Tom Toro’s Environmental Cartoons: Behind-the-Scenes Process Videos Reveal Artistic Magic

Saving the planet is serious business — but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun along the way. Twice a month, cartoonist Tom Toro contributes single-panel environmental cartoons to The Revelator’s weekly newsletter. These exclusive cartoons use Toro’s uniquely odd perspective to highlight pressing issues threatening life on Earth — from climate change to pollution to the extinction crisis.

You can sign up to receive these cartoons (and the rest of the newsletter) here.

From Sketch to Screen: The Art of Tom Toro’s Process Videos

The published cartoon is just part of the story. After each cartoon is released, Toro shares process videos detailing how he created them. These videos, posted to Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, offer a rare look into the meticulous craft behind each piece.

“I make these process videos as a way to invite people into my studio and to enjoy the creative process. But I also make them to celebrate the art of cartooning at its most fundamental, and fun, level.”

Sometimes, making the videos even leads to extra creative opportunities — or just silly voices.

Seeing the Art Come to Life

One of the most fascinating aspects of these videos is watching the art evolve. Viewers can follow the journey from the initial sketch to hand-drawn black-and-white line art, and then through the addition of detailed, painted gray tones.

“Over the years I’ve made concessions to technology in my artistic process, sketching on digital tablets and making edits in Photoshop. But I always draw my final cartoons with pen and paper. Nothing beats the tactile feel of creating something by hand.”

Toro describes the sensory experience of hand-drawn art:

“The way the ink soaks into the vellum; the momentary sheen before it dries, as if the lines are winking at me; the unpredictable bloom of watercolor across a wet patch. It’s incredibly fun. I feel as if I’m in conversation with the cartoon, as if we’re co-conspirators trying to figure things out on the fly.”

Embracing the Unexpected

Toro’s process videos also reveal how mistakes can lead to creative breakthroughs. He explains:

“Whenever mistakes happen — and they happen all the time — there’s no quick fix, no Control-Z undo. I need to find a way to cope with the accidental mark, the sloppy daub, the errant splash. Or maybe I don’t try to correct it? Maybe I let it guide me in a new, unexpected direction? Maybe the mistake isn’t a mistake at all, but a discovery? One that I never would have stumbled upon in the digital realm.”

Watch more of Tom Toro’s process videos below — and sign up for the newsletter, which links to each new cartoon and its accompanying process video.