Description
Create original cartoons and comic art that communicate ideas, humor, and stories for print and digital media using traditional and digital techniques.
- • Use pencils, pens, brushes, markers, and digital software to create cartoons and comic art.
- • Integrate line, shape, color, composition, and perspective to convey humor, ideas, and emotion.
- • Brainstorm and develop concepts, gags, and narratives for single-panel and sequential cartoons.
- • Confer with clients, editors, writers, and art directors on content, tone, and deadlines.
- • Submit roughs, thumbnails, and finished art for review, revising according to feedback.
- • Maintain a portfolio of strips, panels, and character designs showcasing style and range.
- • Create cartoons to illustrate stories, editorial viewpoints, marketing messages, or instructional content.
- • Plan page and panel layouts, speech balloons, captions, and sound effects for clarity and pacing.
- • Research current events, pop culture, and subject matter to develop timely, relevant ideas.
- • Study and practice techniques in cartooning, inking, coloring, and lettering to improve skills.
- • Draw backgrounds, props, and settings from reference, memory, or imagination.
- • Produce caricatures and character likenesses from life or photographs.
- • Design and refine recurring characters, model sheets, and visual style guides.
- • Estimate schedules and costs for cartoon projects and obtain approvals.
- • Ink, color, shade, and letter cartoons using traditional or digital tools, preparing color guides as needed.
- • Collaborate with animation, game, or digital teams when adapting work for motion or interactive formats.
- • Create and refine character turnarounds, expression sheets, and pose studies.
- • Prepare print- and web-ready files with correct formats, resolution, bleed, and color profiles.
- • Digitize, clean up, and vectorize line art; manage layers and files for production.
- • Organize and maintain digital asset libraries, archives, and version control for strips and characters.
- • Create thumbnails, roughs, and storyboards to plan timing, pacing, and composition.
- • Collaborate with writers to combine scripts, captions, and dialogue with artwork.
- • Provide live cartooning or caricature drawing at events for entertainment or promotion.
- • Market work through websites, social media, newsletters, and syndication submissions.
- • Photograph or gather visual references for accuracy and inspiration.
- • Exhibit and sell original art and prints at galleries, conventions, or online shops.
- • Produce and package prints and merchandise such as books, posters, and stickers.
- • Submit cartoons to publishers, syndicates, editors, and competitions.
- • Teach cartooning techniques in classes or workshops.
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Related Pathways
Arts, Entertainment, & Design
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Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
