The Beauty Of Color, Reflection, Shadows and Shading

The best cartoons, cartoon logos, and cartoon advertisements are complicated but don't appear complicated. The cartoon on the left is from the Basketball Department of my internet store. It has much more than shape and color. It has shadow on the face, arms, and clothing created by multilayer shading. It has spot reflection on the arm and head from overlays. And it has gradient reflection on the basketball created by a different software entirely. Simple it seems, but simple it's not.

I'm always striving to make my cartoons, cartoon logos, and cartoon advertisements better. When your name is on the line, why settle for less than the best?

www.creativequickies.com

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Greeting Cards Should Be Fun

Greeting cards should be fun. Just look around you. You are unique. Your life is unique. The area where you live is unique. There are plenty of bold, interesting things to say to your family, friends, and coworkers. Things that will be shared, saved and remembered. Even framed.

Ask yourself what you would rather receive. A 50 cent card or a truly personal greeting from someone willing to share their lives with you? I make cartoons, cartoon logos, and cartoon advertisements better.

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When Clip Art And Software Robots Just Won't Work

There are many websites offering clipart and software-generated caricatures. But clipart and software robots won't brainstorm with you like I do. They possess no business sense nor sense of humor like I do. Clipart isn't going to look like you, but  my caricatures will. And robot software won't merge multiple images into a single, polished image like I can.

Cartoons, cartoon logos, and cartoon advertisements don't have to be complicated to work for you. But they need your ideas to come to life, and your ideas need cartoons to look their best. If clip art and robot-generated caricatures are art, then kids' coloring books are literature.

It's your name. Use it to your advantage with cartoons, cartoon logos, and cartoon advertising.

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We Have A Winner For The Cartoon Idea Contest

I enjoyed the funny ideas you all sent to me, and drawing the cartoons was fun, but only one of them made me chuckle throughout the entire drawing process. So, according to my Creative Quickies Laugh-o-meter, Aurora Petrovich wins for her elevated reindeer suggestion. The picture on the left shows the cartoon printed on a coffee mug in the 'Satire Department' of my Creative Quickies store.

Several other ideas were also very good and used in my store. Thanks for all the fun.

www.creativequickies.com   www.cafepress.com/creativequickies 

I'm With Stupid - And He Didn't Do My Research Either

On an Everybody Loves Raymond episode, Frank wore an "I'm With Stupid" tee shirt. I was struck with another idea, and I drew it up. But after drawing it, I wondered if anyone else had thought of the same idea. So I did a Google image search for 'I'm With Stupid' and turned up dozens of cartoons using the same idea.

Despite my embarrassment at not having done my advance research,  I had fun drawing it anyway.

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Still Time To Win Free Custom Artwork

Just submit your ideas for a fun cartoon. It's that easy. I turn the best ideas into real cartoons, and the one best idea submitted (as judged by me) will win free custom artwork. Here's how easy it can be ... Aurora Petrovich sent me the top left photo and asked me to redraw it as a Christmas political cartoon, which I did.


The rules are simple: Send me your idea, either here or my Facebook account. I will pick the best idea and award the prize on November 11, 2011. All ideas, winner or not, will become mine to draw and display without further obligation to the senders.


The prize is for personal art only, up to four caricatures. No business art or logos. The artwork prize must be redeemed within 60 days of winning.

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Creative Quickies Shopping

My store has opened just in time for the holiday season. I apply my cartoons, caricatures and artwork to tee shirts and other merchandise for sale. I specialize in humor, so stop by and be entertained. Here's the link: www.cafepress.com/creativequickies

The store is a work in progress, so stop by often to see what new images and items have been added.

I create '3-D' images by layering, a method so easy that it does not affect price at all. On your left is a plain cartoon of a University of Michigan football player. On your right, it's redrawn with layered shadows. Not all of my past work is 3-D, but 3-D is always available.

www.creativequickies.com

Still Time For Free Personal Art And Cartoon Caricatures

The deadline is November 11, 2011 to submit your cartoon ideas. I'm getting some beauties already, but there's always room for more. I will make cartoons from the best ideas, and the very best of all will win free art including up to four caricatures.

The ideas don't have to be original, just fun. Send me an old joke with a new twist, or just an old joke no one has heard in a while.

The rules are contained in this blog, scroll down through the posts to read them. I look forward to hearing your ideas. Click the link to my Facebook page to see contest ideas and more.
 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Creative-Quickies/202915673091532

Still Time Left To Enter The Contest For Free Family Caricatures

Here are two ideas sent to me as entries for my contest. Anyone can enter, and the rules are simple.
To enter, send me as many cartoon ideas as you like, either in this blog or my Facebook account. I will draw the best ones and pick the winner on November 11, 2011. All ideas, winner or not, will become my property without further obligation to the senders.
The prize is for personal art only, up to four caricatures. No business art such as cartoon advertising or cartoon logos will be given. The artwork prize must be redeemed within 60 days of winning.
Enter for the prize and have some fun with your funny ideas at the same time.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Creative-Quickies/202915673091532

www.creativequickies.com

Free Artwork For The Best Cartoon Idea

I like to create new artwork as often as I can to stay sharp, but sometimes my brain is a dry hole. So help me out with ideas and I'll give free artwork to whomever submits the best idea.

The rules are simple: Send me as many cartoon ideas as you like, either in my blog or my Facebook account. At my sole discretion I will pick the best idea and award the prize on November 11, 2011. All ideas, winner or not, will become mine to draw and display without further obligation to the senders.

The prize is for personal art only, up to four caricatures. No business art or logos. The artwork prize must be redeemed within 60 days of winning.

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Happy Halloween!

Holidays were made for all of us! I don't know what I would do without a little holiday relief, and Halloween is high on my 'making memories' list.

This is a good time for a couple artistic reminders. 1.) Good art can be simple, such as the picture on your left, because it is not necessary to give it the same level of detail found in photographs. And 2.) Creative Quickies gives a 20% discount on all artwork with a holiday theme. Anytime, any holiday.

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Cartoon Logos - Less Is More

Want your cartoons to be meaningful and precise? Then keep the artwork simple. Don't be afraid to let your readers' minds fill in the blanks. The human mind works wonderfully that way.

Here's a segment from one of my cartoons. I avoided fancy centerpieces like candles or flowers on the table because it could misdirect readers' attention away from the intended target. I even debated drawing only wine glasses on the table, but that looked too barren. So I included a wine bottle, which is artistic yet simple.

Now then, how many of you noticed the couple are seated with no chairs under them? Need I say more?

To see what this couple is surprised about, and to see more of my work, follow this link to my Creative Quickies Facebook page. Don't forget to "Like" it while you are there so that you get to see new cartoons as I add them.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Creative-Quickies/202915673091532

Holiday Discounts Of 20%

Any artwork with a holiday theme is always 20% off. That includes all logos, caricatures, and cartoons. No coupons or codes are required. You won't even have to ask because I will volunteer it.

www.creativequickies.com 

Cartoon Logos and Caricatures On Line

My website is locked in, my business cards are finished, and I achieved my goal of making my cartoons, caricatures and cartoon logos available on the internet by October. Next week my press release is going out. The image of my business cards is available on my Facebook page.

www.creativequickies.com
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Cartoon Bobbles

I just added 'Movers And Shakers! Bobble Yourself!' Once I have drawn a caricature, I can set it in motion with this cartoon equivalent of a bobble head. This can be a lot of fun and a real conversation piece on websites, blogs, or email. But before ordering one of these, it is strongly recommended to make sure your server and host support GIF animations. This might be as easy as a phone call to ask. Another way to check would be to download any free moving GIF from the internet and plug it into the intended area in order to see if the test animation work

http://www.creativequickies.com/services.html

Cartoon Research

Yup, I now do research on cartoons. I search for images that fit my ideas, then draw my cartoon. I never find exactly what I need, of course. It usually involves mashing images together. Some might be photos and some might be cartoons. But it makes me faster and it makes me better. Here's two source ideas mashed into a happy hen. 

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