Posted by As the familiar call of “Tra-La-La!” played in the background, I decided to sketch Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey (1997). Using a thick marker and black/white/grey, I quickly blocked out the shapes. Then it hit me square in the underpants, this character’s design was “fantabulous.”
Learn by Drawing
They say Drawing is observing. I didn’t register these elements in the design until I drew them:
- Silhouette: A pear-shaped superhero is perfect in so many ways. 1) The wide waist emphasizes the underpants. 2) He is based off an aging principal. 3) It is counter to the expectations of a superhero, but perfect for two kids taking back power from their antagonistic principal by making him look like a silly baby.
- Simplicity: The character is made up and designed by kids in the book. Captain Underpants basically has underpants and a spotted cape. It is both simple, recognizable, and subversive. Even my four-year old knew I was drawing Captain Underpants in a glance.
- Small (But Mighty) Details: Captain Underpants has extremely large hands/feet for bashing bad guys, and a dashing smile. As opposed to the angular superheroes, Captain Underpants is round and less powerful. Dav Pilkey uses just enough design to support the story of a unlikely superhero made up by two boys.
There you have it. Three things I learned when drawing Captain Underpants. Tra-La-La!