Initially I didn't really enjoy speed work. Then I “discovered” Snoopy's occiput (base of skull). After that I couldn't wait to see what speed work would reveal to me! It was a break-through moment.

I just loved cartooning The Pink Panther. Peculiar because I was never a big fan of his. But drawing him was completely different than just looking at him. His playfulness was infectious.

This one so perfectly captured my emotions and people responded enthusiastically. I named it “The Homework Monster” and it became a series chronicling some of my experiences in The Article Writing Course.

This was the cartoon when it all became okay that I didn't draw perfect hands!

The HUGE response to this one on Facebook sorta stunned me. It was the moment when I realized that I could achieve my goal to use cartooning professionally.

And this is one of my earlier drawings (when I just started the course)

The “bear” assignment at the start of the course

4) Can you talk about the method you used to make sure you got your work done?

For me, it was always about two things: 1) making cartooning a priority, not an after-thought; and 2) establishing a routine. Initially I began cartooning in the evening after dinner. In the early weeks of the course, when the assignments were simple, this was easy to do. However, as things got a bit more demanding, I knew I needed more emotional energy – so I switched to drawing early in the morning, before my workday began.

That routine has been the most successful for me. I sketch, post, and comment in the morning – then I'm done with my assignments for the day. I still may sketch for fun later, but I made sure that my homework was completed and posted before I began work (as much as possible).

As I said earlier – one of the biggest reasons I made sure I completed my daily assignments was the group accountability. Everyone had the same time issues – yet we all managed to post our daily assignments. Knowing the group expected to see my work was a big motivator to keep going.

5) Can you talk about the experience with your group?

This was my second Psychotactics course, so I was already aware of the importance of the group. And they didn't disappoint: they were encouraging, inspiring, and occasionally critical when they needed to be. Originally, we were divided up into smaller sub-groups – but as folks started fading away, we were left with a core group of about 12 people. For the second part of the course, this core group stayed fairly intact.

For me, the group serves as motivation to get my work posted. I know they'll be checking on me, so I want to make sure I've done what I committed myself to do. Additionally, our group includes several folks who have some experience as artists and designers. They're a great source of tips and tricks to make learning faster and more fun. They're also a great source of ideas to try. And they're great people to be around, too! (At first, the experienced artists intimidated me a little – but they were some of the most encouraging members of the group.)

6) Can you describe how the course is conducted

It's not a Western education teacher/student philosophy. It's more of the Eastern master/apprentice – relationship. On the very first day he posted the familiar “wax on – wax off” videos from the “Karate Kid” movie – it was our assignment to watch them.

I will caution you – it's one thing to watch “wax on, wax off” and understand it intellectually. It's quite another to experience it and accept it internally the first time (or at least it was for me! ) Over time several members left the course – in part because of the reluctance to accept this philosophy. Once you do accept it, though, the magic happens!

“Process” and “effort” are far more important than “results”. This often takes time for students of Western education systems to comprehend and accept – I know it did for me!

7) What would you say to someone who says they're not good at drawing?

That's exactly what I did say in the beginning. I really didn't think I could draw at all. I couldn't even play the game “Hangman”, because I couldn't draw the stick figures!

But the question then becomes – do you want to learn?

Specifically, do you want to learn to draw cartoons? And for me, the answer was a resounding “yes”. If you're willing to trust the process, and willing to put in the daily practice, you'll be amazed at how quickly you'll be drawing. But you have to put in the work.

8) Who would you recommend the course to, and why?

Literally: anyone – adult or child – that wants to draw better cartoons. Kids take to this like a duck to water – I was amazed at some of the work that the kids in our initial group were doing. However, as I said earlier – if you really want to get good at this, you have to put in the daily practice. It's not hard, and for the most part, it's not super-time-consuming. Because of that, though, it's easy to say, “Oh, I'll get to that later.” And if you get in the habit of putting it off, the group continues without you, and it's just that much harder to get restarted.

So if you want to really want to learn to draw cartoons, the course has to have some level of priority. It's all up to you.

9) Can you tell us of how friends, family, kids, strangers have reacted to your cartoons?

I'm amazed at the feedback I get from family and friends who have seen my sketchbook, and especially the feedback on my Facebook page. Everyone say the same thing: “I never knew you were an artist!” (Before the course, I never knew I was one, either!) One person published one of my cartoons on her blog (with my permission) – she offered to pay me, but I was so surprised I just gave her permission (I won't do THAT again! )

When I was at the DC Uniqueness Workshop, a number of folks asked me how many years I had been drawing. When I answered “about 7 months”, they looked as though they thought I was kidding.

However, the most special moments for me are these: Every year my wife and I give each other cards at the usual times. And each time the cards get placed on the mantle for a week or so, and then get thrown away. Since I've started cartooning, I've given my wife a cartoon for our wedding anniversary, for Valentines Day, and a couple of other occasions. Unlike normal cards, she hasn't thrown the cartoons away, but rather has placed them on her desk and other locations in her office. She's not a “collector”, and hates clutter. So the fact that she has kept these means a lot – and tells me the value they have for her.

10) What else would you like to add?

1) Pick up a copy of “The Talent Code” and study it. Just do it. Get it and read it. At the start of this course, I picked up the book and read it. I wish I had done so two years ago! The teaching philosophy is based on this book – so if you really want to understand the “why”, this is where you'll find those answers.

2) Do the exercises daily. Don't sit down once/week and do a whole bunch of work at once – better to do a little bit every day. It may help to schedule time in your calendar. But if that's not your “thing”, just keep a pencil & paper handy wherever you go. You don't need to go to an art store and buy fancy pencils, pastels, sketchbooks – just keep a notebook and pencil nearby, and when you have a few moments to yourself, sketch. Sketching daily will be a lot easier to accomplish, and will make it feel much less like work.

3) Don't be intimidated by technology – specifically, posting drawings online. Picasa, Facebook, your own site – there is no “right” answer. Just pick a method that works for you and learn it. We had several folks in our class that, at the start, had no experience with this sort of thing – now they're Facebook/Picasa experts. If you have a question about technology, don't wait – ASK! Someone – will walk you through the process.

4) Don't be intimidated by the other students. You're all coming into this course with various backgrounds and different levels of experience in sketching. Some of your fellow students may look like accomplished artists. Some barely can draw a stick figure (me). Doesn't matter – everyone will be doing the same exercises. Remember – it's not the results so much, but the process. The “experienced” artists will be just as excited for you as you are – so don't let that worry you.

5) Perfectionism is just an excuse to NOT do something, and it takes all the fun out of it. We all want our work to be perfect. We'd love to have others say – “Wow! You must be a professional (X)!” And so when the results of our efforts fall short of where we want them (or where we think they should be), it's easy to blame ourselves. “I don't want anyone to see this until it's perfect!” And that attitude will stop you in your tracks every time. Some of the exercises are designed for the expressed purpose of making mistakes. That's hard to get used to at first. But once you release the “it's gotta be perfect” mentality, you'll get a lot more accomplished, and you'll have a lot more fun.

6) Speaking of which, remind yourself to have fun. We're not writing a business plan, we're drawing cartoons! Sometimes we allow our days to be so full that this becomes another chore. This isn't work – it's an “escape” from work. You will occasionally remind us to “Be 5” – as in, draw like a 5-year-old. Sketch because you love to do it, and don't get hung up on what the sketches look like.

My first “cartoon”. 

And because there's really no space left, here is a partial portfolio. Some of Renuka's work (to begin with).

Renuka's first cartoon: Day 1.

You can see progress, can't you?

Some perspective shows up.

And a comic strip develops.

The HUGE response to this one on Facebook sorta stunned me. It was the moment when I realized that I could achieve my goal to use cartooning professionally.

Foreground, background, and a lot more detail and control.

No one gets the chocolate!