12-8
When to use cartoons and when to make people look real
Cartoons and
‘caricatures’—or
drawings that change
people’s looks in order
to criticize or make
fun of them—should
only be used in special
circumstances. They are
particularly useful for
consciousness raising or
social criticism.
But cartoon figures
usually should not be
used for illustrations in
which precise details
are important, as in the
picture below.
APPROPRIATE FOR SOCIAL CRITICISM
APPROPRIATE WHEN ACCURATE DETAIL IS NEEDED
Cartoons
make
people
look
strange or
funny on
purpose.
Here a
health
program
turns
people
into
sheep.
Carefully
done line
drawing
with correct
physical
proportions.
When showing how to do
something or how to tell different
health problems apart, try to make
the drawings as lifelike as possible.
The details should be clear and
accurate.
APPROPRIATE WHEN FINE DETAILS ARE NOT IMPORTANT
Free
artistic
sketch
Freer, less precise, or more artistic
drawing can be used when fine
detail is not so important.
But notice that, although the
drawing shown here is less detailed
and some lines are not complete,
the physical proportions are quite
accurate. This is what gives the
drawing life.