Cartoons have shaped my creative path more than any other art form. Whether I was sketching my own goofy characters in the margins of school notebooks or animating short loops for clients, the making of cartoons has always felt like a perfect blend of structure and play. And over the years, I’ve realized that behind every silly voice or exaggerated expression is a surprisingly thoughtful process.
In this post, I want to walk you through how cartoons are made, what goes into the creative decisions, and what tips I’ve learned from both client work and personal projects. If you’ve ever wanted to create your own cartoons, or just appreciate the effort that goes into them, this is for you.
Key Points
- Don’t rush the character development. A well-designed character with a clear personality saves tons of time down the road.
- Think of your animation style like handwriting. Let it evolve naturally, but study the fundamentals.
- Keep your workflow lean. Too many tools can bog you down. Master one or two key programs or techniques first.
The Making of Cartoons: How It Starts
The making of cartoons usually begins with a story idea or even just a character. I’ve had entire short animations emerge from a doodle that made me laugh. Other times, it starts with a client brief, like the ones I’ve tackled for Sun Bum or Microsoft.
At the earliest stage, I sketch characters and scenes to get the tone right. This is where knowing different styles of cartoons really helps—I can lean into slapstick exaggeration or subtle, expressive realism depending on the vibe. I try to get a sense of the world the cartoon lives in. Is it surreal? Dry and understated? Chaotic and colorful? That mood informs every decision that follows.
Developing the Concept and Style
A lot of people think animation starts on the computer, but the truth is, the best stuff happens on paper (or iPad). I draw rough thumbnails of scenes, expressions, and actions. This is part of pre-production, and it’s essential for nailing the pacing and visual storytelling.
I spend time exploring how the characters move, how their personality shows up in posture and gesture. Even if it’s just a five-second loop, the character should feel believable within their own cartoon logic.
If you’re working on a full animation, understanding animation film techniques will help you decide how to shoot scenes. I often revisit my post on the process of animation to check where I am in the pipeline. Storyboards, animatics, keyframes—they each serve a specific role and help keep things organized when a project scales up.
And the art style? That grows with you. You can learn from the visual elements of cartoons and let that influence how you approach color, line work, and exaggeration. Don’t stress about having a “signature” look right away. I’ve found that style develops naturally through repetition and thoughtful experimentation.
Tools and Techniques I Use
When I first started, I used whatever I could find—pencil tests on Post-it notes, stop motion with action figures, voiceovers recorded under a blanket. Now, my go-to tools are:
- Procreate or Photoshop for character and background design
- After Effects or Toon Boom Harmony for animation
- My own voice, or a quick call with a talented friend, for voice acting
For short form projects, After Effects gives me flexibility without overwhelming complexity. For more frame-by-frame control, I’ll turn to Toon Boom Harmony or even just traditional hand-drawn animation.
That said, simplicity works. I’ve created entire projects using only stop motion animation and an old camera, which honestly taught me more about timing than anything else. The constraints of stop motion force you to think through each movement before committing to it, and that discipline carries over to digital work too.
I always recommend starting small. Make a 3-second scene. Try lip syncing one line of dialogue. Finish something. It builds momentum.
Writing and Voice Acting: Don’t Skip It
Writing for cartoons isn’t like writing a novel. It’s closer to writing sketches or short comedy. I’ve learned to cut dialogue in half and let visuals do more of the talking. Every word counts. In my early scripts, characters over-explained everything. Now, I focus on rhythm, subtext, and how the delivery of a line pairs with the animation.
Voice acting is another overlooked gem. The voice actors of cartoons bring characters to life in ways that drawings alone can’t. Tone, pacing, even breath—these subtle cues make a character feel real.
I’ve also learned to direct voice actors like collaborators, not robots. I share rough character sketches and explain what emotions I’m aiming for. And when I’m voicing the characters myself, I record several takes while standing up and physically acting out the movement. It makes a huge difference.
If you’re teaching animation, or even just teaching yourself, you might enjoy my breakdown of how to teach animation. It covers how to layer storytelling and technique so that you’re always moving forward. Teaching forces you to simplify complex ideas—and that clarity helps in your own work, too.
What Makes a Good Cartoon?
There’s no one answer here, but I’ve found that strong characters, clear emotion, and confident timing matter most. A visually perfect cartoon without emotional punch will fall flat. You have to care about the characters, even if they only exist for a 30-second gag.
A good cartoon plays with contrast—fast and slow, loud and quiet, silly and sincere. Some of my favorite cartoon moments come from the unexpected—a pause before a joke, an awkward silence, a sudden reaction. The timing of these beats can elevate a decent idea into something memorable.
If you’re curious, I go deeper into this in my article on the qualities of effective cartoons. You can also learn a lot by watching good cartoons for adults and analyzing what makes them land. Humor, design, and message all play a role, but how they’re paced and performed is where the real magic happens.
Where Cartoons Fit Into the Bigger Picture
Cartoons don’t exist in a vacuum. They reflect culture, critique systems, and express identity. From the golden age of cartoons to today’s animated films that deserve an Oscar, the medium has grown more layered and experimental.
Modern cartoons aren’t just for kids. They tackle mental health, politics, social justice, and existential dread—all with a blend of humor and visual metaphor that live-action rarely achieves as gracefully. This is why I love the medium so much. You can say something deep and strange and funny all at once.
You can also see how the psychology of cartoons influences everything from advertising to political commentary. It’s why I often reference work I’ve done for Capital One or Disney when talking about storytelling in visual form. These projects taught me how visual tone and character design can shape emotional response before a single word is spoken.
And if you’re wondering where to start your own journey, I recommend just sketching your world. No grand idea needed. Cartoons grow from curiosity, not perfection. Start with what makes you laugh or wonder. Animate a moment you saw at the grocery store. Doodle something absurd and give it a backstory. Every cartoonist I know started by drawing what they loved or what they found weird.
For more learning, I highly recommend the educational archives at asifa.org, which showcase international animation communities and resources.
