How to draw Editorial Cartoons

Editorial cartoon is one of the visual elements that readers would usually look first when reading newspapers. Editorial cartoons are funny, informative, insightful or hard-hitting, depending on the preference of the cartoonist. OK, the very basic requirement to draw an editorial cartoon is that one should know how to draw or at least willing to learn how to draw cartoon. Here are the steps on how to draw editorial cartoons:

• First, you need to keep abreast of the issues in the community where your papers will be circulated. In the case of school or university setting, you have to know of issues in the campus that affect the stakeholders. In the case of the issues outside, take those that have impact on the students, teachers, etc. Listen to other arguments or debates on various issues so that you will get ideas or reference for your ideas. With that, you can compare notes so to speak and know where to attack the issue when you finally visualize it.

• Carefully study the issue. Analyze what you want to emphasize in the drawing and how to visualize it in a way that is hilarious or funny without sacrificing the point you want to show. Look for visual elements that can help you enhance the point of your cartoon.

• Now comes the drawing process. Use pencil in drawing your visual. Depending on your skills, you can do rough sketches or better yet do the penciling method with details.

• Once done, you can have enough time to review you drawing. Review the point that you want to show in the face of the issue. You can revise if if you think there is a much effective way of presenting the point of issue.

• The next step is inking. Then cleaning up your drawing of pencil lines, etc.

• Review the editorial cartoon before scanning. (In my case, I scan and email the editorial cartoon to the newspaper.)