Here are some tips from the 1950′s on artistic observation for cartoonists:

“As a cartoonist, you must train your eye to see more than an object’s general shape and details. Your eye must penetrate to the BASIC STRUCTURAL FORMS. Your eye must see; your brain must understand. Once you know what the basic forms in an object are, it isn’t hard to draw that object. See, understand, and remember basic forms.”

–1950′s Famous Artists Cartoon Course – Lesson 11 Pg 14