How To Become A Cartoonist – Low Cost Business Ideas

Turn your doodling into something more by learning how to become a cartoonist.

You know who you are: you’re always making quick drawings of faces on napkins in restaurants or in notebooks of people in meetings.

You have a creative side that’s begging to come out.

Cartoonists draw comics and cartoons for a variety of sources: newspapers, magazines, books and even films.

While the competition is high, if you’ve got the passion and talent, you can see your work in print.

How to Become a Cartoonist
Learn How to Draw Cartoons

The very first step when learning how to become a cartoonist is to know how to draw cartoons. Although you may know how to draw, it is a very different thing to draw cartoons.

You have to be able to draw consistently and be creative consistently. You have to be able to tell an entire story visually, sometimes in just one frame.

If you haven’t taken art classes, now is a great time. Even if you are a terrific artist, it helps to get formal training.

You can take classes at your local technical or community colleges. If time or distance is an issue, you can also learn how to draw online through online art programs.

Read and Write

Many of your ideas will come from what is going on in your community or country. Read the newspaper (comics as well as business section) to see what themes and issues you can get ideas from.

While the artwork is important in a cartoon, the writing is even more so. Stick figures and a funny tag line will go much further than a great drawing with content that is supposed to be funny, but is not. Consider taking a creative writing class.

Draw, Draw, Draw
Once you decide to make this your small business idea, you will be drawing a lot, both for practice and for your portfolio. Find a good source for art supplies, either in your town or online, where you can get what you need when you need it.

Develop Your Cartoon

Every successful cartoon has a unique voice that resonates with the readers. Yours needs to do this too. It also needs to be based on an idea that is sustainable—you don’t want to run out of material, or get bored with the subject.

Decide on the format of your cartoon. Cartoons may be a single panel, or in strip form. They may be funny, like “Zits,” adventurous like “Prince Valiant,” or editorial, like “Doonesbury.”


Explore newer types of cartoon drawings like manga, which is the Japanese word for cartoon. Manga characters have a distinct look with large, doe-shaped eyes and spiky or long hair (think Pokemon). Also explore opportunities in animation and anime (Japanese TV cartoon series or movies.)

Continue to draw and develop your portfolio. Research newspapers and magazines to find potential buyers of your cartoon. Since very few cartoons reach national syndication, you may have better luck contacting independent publications. Contact film studios as well.

With a strong creative drive and perseverance, your drawing can go from a hobby to dream job – learn how to become a cartoonist today!