Artist of the Month, Nathan Ariss explained to Bloghorn how he became a cartoonist:
I feel immensely fortunate to have been born into a creative household where it was entirely acceptable to set one’s sights on becoming an artist, musician, actor or professional itinerant, which is pretty much what I am all about to this day.
As a kid I was always drawing, and it still feels like the most natural thing in the world to do, even if the tools I use have changed a bit. I think we are all natural artists as children. Unfortunately, it usually gets knocked out of us when we are told we have to grow up or be more realistic. I try and keep something of this child-like directness and honesty alive in all my work. Back then it was all about cats, or rubbish monsters, or people with big noses, clowns with flowers growing out of their heads; grotesques really. I don’t know if I’m cured yet, but I still like to draw people with really big noses.
Nathan’s top tips for would-be cartoonists are:
Take up juggling, learn a musical instrument or just sketch for the sheer love of it. Nothing will hone your skill as an artist more than regularly practising something which utilises your eye to hand co-ordination (hopefully via your brain). Another tip would be to try and develop your own sense of humour. Beyond that it is all speculation and opinion. No one else knows what might work out for you.