We are pleased to announce a new feature on the London Art College blog news and that’s guest blogs by our students. We hope to have more over the coming months and if you would like to be involved please don’t hesitate to email us at any time. Chris Wannell, a Cartooning Diploma Student gives a little about his background and his influences and why he wanted to be a cartoonist………
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My name is Chris Wannell and I have several interests, but the one that is relevant here is drawing and cartooning. I started drawing a couple of months ago using books borrowed from the library and have been reading up on cartooning techniques. I have now just started a correspondence cartooning diploma course with the London Art College.
I have been trying to work out what started my interest in cartooning and have come to the following conclusion. Throughout my childhood I had a great interest in comedies and collected tapes of “Tony Hancock”, “The Goons”, “Not The Nine O’Clock News” and many others, even now I avidly collect CDs of “I’m Sorry I Haven’t A Clue”, “Old Harry’s Game” and many others.
I always fancied the idea of being a stand up comic, standing in front of an audience and basking in their adoration as they hang on my every word dazzling at my rapier wit. Being realistic though, I realise that I would suffer from stage fright and would freeze as soon as the spotlight hit me. Coupled with that, I have problems vocalising my thoughts and hence am a slow speaker and get stuck getting some of the words out, so because of this I think a career as a comic is out of the question. Cartooning though is a perfect medium for a shy comic, as I don’t have to face an audience, and I don’t have to be a fast speaker and have plenty of time to look up any words that are causing me trouble.
Here is an example of my caricatures and cartoons which I have done using a cartooning dip pen and black drawing ink. I am also getting used to drawing directly to the PC using a Bamboo Fun Graphics Tablet and Artrage 2 as a drawing programme so I’d be interested in receiving any comments on these, Hope you enjoy my work.
All the best
Chris
