How to draw an office scene

[Cortland]

I have been having some trouble drawing scenes of the inside of an office and keeping them interesting. I've been putting a bit more attention into drawing backgrounds since I restarted my comic, and it's easy to add details from the outside world, where there's so much more room and space for adding things. An office, however, by its nature, is small, boxy, and boring. I work in an office, so I have plenty of visual references, but there are only so many ways you can draw a filing cabinet, a shelf, a desk, the painting on the wall, a calendar, or a white board before you feel like you're just adding a bunch of rectangles on top of white drywall. I haven't been able to find too many good references for drawing scenes from the inside of an office, and I can't find too many other comics written with an office as the setting (other than Dilbert, which I'd rather not use as a reference for sharpening my artistic skills). Does anybody else have any tips in this area?

[JTorch]

...there are only so many ways you can draw a filing cabinet, a shelf, a desk, the painting on the wall, a calendar, or a white board before you feel like you're just adding a bunch of rectangles on top of white drywall.

Well that is monotonous and boring, like an office is supposed to be. Unless that's not what you're going for. If it is though, repeating things in the background is a good way to get the theme across.

[Swikan]

I've only JUST started drawing backgrounds in general, so take anything I say regarding this with that in mind.

But having worked in cubicle hell for many years, I will say the things that people do to personalize their office and cubicle breaks the monotony quite a bit.

On top of the generic file cabinet, put a plant an picture frame. If there is a prankster in the office, put a picture (of a fellow office worker) on the bulletin board as "Employee of the Month" and make it look as if someone has drawn a moustache and buck teeth on it. Maybe toys on people's desks and odd things/calendars/bulletin board items around and see if that helps a bit.

[Dutch!]

Don't draw big room scenes. Draw little, intimate ones. There's no way in Queensland I'm gonna draw a full classroom scene, but I'll show a little corner of it and deck it out with a desk, complete with desk, a picture on the wall drawn by a right handed kid with two left hands, somebody's confiscated robotic musical annoying toy, a pen tub, and other paraphernalia like that. Big scenes are just bloody awkward to fit into a certain little box.

Failing that, don't forget to put silly signs around your office space promoting the virtues of office safety and workplace bullying and stuff like that. You can have a field day putting rubbish like that in.

Remember the strip in the sick bay where I slipped a note on the wall...Terry Cortland, allergic to apples?

[Adobedragon]

Er, actually, just glancing at a few of your comics, I'd say the office scenes are rather good. Love the whole "Do you enjoy your sadistic little job...?" bit.

An individual's office and the surroundings are a reflection of that person and the company that he/she works for. Uptight, anal retentives have super tidy offices that practically sparkle. Others (me), have desks that are buried in piles of paper and computer screens covered in sticky notes. Any plants might be half dead from neglect.

Coffee cups might have something like "World's Best Dad" on them. Calenders might have "Jimmy's Dr. Appt." or "Vacation, Thank God!" doodled on key dates. There's usually some nitwit who feels it's their job to post admonitions everywhere: "Turn off coffee pot"; "No coffee grinds in the recycle bin!"; "Don't flush paper towels." (The last being a bizarre note that appeared in the restroom recently.) And don't forget those God awful motivational posters on the walls in conference and meeting rooms. "Soar with eagles and whatnot." Ugh.

Even the tidiest offices usually have some personalization, if only certifications/diplomas on the wall and a photo of the spouse and kids. My previous boss was too cozy in his office, leaving his smelly biking shorts laying over a chair along with the rest of his foul smelling biking gear.

Since your character seems to be in some sort of graphic art field, the typical cubicle wall might include favourite/best projects.

[Yeahduff]

Details. And don't just use the standard generic ones you'll find anywhere. Have a couple be just a little strange to make it a little more personal, so you know you're looking at THIS office, instead of just any.

Don't worry about blandness, though. If you've watched Office Space or The Office (or you work in one), you know how boring they look.

[Dutch!]

And don't forget those God awful motivational posters on the walls in conference and meeting rooms. "Soar with eagles and whatnot." Ugh.

Aw...I've got two great ones hanging on my walls at work... one about stress with a dishevelled baby orang-utan, and another featuring two polar bears having a cuddle with the caption 'No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted'. I reckon they're great!

[Aiken]

Why not try putting "easter eggs" in the background. Anything from an obscure reference to something similar to the plot, to just plain funny.
Here's some good examples of posters which got a chuckle out of me
http://www.hlcomic.com/index.php?date=2005-06-29