Hi everyone I'm a bit of a lurker on CA but I love the resources available, but the thing is I've been looking for some tips on cartooning and I'm having a bit of trouble finding them.

I don't want step by step "how to draw bugs bunny" I want to learn the principles that make his design great so I can apply them to my own designs. One thing I really struggle with is making my character's personality shine through their design.

To use an obvious example, everyone knows a broad chin and a boxy chest will make a character look strong but when it comes to more subtle methods of character design I'm completely clueless, how do you exaggerate the features on a face to make a character look cruel yet suave or use the shapes that make up the body to convey intelligence and eccentricity?

So to get to my question, would anyone be able to tell me of tutorials, books, advice or any kind of resources that would be helpful?

Thanks in advance to anyone who took the time to read this far in and offers help

[kev ferrara]

I don't have any book suggestions, but I can offer this idea: Find actors who have the kind of characteristic look you are looking for and do some studies of their faces and try to find out what it is about their faces that makes them look that way. Keep trying to abstract out the shapes so you really get them and hone them.

For instance, cruel but suave... Timothy Dalton from Rocketeer: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

Charles Boyer:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2511/...902c98108a.jpg

Orson Welles in the Stranger: http://cdn1.jaman.com/fa02.jaman.com...2/Stranger.jpg

[Nezumi Works]

You might not want "how to draw bugs bunny", but what you need is a book on the subject. This book, to be specific, which covers a lot of what makes a good character design and how to get to one. Don't let the title put you off, this one's a keeper.

You should also look at Preston Blair, a classic animator of Tom & Jerry, among others. There are some really good scans of his books here. Again, well worth reading and drawing from.

You might also take a look at Tom Bancroft's Creating Characters With Personality. It's less of a "how to draw" book than "how to design", which seems to be what you're after.

As to your question, "how do you exaggerate the features on a face to make a character look cruel yet suave or use the shapes that make up the body to convey intelligence and eccentricity?" the answer is simple. Experience and practice. Plus lots of life drawing and reference. To paraphrase Walt Stanchfield, the better you get with faces and bodies in general, the sooner you can start discovering the differences between them, and thus better at developing likeness, caricature and expression.

[Zimatrix]

Sounds like a fantastic idea to me, definitely going to give it a go

I'm already getting ideas for actors I could study, seems like a brilliant exercise to do, thanks so much for your advice

[Zimatrix]

Ouch, that's expensive :s

I looked up a little about it though and it's held in very high regard so I'd better get saving up. I just ordered the second book you recommended, thank you for taking the time to help me out and offer advice much obliged