In scene design, a cartoon is a full-size preparatory line drawing (sometimes called a contour drawing) created on the actual scenery surface—such as a painted flat, backdrop, or drop—after it has been primed. It serves as a precise guide or template for scenic painters. The cartoon shows the visible edges, outlines, and intersecting planes of objects, architectural details, patterns, or motifs in the design. Scenic artists use it to accurately transfer and scale up the designer’s smaller-scale renderings or elevations onto the large physical scenery.
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