How to Draw Cartoons

How to Draw Cartoons thumbnail
Draw Cartoons

Cartoons are fun to draw and fun to share. A few simple lines can show an amazing range of expressions and emotions. Cartooning is a great way to make a living. Cartoons are used to illustrate everything from advertising to greeting cards. All you need to get started are some basic tools and simple techniques.

Warm up your drawing arm by doing some loose sketches with pencil on paper. Start with looping circles and simple shapes. The idea is to loosen up so that your movements with the pencil are smooth and easy.

Things You'll Need

  • Drawing pencils
  • Black felt-tipped marker
  • Drawing pad
Show More

Instructions

  1. Draw the Basic Shape

    • 1

      Plan your character. Before you start drawing, have a general idea of what you want your cartoon character to look like.

    • 2

      Divide your paper widthwise into fourths.

    • 3

      Draw an oval in the top fourth of the paper. This will be your head. Make sure that it takes up most of the width of the section of the paper.

    • 4

      Draw a wider oval shape that takes up the next two regions of the paper. This is the torso of your character. Add a curved line along each side of the oval to suggest the arms.

    • 5

      Draw a line from the bottom of each side of the oval to the bottom of the drawing space. Add a third line between them. These will shape your legs.

    • 6

      Sketch in rough circles or triangles for the feet.

    Add Details to Bring Your Cartoon Character to Life

    • 7

      Lightly draw a curving line from top to bottom of the head.

    • 8

      Draw a second curving line across the oval, dividing the oval into four parts.

    • 9

      Draw eyes at the center horizontal line. They should be on or slightly above the line.

    • 10

      Draw a line for the nose along the middle vertical line.

    • 11

      Draw in the mouth with curving lines in the bottom half of the oval. An upward curve makes a smile. A downward curve makes a frown. Try drawing a sideways six for an open mouth.

    • 12

      Suggest expression with squiggles and lines for eyebrows and dimples.

    • 13

      Lightly sketch in clothing and accessories.

    • 14

      Go over the main lines of your cartoon with a fine tip felt marker.

    • 15

      Erase the penciled guidelines when the ink is dry.

    • 16

      Color with markers or colored pencils if desired.

Tips & Warnings

  • Always sketch lightly in pencil first so that you can erase your guidelines.

  • Draw quick sketches of movements to help you get a feel for how to draw action in cartoons.

Related Searches:

Comments

  • G D May 24, 2009
    Not to good of a paper

You May Also Like

  • How to Draw Cartoon People

    Drawing realistic people can be challenging for a beginning artist, but drawing cartoons can offer a way to experiment with drawing people....

  • How to Draw a Cartoon Girl

    Cartooning tutorial. Learn how to draw cartoon girls in this free video art lesson on cartooning and drawing females.

  • Tutorials on How to Draw Cartoon Animals

    Cartoon animals are a good way for a beginner to get into drawing. With cartoon animals, a beginner will have a little...

  • How to Draw Japanese Cartoons

    Japanese cartoons and manga form one of the most recognizable styles in contemporary drawing. Being able to draw Japanese characters like the...

  • How to Make Cartoon Paper People Dolls

    Make paper dolls to look like your favorite cartoon people in a few easy steps. Re-create your favorite cartoon scenes or make...

  • How to Draw a Political Cartoon

    Creating a political or editorial cartoon requires a different skill set, thought process and occasionally different materials from any other type of...

  • How to Draw a Cartoon Rabbit

    Cartoon rabbits have been a part of animation since its creation. Both Disney and Warner Brothers have used cartoon rabbits to inspire...

  • How to Draw Sad Cartoon Expressions

    Drawing sad cartoon expressions by starting with the eyes, adding a frown and sloping the eyelids. Learn to draw sad cartoon facial...

  • How to Draw a Cartoon Shark

    Anyone can learn to draw a cartoon shark using these simple steps. Even a child can do it! You can try adjusting...

  • How to Draw Emo Cartoons

    Before you even grab a pencil, it’s essential to understand the lonely, tortured, misunderstood world you are about to create. Emo cartoons...

  • How to Draw Cartoons

    Drawing cartoons first requires creating a character from basic shapes, putting the character into action and exaggerating its features and movements. Draw...

  • How to Draw a Cartoon

    Drawing a cartoon is a fairly simple process that involves discrete steps. With the basic methods outlined here, you will learn to...

  • How to Draw Eyes on a Cartoon Character

    Learn how to give your cartoon drawing some eyes with expert artist advice in this free online drawing and cartooning lesson video...

  • How to Make a Hot Air Balloon From Tissue Paper

    You can make your own hot air balloon out of tissue paper. Tissue paper balloons rise when filled with hot air. The...

  • How to Draw Disney Cartoons

    Drawing Disney cartoon characters is fun to do and does not require advanced skill. All you need is a picture of the...

  • How to Draw a 3D Cartoon Picture

    Hints for drawing a 3D cartoon picture

  • How to Draw a Cartoon Person

    Learning to draw a cartoon person is much easier than you think. First of all, features of the face can be represented...

  • How to Draw a Cartoon Lizard

    Comments. Video Transcript. How to draw a lizard. Lizards are one of the easiest things to draw. You are going to make...

Related Ads

Featured