The Disney ‘Comic Strip Artist’s Kit’ Is Here To Solve Your Problems

Carson Van Osten`s Comic Strip Artists Kit is like Elements of Style for cartooning and tips on how to draw comic book characters. It`s a seven-page Disney comic that describes the basic rules of staging and mapping out a comics page that`s done in an enormously entertaining and easy-to-comprehend style.

There have been low-res versions of this gem on the internet for at least a couple years. But recently, Van Osten emerged and sent animator, Mark Kennedy, 11`17 versions of the tutorial. Kennedy is generously sharing hi-res copies of the instructional booklet on his blog.

Van Osten explains the origins of the tutorial:

“It started as a slide presentation for my boss to show at the Disney meeting in Frankfurt. It went over so well that he asked me to expand on it when he returned. They printed 2000 copies and mailed it to all the Disney offices.”

Mark Kennedy`s blog, by the way, is a vast learning resource for illustrators. Check out his recent posts on rhythm, proportion, and (a personal favorite) offset curves.