Western Characters: Comics, Cartoons

A cartoon is a form of two-dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically non-realistic or semi-realistic drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or humor. A cartoon was used as a model or study for a painting but is now associated with caricatures for humor and satire.

Character Design

• Facial Expression

Characters usually have features that are not relative to the rest of the body and therefore further from reality than anime. There are obvious exceptions where the features of characters for the most part stay uniform and try and appear more realistic.

• Mood

Usually more comical but can have interesting story plots that will capture many viewers.

• Lighting

• Angle

Mood and Expression

Style

Plenty of differences in the styles that the faces are drawn in. Some faces are simple dots and lines, while others have a little more detail. Each show has a different way that they draw the bodies and limbs of their characters, some have a stringy or lanky look to them, while some are drawn with a more filled out body and have more structure, while others are somewhere in between. It’s also very easy to read a character’s traits by looking at their design, and easy to differentiate between characters. Has a wider range of art styles

Colour

Culture

Environment

Cartoons are generally made to make people laugh and so are more comical.

Eastern Characters: Manga, Anime

Anime (Japanese: アニメ?, [a.ni.me] are Japanese animated productions, and come in all formats, such as television series (such as Dragon Ball and Inuyasha, animated short films, and full-length feature films.) English dictionaries define the word as ‘Japanese style of motion picture animation’.

Character Design

• Facial Expression
• Distinct facial expressions. Wide variation in physical characteristics. Physical features of characters are, on the whole, closer to reality than cartoons. Larger eyes and smaller mouths make for a cuter style.
• Mood
• Lighting
• Angle

Mood and Expression

Style

Most differences end at how the eyes and faces are drawn, as well as the difference in color scheme. Some animators draw their characters to look more lanky and thin while others make their characters look a little fuller, but the only obvious differences between these examples are the eye and head shapes. It is also harder to read a characters traits just based on character design alone, and instead animators rely on expression and body language to differentiate their characters. If you were to take the faces and hair away from these characters, you would have a much harder time figuring out who is who.

Colour

Culture

Environment

Anime concentrates mostly on life issues or things tied closer to human emotion and has more violent and sexual themes.