漫画是一种怎样的一种绘画
Comics are a form of drawing that combines images and text to tell a story or convey information.

漫画在外国很早就以一种独立的形式存在，它最初在意大利出现，十七世纪在英国开始流行，我国古代虽然也有类似这样的作品，但只是题材和趣味有点相似，和完整的漫画形式还距离很远。清代以后和外国通商，在西洋输入的商品中，有一种石印术，光绪十年，我国第一本石印画册《点石斋画报》出版了。它专门发表时事扞画和风俗画，后来很多人说那些作品是漫画的始祖，其实和完整的漫画形式相差很远。后来作风轻快而简单的日本漫画和西洋钢笔讽刺画传到我国来了。我国早期的西洋画家很快便接受了这种改革社会的有力武器，以我国的社会生活题材从事漫画创作了。

漫画是一种怎样的绘画呢？

（一） 漫画是题材艺术。这并不是说有些绘画就不需要题材，而是漫画的题材永远是针对人生社会和国际政治问题。花花草草和苹果山水，漫画家认为可以由别的绘画——如油画、水彩去画。漫画家注意画的只是表扬肯定现象，揭破否定现象，不合理的人生社会有许多使人不平的事情，漫画的任务就是无情的向它攻击。

（二） 漫画表现这些题材时是采取讽刺的方法，他们不一定是正面的揭破，而是俏皮的把你嘲笑一番，或旁敲侧击的指责，是通过笑来提出控诉的。但漫画家的讽刺的基本态度依然是充满热情的，人生社会上某种现象不好，漫画家的讽刺就是希望这种现象消灭或得到改善。

（三） 漫画的表现时常是夸张的，凡艺术都不免有某种程度的夸张。漫画和喜剧一样，夸张被认为是一种重要的手法。夸张是使要表现的问题更突出，夸张并非凭空捏造，而是以现实生活为基础，把主要的一点提出加以形象化表现出来。

（四） 漫画并不是如它的名称那样“漫”不经意的“画”，或认为是随随便便的画，甚至有些人认为它是一种笔墨简单的“简笔画”，这是不对的。笔墨简单或复杂不能决定它是否漫画，简单的几笔固然可以，事实上有些漫画的画面是很复杂的，主要还是决定于它的题材。漫画家的漫画更不是漫不经意的漫画，而是很严肃的一种创作。如果你了解一个漫画家的创作过程，就会承认那是一种殊不轻松的工作；当然，这是指那些经常产生有意义作品的漫画家而言。漫画界有专画无意义的戏笔的人，那种漫画才是漫画呢。

（五） 有些读者以为看漫画只是茶余酒后的消遣，是为了“可发一笑”或者为了传播一点色情。固然有些漫画作品除了给人消遣以外是毫无意义的，那样的漫画家恐怕还没有认清漫画的真正意义。我们认为好的漫画必须有教育意义，有益世道人心，自然能够给人们一种俏皮、轻松是无伤大雅的，但这笑必须是健康的，要求通过“可发一笑”去获得一点有意义教育。有一句话叫“带着眼泪的笑”，意思是指漫画的笑并不是一笑了事，实在它是要你哭呢！

（六） 漫画家在漫画上所反对的，是绝大多数人所反对的东西，同时画漫画又是自我批评的武器。它批评别人并不就袒护自己，对于自己的错误，更是毫无保留的使用这武器——漫画。

怎样动手画漫画呢？在技术上，必须要有良好的素描基础。但这并不是说有了素描技术就一定会画漫画。不是的，画漫画还需要另外的一套本领。

动手画漫画之先，要准备的不是技术上的问题，而是你是否有一个“漫画的脑袋”的问题。

你需要长期的观察现实生活，对于人生社会许多问题要了解，更重要的是要有正确的认识。这是一个画漫画的人最基本的东西。

引起画漫画的题材，通常的来源是报纸。一个漫画家要有丰富的常识，知道世界动态和社会新闻。每天看报纸可能会找寻到认为可以画的题材，当然，报纸的题材可能不是全面的，你还要找和它有关的材料去充实它，了解它。报纸的材料，可能只是报导而已，并没有加以批评。于是重要的关键来了，根据你的分析和认识提出对这个问题的看法——它的成因和必然的发展。你的看法也就是将要表现在漫画上的主要的一点。你否定了某种对公众有不良影响的现象，但在揭发了它的存在根源以后，认为是可以改善的，于是你打算在漫画上鞭挞这种现象，但是鞭挞是建设性的，带着热情的，并没有想一棒就打死了它！

一幅漫画的题材想通，决定了题材的中心——即主要的一点是表现什么，现在你把白纸摊在桌子上，用铅笔开始作形象的构思了。

这是把心目中的意思化作可视的形象的一个重要阶段。你根据题材分开宾主，分别用形象去代替，并使它们彼此之间发生关系而围绕在一个中心，有些题材原是很抽象的，这时便得动脑筋通过浅白、明显的形象去表现它，在漫画上出现的人，往往并非如同在素描，速写上的人那样写实，漫画为了突出地表现主题和形象的特点，是经过夸张和变形的。而这二者实行起来有很密切的关连，人的某部分需要夸张时、变形就随之而来，但我们必须遵守的是夸张，变形必须以好的素描技术为基础，否则你的夸张将是空中楼阁一样站不稳，即使明知某部分要变形时也无能为力。不过没有素描功夫而误解漫画是漫不经意乱画的人不少，那就无怪他们画出来的漫画像三岁小孩子的“漫”画了。

Comics have long existed as an independent form of expression abroad. They first appeared in Italy and became popular in England in the 17th century. Although there were similar works in ancient China, they were only somewhat related in terms of subject matter and amusement, and were far from the complete form of comics. After the Qing Dynasty began trading with foreign countries, a lithographic technique was introduced from the West. In the tenth year of the Guangxu reign, China's first lithographic album, "Dianshizhai Huabao," was published. It specialized in publishing topical and genre paintings. Later, many people claimed that these works were the ancestors of comics, but in reality, they were far from the complete form of comics. Subsequently, the light-hearted and simple style of Japanese comics and Western pen-and-ink caricatures were introduced to China. Early Western painters in China quickly embraced this powerful weapon for social reform and engaged in comic creation based on Chinese social life.

What kind of art is comics?

1. Comics are thematic art. This does not mean that some paintings do not require themes, but rather that the themes of comics are always aimed at life, society, and international political issues. Flowers, plants, and landscapes, which comic artists believe can be drawn by other forms of painting, such as oil painting and watercolor. Comic artists focus on praising and affirming phenomena, exposing negative phenomena, and tackling many unfair things in life and society mercilessly.

2. When comics express these themes, they adopt a satirical approach. They may not necessarily directly expose but instead mock or indirectly criticize you with wit. Through laughter, they present accusations. However, the basic attitude of comic artists' satire is still passionate. When phenomena in life and society are not good, comic artists hope to eliminate or improve these phenomena through satire.

3. Comics are often exaggerated in their portrayal. All art is inevitably exaggerated to some extent. Like comedies, exaggeration is considered an important technique in comics. Exaggeration makes the issues to be portrayed more prominent. Exaggeration is not fabricated out of thin air but is based on real life, where the main points are presented and visualized.

4. Comics are not as "carefree" as their name suggests, nor are they casually drawn, or even some people think of them as simple "doodles." This is incorrect. Whether the strokes are simple or complex cannot determine whether it is a comic. Some simple strokes can do, but in fact, some comics are very complex. The key lies mainly in their themes. A comic artist's comic is not a careless doodle but a very serious creation. If you understand the creative process of a comic artist, you will recognize that it is a challenging task. Of course, this refers to comic artists who regularly produce meaningful works. There are people in the comic industry who draw meaningless doodles, and that kind of comic is what comics are not.

5. Some readers think that reading comics is just a pastime after tea or wine, for "a good laugh," or for spreading a bit of pornography. Although some comic works are meaningless beyond entertainment, those comic artists probably have not grasped the true meaning of comics. We believe that good comics must have educational significance and be beneficial to society. Naturally, they can provide people with a playful and relaxed feeling without being harmful. But this laughter must be healthy, and it is expected to gain some meaningful education through "a good laugh." There is a saying, "laughter with tears," which means that comic laughter is not just for laughs; in fact, it makes you cry!

6. What comic artists oppose in comics is what the vast majority of people oppose, and drawing comics is also a weapon for self-criticism. Criticizing others does not mean protecting oneself. Regarding their own mistakes, comic artists are even more willing to use this weapon of comics without reservation.

How do you draw comics? Technically, you must have a good foundation in sketching. But that doesn't mean that having sketching skills will necessarily enable you to draw comics. Drawing comics requires another set of skills.

Before you start drawing comics, you need to ask yourself whether you have a "comic head." You need long-term observation of real life, understanding of many issues in life and society, and, more importantly, correct understanding. This is the most basic thing for a person who draws comics.

The source of inspiration for comic topics usually comes from newspapers. A comic artist needs to have rich knowledge, know the world's trends, and social news. Reading newspapers every day may find topics that you think can be drawn. Of course, the topics in newspapers may not be comprehensive, and you also need to find related materials to enrich them and understand them. The material from the newspaper may only be a report, and it has not been criticized. So, the important thing now is to present your views on this issue based on your analysis and understanding—its causes and inevitable developments. Although you deny certain phenomena that have a negative impact on the public, after exposing the root causes, you believe that they can be improved. Therefore, you intend to criticize these phenomena in comics, but the criticism is constructive, passionate, and not intended to destroy them with one blow!

Once the theme of a comic is understood, the central point of the theme—what the main point is about—is determined, and then you spread out a blank sheet of paper on the table and start conceptualizing with a pencil.

This is an important stage of transforming the meaning in your mind into visible images. Based on the theme, you separate the subjects and objects, replace them with images, and make them relate to each other and revolve around a central point. Some themes are abstract, and you need to use simple and obvious images to represent them. In comics, people often do not appear as realistic as they do in sketches and speed drawings. In order to highlight the theme and characteristics of the image, comics are often exaggerated and deformed. And the two are closely related in practice. When a part of a person needs to be exaggerated, deformation follows. However, the exaggeration must be based on good sketching skills; otherwise, your exaggeration will be like a castle in the air, standing unsteadily. Even if you know that certain parts need to be deformed, you cannot do anything about it without sketching skills. However, many people misunderstand comics as random and carelessly drawn. Such people draw comics like a three-year-old's "doodle."