Abandoned Chihuahua Cartoon Project – Learning How to Draw a Chihuahua


A few years ago (when Nickelodeon Magazine was still alive and well) my pal and editor Chris Duffy asked me to pitch him some comic strip ideas...


how to draw a chihuahua ears head construction drawing poses sketch how to draw a chihuahua ears head construction drawing poses sketch\
I didn't know where to start. Chihuahuas were kind of a big trend at the time, so I started thinking about how to draw Chihuahuas.how to draw a chihuahua markings proportion puppy ears studies
I went to the library with my post-it notes and started trying to figure out how to draw a cute little cartoon Chihuahua…how to draw a chihuahua drawing poses roll over walk run sketch
After looking through tons of pictures and doodling my sketch studies, I couldn’t help falling in love with the little critters. They’re so cute with those big round heads and bulbous eyeballs and those teeny little bodies.how to draw a chihuahua sit stand lay posessketch how to draw a chihuahua drawing studiesOnce I felt comfortable with the basic animal anatomy I started to cartoon it up a little bit… how to draw a cartoon chihuahua poses proportion puppy ears character design
…and then finally I came up with this little guy:
Cartoon Chili Chihuahua early version character design Sherm Cohen
The marking on his forehead was scribbled quickly, and when I gave it another look, it looked like a chili pepper. Then the name popped into my head: “Chili Chihuahua!”
Cartoon Chili Chihuahua character design by Sherm Cohen
So this is the final result of those cartoon drawing explorations. I was really happy with it! And you know what? I tossed it all in a folder and haven’t done a darned thing with it since.

Oh, and lest I forget: Chili Chihuahua is TM and ©2011 by Sherm Cohen! ---After all, I might want to come back and revisit this little project someday :)

11 comments:

  1. Dan MoynihanMay 31, 2011 at 10:45 AM

    Ha! You came up with a really fun chihuahua character. I hope he makes it into a cartoon some day. It's very interesting to see your process, too.

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  2. ShermMay 31, 2011 at 12:12 PM

    Thanks, Dan -- it's hard to keep that initial burst of enthusiasm burning bright enough to take an idea to fruition. Maybe someday (after I've run through the million other ideas that are in my head) I'll get back to work on it :P

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  3. AnonymousMay 31, 2011 at 1:27 PM

    "it's hard to keep that initial burst of enthusiasm burning bright enough to take an idea to fruition"
    You could almost use this to remind yourself how that 'first impression' is so important in any drawing (idea)! I absolutely love this character...hope to see him on some adventures someday!

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  4. ShermMay 31, 2011 at 1:31 PM

    Thanks Erik -- I appreciate the encouraging words ^_^

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  5. David DeGrandMay 31, 2011 at 1:55 PM

    What a fun character Sherm! I love how you distilled the very essence of the majestic chihuahua down to it's most hilarious.

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  6. Jeaux JanovskyMay 31, 2011 at 3:32 PM

    Great stuff Sherm! :D

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  7. AnonymousMay 31, 2011 at 4:50 PM

    Oh man. This reminds me when I scribble a bunch of my own cartoon ideas on notebook paper. A lot of the time, they pretty much write and draw themselves as if they had their own mind or something, and I really get into developing their personalities and dialog, only to find myself being even more enthusiastic about the other ideas that I have in my head.

    What kind of pen did you use for these?

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  8. ShermMay 31, 2011 at 4:55 PM

    Thanks David -- thanks Jeaux!

    Roberto: I was probably using the PITT brush pen…very versatile for sketching :)

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  9. Amanda H.June 1, 2011 at 11:35 AM

    Coming up with a cartoon idea and then losing interest in it? Story of my life ._.
    I'm trying to actually go through my ideas instead of letting them sit on the shelf and forgetting about them, though. It's a hard habit to break.

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  10. CassandraJune 2, 2011 at 12:57 PM

    I love development drawings like these! There's so much to learn, and they reveal so much of the personality of the creators. Back when I worked as an archivist in the Don Bluth animation collection, I made a beeline straight for the preproduction boxes, rooting around for notes, reference pictures, doodles, scraps of animation... you never know what you'll find at the start of a project!

    Thanks, Sherm!

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  11. AnonymousJune 13, 2011 at 10:42 PM

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