FOTO DOJO

Dragon & Goat’s Virtual Cartooning Summer Camp!

We hope you’re staying safe and healthy this summer. We had fun bringing you the Quarantinuum Quoloring Book for the 1st 2 months of the pandemic and now we’re here to help you get through the summer or, at least, make some comics along the way!

On our Youtube channel Foto Dojo, Adam will be posting some How-to Cartooning Videos to walk you ( or the little person you continue to be trapped with) through drawing cartoons and make comics.

Episode 1: Toon Tools

This one’s a little dry but gets us into some basic equipment for cartooning. As always keep it simple- all you need to be a master is a pencil and a pen (and maybe a pen)

Episode 2: Beefing up Stick People

Here we look at how to beef up your stick people, so your characters can take shape.

Here’s the PDF for the video: Shaping up Stick People.pdf

Episode 3: Building with Shapes

In this Episode we look at looking- and how we see shapes in existing comics and cartoon characters. By analyzing (see/think-ing) the shapes other artists use we can find new ways to create our own all new characters.

Here’s the Episode 3 Worksheet: STEALING SHAPES

Episode 4: The Third Dimension

Want to take your cartoons into the 3rd Dimension?! This video shows how to draw basic 3D shapes that you can use as building blocks for making your characters jump off the page!

Here’s the Episode Worksheet: Drawing 3D Shapes

Episode 5: Stackin’ Shapes

This video will walk you through drawing your own characters built on 3D shapes (that you practiced and learned in Episode 4), so you can make your own!

Adam walks you through how he builds 4 characters (and then zips through another 4 at the end) so you can see different ways to make your own- either improvising based on what you see in the shapes or choosing shapes to fit the characters you want to make!

Here’s the Episode 5 worksheet!

Episode 6: 100 Character Challenge

The Foto Dojo 100 Character Challenge is designed to push your cartooning abilities to the max and encourage you to dig deep for new ideas! After mastering the techniques from Episode 1-5, you are well prepared to knock out as many characters as possible- within a week (give or take a month?)

(***And if you’re 12 and under, you can do the 50 character Challenge- same great challenge- half the toons!)

So ready to start drawing?! Here’s the 100 Character Challenge Printable Sheet! Print it as many times as you need (or also just use blank sheets of paper!)

To encourage everyone to take the challenge, the first 10 people (with U.S. mailing addresses) to submit pictures of their completed 100 character challenge sheets with 100 different, new and original characters (stick figures don’t count!) to the DRAGONandGOAT.com website via the SUBMISSION PAGE- will receive either a Dragon or a Goat enamel pin.

We’ll post your work (probably just a few of your images) on the Foto Dojo Gallery (under this post!) with your first and last initial (unless you want your full name up. If you want you can include a pic of you with the drawings (or the drawings cleverly hiding most of your face). Obviously you keep the copyright- we just want to share out you conquering the challenge!

The contest will run through July 2021 or until 10 people have submitted drawings- whichever comes first.

Dragon and Goat will mail you the pin, no charge, but entries must include a US mailing address, your full name (only your first and last initial will be shared), and whether you want a Dragon or a Goat enamel pin. Entries must include your age (all ages welcome) and 100 characters must be submitted- either photos of them or a scanned PDF. Make sure the characters are numbered, are original, and PG-13. Images should be clear, and under 4mb.

SUBMIT YOUR 100 CHARACTER CHALLENGE HERE!

Questions? Message us via the CONTACT PAGE.