ABSTRACT
We, who are essentially cartoonists by trade, do not use rendering and are rarely called upon to draw a nude figure. Our interest is in the gesture, which is the vehicle used in fitting a character into the role it is called upon to act out. We have drawn variously, dogs, mice, owls, elephants, cats, people, etc., each distinct character with distinct bodily shapes and bodily gestures. So to approach a model with the idea of copying a human figure plus its clothing could be called a waste of time. Our interest is in seeing the differences in each personality and their individualistic gestures and, like a good caricaturist, capture the essence of those differences. When we review the cast of characters in our past films we realize the need to place these individual characteristics with the proper character and to be consistent in their depiction. Holmes’ actions had to be different and distinct from Dawson's, or their personalities would become a blur. Mickey Mouse had his own personality and his own movements and gestures, which were consistent with his body structure and the personality given him. Goofy, a hundred-fold different in all ways from Mickey, was Goofy because of the same principles used in different ways. There are really only a few principles of drawing but an infinite number of personality traits and gestures. To “hole in” after learning the body structures is to miss the excitement and the satisfaction of using that information to tell the story of life through the nuances of gesture.
