Organised by The Guardian
Learn how to source ideas for cartoons, develop them, and even make money from them, in this inspirational and informative masterclass.
The brilliance of a cartoon is that it can capture a complex issue, political argument or historical era in a single frame. Because of this, inspiration can be found virtually anywhere: from watching PMQs and reading the news, to attending a rally.
In this masterclass with Steve Bell, professional cartoonist of 45 years, you will learn the fundamentals of becoming a cartoonist – and how to make a living from it. Steve – whose political caricatures include Theresa May as a clown-cum-zombie and George W Bush as a chimpanzee – will draw on his experiences of drawing cartoons for the Guardian to provide insight into how you might build your own career in cartooning.
You will learn about the importance of finding the right idea and what to do with it, how to figure what you want to say (and how), and why deadlines – and having something to show for your work – can be one of the most rewarding things about being a cartoonist.
You will also have the opportunity to participate in a live drawing exercise with Steve, and with ongoing Q&A throughout this interactive workshop, you will gain insight into the nuts and bolts of a career in cartooning.
Course content
- What makes a ‘good’ cartoon?
- Tips on getting started, from sourcing ideas to preparing your materials
- What do you want to say, and how can you say it?
- The importance of deadlines
- An interactive drawing exercise
- Q&A
Tutor profile
Steve Bell has been drawing cartoons and comics since early childhood, and for a living since 1977. From 1981 to 2021 he wrote and drew over 8,000 If … strips daily in the Guaridan, and from 1990 to the present day has drawn large format political cartoons. His work has been described in the House of Lords as “an almost obscene series of caricatures” and the Sunday Times has called him “the finest cartoonist we have”. He has created many memorable images of British prime ministers, including Margaret Thatcher’s mad left eye, John Major with his underwear worn outside his trousers and Theresa May as an evil clown-cum-zombie. He currently draws Boris Johnson as a gigantic arse beneath a mop of white-blonde hair. His work has been published all over the world, he’s had 30 books of his work published since Maggie’s Farm in 1981, and has won many awards. Steve’s work has been exhibited in many countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Territories, the USA and Australia. He was a Hood Fellow at the University of Auckland in 2017, and he has been awarded honorary degrees by the universities of Teesside, Sussex, Loughborough, Leeds and Brighton.
Course Details
- Date: Wednesday 20 July 2022
- Time: 6.30pm-8.30pm BST
6.30pm BST | 7.30pm CEST | 10.30am PDT | 1.30pm EDT
This masterclass is available globally. If you are joining us from outside the United Kingdom, please use this time zone converter to check your local live streaming time.
You will be sent a link to the webinar 24 hours and 2 hours before the start time of 6.30pm (BST). Please email masterclasses@theguardian.com if you have not received the access link within one hour of the scheduled start time.
All Guardian Masterclasses are fully accessible but please contact us at masterclasses@theguardian.com if you have any queries or concerns.