Cartoonist

What is a Cartoonist?

Duties

A cartoonist performs essential tasks such as the following:

• Create various art for digital media, print and publishing, which can involve concept art, designs and illustrations.
• Coordinate with different teams to make sure that cartoon drawings are in line with mutually agreed upon artistic goals.
• Build designs that are aligned with the specific client or organisation’s quality and brand guidelines.
• Contribute to projects based on individual merit, utilizing an advanced knowledge of graphic design software or packages like GIS, HTML, Adobe Creative Suite, CAD, etc.

Day In The Life

As part of your daily schedule as a cartoonist, you will spend time bringing your own vision or a client’s idea to life in the form of pictures and words. You will typically use either digital tools or traditional methods to create cartoons. Some also utilise a combination of paper with pencil, which is later scanned and uploaded to a software application. Sketches are done with pencil or charcoal, then finished up with ink or pens.

You might choose to be a specialist in creating a specific type of cartoon as part of your portfolio. For instance, you may create cartoons embodying political satire, as part of a commentary on current political issues or individuals in the public realm. For such comic strips, you would develop exaggerated impressions of people to communicate your point. In addition, some cartoonists are expected to write their own storylines and plots before they create the drawings. In such a case, plots would be discussed and finalised weeks or months in advance.

Besides the routine tasks that bring job security such as working with a publishing house, cartoonists also accept commissioned jobs or have their independent ventures as a supplemental project for publication or distribution online. A cartoonist’s role constantly requires you to have superior levels of creativity and an awareness of the latest trends to showcase innovative ideas.

Work Schedule

When you are working as a cartoonist, the work schedule varies greatly based on the career path you choose. For instance, those working freelance typically work from home, but they must be able to meet tight deadlines and deal with high stress situations. A full-time cartoonist is able to enjoy standard hours in an office environment. Overtime is not unusual in the case of phases when the work builds up.  in that field depends largely on the career path chosen within the larger field. The work often involves meeting very difficult deadlines and it can be quite stressful.

Growth Of The Job

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has predicted that the employment prospects for those in careers such as cartoonists and illustrators will experience a growth of at least 3% in the 2014-2024 decade. The popularity of fine arts in the form of animated cartoons and television shows requires extremely talented and creative professionals like animators and cartoonists.

This particular field has fierce competition, and those cartoonists that are successful usually develop a unique style that appeals to selective audiences. Success is linked to big achievements like being published by a national or regional publication such as magazines, newspapers, etc. If you are working in related fields like advertising or film studios, being promoted to a supervisory level is possible when you have built a good reputation.

Typical Employers

As a cartoonist, you can expect to work with video or film production, cartoon television channels, gaming networks, print syndicates, publishing houses, etc.