How we draw the age of Trump and turmoil: two cartoonists go head-to-head | Martin Rowson and Ella Baron

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**Martin Rowson**

I'm old school. In the same way humans have for at least 67,800 years, I make marks with something runny on a flattish surface.

My ludditism lies in my love of the tactility of the pencils, pens and brushes I use caressing and snagging on the paper. I also like the jeopardy, dancing with deadlines or not knowing if doing that wash in that way at this point is going to work or completely ruin the image.

From blank sheet of paper to completion, it takes around six hours for each cartoon.

How Ella produces her extraordinary work is a total mystery to me. I've long appreciated she's special, with seriously mad shit in her head she can get out on to a screen to share with us. But if she spent for ever telling us how she does it, it would still be like someone screaming Sanskrit into a pillow for all the sense it made to me.

My Trump No 2 is older, flappier, fleshier and madder than the first iteration 10 years ago. I'm still using just as much orange paint though.

**Ella Baron**

I draw with a Wacom Cintiq tablet and stylus. It's frustrating when people say this isn't drawing by hand: I have hands and my stylus is more sensitive to pressure and barrel rotation than an ordinary pen. I don't have any formal art training, but grew up drawing digitally as part of the first generation with easy access to that technology.

You don't make smudges when you draw on a screen, but you do make mistakes. The outlines of previous forms are a record of your hand movements and lend dynamism to the figures they represent. I think it's good to leave them in.

When I'm drawing a political cartoon I'm always slightly in awe of the fact I'm working from and into a tradition.
 
Art is all about experimentation, right? 🎨 Like how Martin Rowson uses pencils and brushes to create his amazing work... or doesn't share his secrets πŸ˜…. I mean, we get it, not everyone's got an artist in the family.

And can we talk about Ella Baron for a sec? πŸ€” She's killing it with that Wacom Cintiq tablet and stylus combo! Who says digital art ain't real drawing? πŸ™„ Not her, that's for sure.

What I love about these artists is they're not afraid to push boundaries and try new things. Like Martin's Trump No 2 – older, flappier, fleshier... sounds like a character πŸ˜‚. And Ella's all about embracing mistakes and the history behind what she's doing. That's some next level art vibes! πŸ’―
 
love how these artists are keeping it real about their creative processes, you know? like, martin rowson is all about that ludditism life with his pencils and paper, and ella baron is all about that digital love with her wacom tablet πŸ€–πŸŽ¨. but honestly, who cares how they do it, as long as the art is fire πŸ’₯. and can we talk about how these artists are carrying on this amazing tradition of making marks for like 67,800 years now πŸ™Œ?
 
Its funny how ppl think drawing has 2 b old skool w/ pencils n stuff. Like what about all those digital artists out there who r killing it! 🀯 I mean, I still like sketchin by hand 4 personal reasons... but its not like I dont appreciate Ella's work or nothin. She's got skills for sure! πŸ‘ & btw, using a tablet n stylus doesnt mean u rnt drawing by hand. U r just usin different tools 🎨
 
πŸ€” I mean, can you imagine creating something that'll be remembered for thousands of years? Martin Rowson is all about keeping it old school, using traditional tools to create his art. He's like, super passionate about the process and isn't afraid to get a little messy πŸ–ŒοΈπŸ’ͺ. Meanwhile, Ella Baron is totally rocking her digital vibe with a Wacom tablet πŸ“±πŸ’». It's cool how she's breaking the mold and saying that digital drawing can be just as expressive as traditional art 🎨. Both of them are just trying to make a point through their art, even if they don't always explain it πŸ’‘.
 
just saw that Ella Baron, the amazing digital artist, is still using Wacom Cintiq tablets like they were old friends πŸ€“. i gotta say, i'm loving the tactile debate going on here - some people still swear by traditional media, while others (like ella) are all about the digital flow πŸ’». personally, i've been eyeing that new graphics tablet from wacom and thinking of giving it a try... anyone have any thoughts on the best tools for creating sick digital art? 🎨πŸ’₯
 
omg i just saw martin rowson's art and i am DYING over ella baron's process lol her using wacom is like my own life story tbh who needs formal training when you've got tech to save the day 🀣 i can kinda relate with martin on the whole "not needing to explain" thing tho, i mean who needs to spill all that extra drama about their creative process? let's just enjoy the art already πŸ˜‚
 
I dont get why some people still use pens and pencils, they seem so old school lol πŸ€”. This Ella Baron chick is using this fancy tablet thingy that makes art look so easy, but i guess thats where the magic happens for her 🎨. And I agree with her about leaving mistakes in, it does make the artwork more interesting. But seriously, who has time to draw by hand when you can just use a computer? My grandma used to say "time is money" and now I'm like "time is art" πŸ˜‚
 
I THOUGHT IT WAS SO COOL THAT ELLA BARRON SAID SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANY FORMAL ART TRAINING BUT STILL MANAGED TO CREATE AMAZING WORK 🎨!!! I MEAN, WHO NEEDS SCHOOL WHEN YOU'VE GOT A TALENT LIKE THAT? AND I LOVE HOW SHE MENTIONS THE SMUDGES AND MISTAKES ON SCREEN - IT'S LIKE HER WORK IS LIVING, BREATHING, AND FULL OF HUMANITY 😊. PLUS, IT'S PRETTY AWESOME THAT SHE USES A WACOM CINTIQ TABLET AND STYLUS, GIVE ME ALL THE DIGITAL DRAWING ENERGY πŸ’»!!!
 
omg i just saw this thread about martin rowson and ella baron 🀯, like what even is a wacom cintiq tablet tho? i've never even heard of it πŸ™…β€β™‚οΈ how does that thing work? is it like magic or something πŸ’« idk about the smudges though... isn't that just part of the charm of drawing by hand? 🎨
 
😊 i feel like we're living in a time where old school meets new tech, you know? martin rowson's thing about using pencils, pens, and brushes is super relatable to me πŸ“. but then there's ella baron's Wacom Cintiq setup - that's some next level digital drawing πŸ’». it's all about finding what works for you, whether it's traditional or tech-based 🎨. i think it's awesome that we have so many mediums to express ourselves and tell our stories 🌟
 
Ugh, can't believe what's going on in this art world... people are all about that digital stuff now πŸ€¦β€β™‚οΈ, like, what happened to the joy of creating with actual tools? I mean, Martin Rowson is just being a grumpy old man about it, but I get why he'd feel that way. But at the same time, Ella Baron's got some legit points - who says drawing by hand can't be just as precise and expressive as digitally? And those imperfections on a screen are what make art truly human, right? 🀝 Still, there's something to be said for the tactile experience of working with pencils and paper... it's just not for me anymore πŸ˜”.
 
Just read this article about art and creation, and I gotta say, its kinda mind-blowing how people create stuff 🀯. Martin Rowson's old school way is still dope, but then you got Ella Baron who's all about that digital life πŸ’». Its interesting to see how both approaches work for them. For me, it's the imperfections and human touch that make art special – smudges and all 😊. What I find even more fascinating is how they both appreciate tradition while still pushing boundaries 🌈.
 
omg can u believe the debate raged on whether or not making art with a stylus is "real" drawing 🀣 like, what even is that? it's all about the medium right? i mean, ppl can make amazing art on their computers just as well as someone makin' art by hand. and btw, have u seen ellas cartoons? they're sooo good!! 🀩
 
I'M SO DOWN WITH ELLA BARON FOR STILL USE HER DIGITAL TABLET AND STYLUS TO CREATE THOSE EPIC CARTOONS! IT'S LIKE, THE TECH IS PROGRESSING AND WE SHOULD BE Embracing It NOT TRYNA HOLD ONTO THE PAST. I MEAN, COME ON, ART IS ABOUT SELF-EXPRESSION AND BRINGING YOUR IDEAS TO LIFE IN WHATEVER WAY FEELS RIGHT FOR YOU. IF SHE'S GOOD AT IT WITH A TABLET, WHO AM I TO JUDGE?
 
I love how both Martin Rowson and Ella Baron are all about the art process, but they're on different ends of the spectrum πŸ€”πŸ’‘. Martin's old-school approach is super appealing - I mean, who doesn't love the feel of graphite on paper? πŸ“πŸ’«

But what really gets me is how Ella Baron brings her own special twist to digital drawing with that Wacom Cintiq tablet πŸ–ŒοΈπŸ’». The way she emphasizes the importance of mistakes and imperfections is so true - it's all about embracing the human touch, you know? πŸ€—

And can we talk about the age difference between their art pieces? Martin's Trump No 2 is like a time capsule from 10 years ago, while Ella's work is fresh out of the box πŸ•°οΈπŸ’₯. I think that's what makes it so fascinating to see how different styles and mediums can coexist in this same world 🌐.

By the way, here's a little ASCII art doodle I whipped up to represent their differing approaches:
```
/_/\
( o.o )
> ^ <
_______
/ \
/ \
| GRAPHS |
_______/|
| |
| |
_______/
```
It's like a big ol' Venn diagram, but with more visual flair 🎨!
 
I love how Ella Baron is keeping traditional techniques alive with her Wacom Cintiq tablet, yet still being true to herself #DigitalArtistry πŸ–ŒοΈπŸ’» It's so refreshing to see artists embracing their unique style and process, even if it doesn't fit the traditional mold of "hand drawing" πŸ’ͺ As a fan of both traditional and digital art, I think we can learn from Ella's approach: why choose between, when you can have the best of both worlds? πŸ€”
 
"An artist knows by the way he cuts the rope, not by letting it go." πŸ–ŒοΈ

You know what really gets me about digital art? The pressure to be 'perfect'. Everyone's always like "oh, you're drawing digitally so it can't be that hard". But let's be real, making a great piece of art is still super hard and requires skill. And with Ella Baron's use of a Wacom Cintiq tablet and stylus, she's pushing the boundaries of what we thought was possible with digital art. πŸ’»
 
man, i'm like totally with martin rowson on this one lol πŸ˜‚πŸ–ŒοΈ he's saying that digital art just can't replace the real deal - there's something special about holding a pen or pencil and seeing your ideas come to life... 🀯 but then again, ella baron is bringing up some legit points about drawing digitally too πŸ€”... i mean, i've seen some insane digital art out there that's super detailed and realistic... 🎨 and ella's right, the mistakes and imperfections can add character to a piece πŸ™Œ still, i think martin has a point - there's just something about getting your hands dirty with some actual media πŸ˜‚πŸ–‹οΈ
 
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