Cartoon examples by Hans Esser

The examples page shows a painted full-colour scene above Manhattan, a watercolour and ink caricature in a palace hallway, and three ten-second videos in which these cartoons come to life. Together they show the range from portrait to scene.

Cartoons of customers are personal, so they are only shown with permission. Hans Esser therefore used himself as the model for the examples, which lets you see the styles without sharing anyone else's photos.

The Manhattan example is a painted scene in which the cartoonist flies over the New York skyline wearing a propeller cap while people look up. It shows full colour, depth and movement in a scene cartoon.

The palace hallway example shows the cartoonist dressed as a footman, painting a caricature on an easel in a sunlit hallway. It is drawn in loose ink lines with watercolour and contains a caricature within the cartoon.

The Manhattan scene is close to a 3D or full-colour scene cartoon, the palace scene to a photo-to-drawing style in ink and wash, and the portrait on the easel to a caricature. Your own cartoon can follow any of these directions.

Yes, scene cartoons like these are made to order. Describe the place and the situation you have in mind and send photos of the people or animals involved; the scene is then built around them.

Yes, a fantasy scene such as flying over your own city, a dream destination or a meaningful place is possible. Send a clear photo of yourself and describe the setting, the clothes and any props like a propeller cap.

Yes, a dog, cat or other pet can star in a scene just like a person, for example on a favourite walk or on the sofa. Send a few photos that show the markings and a description of the scene you picture.

The three ten-second videos show Hans drawing in the palace hallway, flying above Manhattan, and a caricature appearing on the easel with a speech bubble. They were made to show the character behind the studio.

“Prachtig!” is Dutch for “Beautiful!”. It appears in a speech bubble when the caricature is revealed on the easel, a small nod to the Dutch roots of the studio in Baarn.

A standard cartoon is delivered as a high-resolution still image without a watermark. If you want movement like in the examples, you can order an animated cartoon video from your photo, from €250 for up to 9 seconds.

You can ask about a particular style when you get in touch. More importantly, you see a proof of your own cartoon before anything is final, so you judge the style on your own photo rather than on someone else's.

Only if you give explicit permission. Cartoons are personal, so none are published as an example without consent, and you can withdraw that consent later.

Both. Like every cartoon from De Cartoonist, the examples combine AI tools with drawing and finishing by Hans Esser. The composition, expression and final touches are his own work.

No, the examples show the range from a single caricature to a complete scene, but your cartoon can be a simple portrait, a family, a pet or a scene of your own choosing in any of the styles on the site.