The modern mom
Many family cartoons have the modern mom at the center of the action. Today's modern mom is really the boss of the family. You only have to glance at every classic cartoon mom to know who wears the pants in the family! The key to capturing the modern mom in your cartoons is to capture her unique body type.
The following are a few traits or patterns that the all-American mom possesses:
✓ Appealing but not sexy: She has definite mom hips.
✓ Perky and happy-looking: Unless she's yelling at someone!
✓ Stylish but modest outfits: She knows how to dress good on a budget.
When drawing the modern mom type, keep the preceding traits in mind and follow these steps:
1. Sketch the main part of mom's body as a small oval, sketch a smaller circle above it for the head, and then draw the center guidelines in both, as shown in Figure 8-10.
Figure 8-10:
The shapes you use to define mom's body include a hip area.
Figure 8-10:
The shapes you use to define mom's body include a hip area.
The key to drawing mom is to draw a body circle right below the small torso oval. This is used for her hip area. The modern mom has a small torso but large hips to help define her body shape; the hips come from producing all those crazy kids running around her cartoon strip!
2. Sketch the mom's arms and legs.
Begin by sketching her arms, which are thin and are part of her narrow shoulders. Next, draw her hips, which are the widest part of her body. Then draw her legs, which are wider at the top and then taper down as they reach her ankles.
In this pose, her body is facing slightly to the left, which enables you to see both legs but a full view of only the right arm. Her left arm holds the standard mom-issue gear (see Figure 8-11).
Figure 8-11:
The modern mom has an appealing, but not overly sexy, appearance.
Figure 8-11:
The modern mom has an appealing, but not overly sexy, appearance.
3. Draw the mom's facial features and other details that give her that wonderful, modern, motherly look (see Figure 8-12).
She's facing you, so you see all her facial features. She has big, bright eyes that give her a sweet, friendly appearance. She has a small button nose that's straight and even in the middle of her face. She has a big, wide smile that runs to the center of each eye. Her hairstyle is a medium-style bob cut that goes down near her shoulders.
Mom dresses in a sensible, easy-to-wear style. She likes to wear nice slip-on loafers without any heel. She usually wears her loafers with matching socks or no socks at all.
4. Include a few necessary motherly details to complete her look.
Add details like her purse or cellphone. On your own you may want to try and create a few more things that a modern mom might be associated with. Using the basic steps from the previous figures, perhaps you can create a little baby. See the "Talking babies" section later in the chapter for more details on drawing a baby.
Figure 8-12:
The busy modern mom is a staple cartoon figure.
Figure 8-12:
The busy modern mom is a staple cartoon figure.
Post a comment