I am drawing because it is fun. And I can't think of anything more fun than a cartoon. Cartooning is something of a long held ambition for me. I am a perpetual student, and have this habit of acquiring books on random subjects that usually don't see immediate use.

My drawing of 'Screaming Mimi' from Jack Keeley's 'Cartooning 1'

In my stash I have found two favourites, both Walter Foster books, 'Cartooning 1', by Jack Keeley and 'Cartooning', by Hal Tollison. The former includes a section on 'Crazy Characters'. This really speaks to me. No matter what sort of day you have been having, 'Screaming Mimi' can only make you smile, don't you think?

She was delightful to draw, but the delight is somewhat tempered by the fact that I am copying her. There is something uncomfortable about that for me. I remind myself that I am a beginner, and one has to start somewhere. I found some lofty support for that notion, too:

"If one knows how to copy, one knows how to do" Leonardo Da Vinci

And here is another drawing copied from the same section of this book. I love the minimal lines and careful use of positive and negative areas. I would like to say this is something of a self portrait, but I fear 'Screaming Mimi' might be closer to the mark in that regard...