Intro to Cartooning
Learn to draw your own cartoons and stylized characters!
Student Artwork
Intro to Cartooning
In this class, you will learn the constructive drawing techniques behind some of the greatest draftsmen of animation and comic art. Through a combination of lectures, demonstrations and practice sessions in each class, this course will help you understand the ins and outs of the cartooning process.
Over the term, you will learn about shape language, stylization, line-weight and hatching, using all these concepts in a step-by-step process to bring your own characters from imagination to life. You'll also be introduced to the art of caricature, different coloring techniques and the important role that lighting and contrast play in the creation of a good design.
By the end of this course, you will be well-versed in various cartooning styles and have the ability to convey personality and narrative through characters that are dynamic and visually-appealing!
- Course Type Online Illustration Classes
- Duration 10 weeks
-
Skill Level
Level 1 Level 1
Strong fundamentals in traditional drawing, painting and sculpting are the foundations to create amazing artwork.
This level is about solidifying the fundamentals, getting a refresher on the most important art principles, and learning tricks to create realistic drawing and paintings.
- Language English
You can now combine 3, 4 or 5 classes to avail a 5, 10 or 15% discount on your purchase!
Our Online Courses are now priced in Canadian Dollars to provide you with quality artistic training at affordable prices.
Schedule
Note: This class will be offered online only
Term: Fall 2025
Class Timings: Thursdays from 7:30 PM to 10:30 PM, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT or UTC-4h)
Date of first class: September 25th
Duration: 10 weeks
Please note that our classes times are listed as EDT (GMT-4) but that starting on Sunday, November 2nd, 2025, all class times will go into EST (GMT-5).
If you are unable to attend the class during the times listed above, you will still have access to video recordings of the class lectures and will still receive personalized feedback from your instructor.
*Please note that this class' duration is subject to change (to either 1.5 hours or 2 hours) depending on the number of enrolled students.
These shorter class formats are conducted with more of a personalized mentorship style, allowing students to have more time devoted to their assignments' critiques and the ability to ask more questions in class, while still maintaining all of the theory and planned curriculum for the regular class length.
Prerequisites
Skill requirements
This course is well suited for complete beginners, as well as artists looking to explore styles.
Language and age requirements
You should have at least intermediate level English to take this class. Please be advised that there could be artistic nudity in our classes. Students should be 14 years old to enroll.
Required Materials
Material List:
- Erasers: (Any)
- Sketching Pencils: (Any)
- Sketchbooks: (Any)
OR
- Photoshop (or similar art programs such as Procreate or Affinity Photo)
The teacher for this course allows students to use digital tools to complete assignments if they wish. Please note that no digital or technical assistance will be provided in class.
Tech Requirements for Attending Syn Studio Online Classes
Minimum Requirements
- A strong uninterrupted broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE) connection with a minimum 600kbps bandwidth (up/down).
- A Laptop/Desktop computer equipped with a single core processor (at least 1 GHZ processing speed) or a smartphone/tablet with equivalent processing capabilities
- Good speakers/earphones to listen to the classes
- Browser - IE7+, Safari 5+, Firefox, Chrome
- Operating System - Windows XP, Mac OS 10.6, Linux distro based on 3.0 kernel, Android 5.0, iOS 10
Syn Studio Recommendations
- A strong uninterrupted broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE) connection with a minimum 1.5Mbps bandwidth (up/down). You can also connect to the internet directly using your ethernet cable to improve your experience.
- Laptop/Desktop computer equipped with a dual core processor with at least 2 GHZ processing speed and a 4 GB RAM
- High Quality speakers/earphones to listen to the classes
- Browser & Operating System - We recommend using the latest version of the browser and operating system for an optimal online classroom experience.
Course Outline
*Please note that the following outline is subject to change slightly at the teacher's discretion.
Week 1: Introduction. Learn about the history of cartoon and caricature, and how, if at all, it differs from other art. Develop the skills required to draw a cartoony character out of geometric shapes or doodles.
Week 2: Gain knowledge about the different groups of cartoon art and how every contemporary cartooning can fit into one of these categories.
Week 3: Learn about the evolution of comics art and cartooning tools - from the classics to the latest. Understand the rationale behind the usage of pencil roughs and inking in cartooning.
Week 4: Acquire the skills required to achieve depth in your cartoon art, in addition to learning the basic principles of composition to provide a hint of realistic touch to your cartoons.
Week 5: Explore the concepts of line weight, hatching and value. Understand how to apply these concepts in your cartoons so that they look visually appealing.
Week 6: Learn about the style of caricature art. Develop the skills required to present your story in an exaggerated and satirical manner through the usage of caricatures.
Week 7: Gain proficiency in the technique of using color in your cartoons to make them look vibrant and captivating.
Week 8: Understand the important role that lighting and the use of dark plays to create effects that make your cartoons more captivating.
Weeks 9 - 10: Apply all that you’ve learned to a final portfolio project while receiving one-on-one coaching from the instructor.
Testimonials
Registration
You can now combine 3, 4 or 5 classes to avail a 5, 10 or 15% discount on your purchase!
Our Online Courses are now priced in Canadian Dollars to provide you with quality artistic training at affordable prices.
You will soon receive an email receipt for your purchase.
Please bring a photo ID for the first day of class.
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Questions and Assistance
Feel free to send us an email at [email protected] or give us a call at 514-998-7625
Please consult our FAQ; most of the commonly asked questions are answered in detail there. If you cannot find the answer to your question, please feel free to fill out the form below, or, send an email to [email protected]