How to Draw Cartoon People Step-by-Step

There would be no cartoons without funny characters. People are central to cartoons because humans enjoy making fun of themselves. We use cartoons to poke fun at the nasty side of humanity. Greed, anger, stupidity, and arrogance are all common themes in cartoons. Simplifying and exaggerating the proportions of normal humans will create a humorous result in cartoon people. The same basic principles of figure drawing apply to creating cartoon people, but you can have a bit more fun with cartoons.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencil
• Black ink pen
• Eraser
• Art markers

Instructions

1. 

   Draw the basic shapes using a pencil. Draw the head of each character with an oval. Add a "V" shape for the chin if you are drawing a female. Create the chest with larger oval shapes below the head. Add the waist with a small upside-down triangle shape for the hips. Make the hips wider on a female character.

2. 

   Draw the limbs using simple lines. Attach hands on the ends of each arm with small circular guidelines. Attach feet at the ends of the legs with small triangular guidelines.

3. 

   Draw a cross shape over the face to create a guideline for facial details. Draw parallel lines around the arms, legs, and bodies to thicken the frames. To create a guideline for an upturned face, place the cross shape higher and to the left, as has been done on the male character.

4. 

   Draw the facial details using simple shapes. Create a large nose for a male character with a cone shape near the center of the cross shape. Add a mustache to a male character with a flat, upside-down "V" shape. Draw the eyes with a circle directly below a curved line.

5. Add eyebrows with two curved lines above the eyes. Draw the mouth with a small curved line below the nose. Use a smaller cone shape for a female nose. Create female lips with a curved line below the mouth and a flat "M" shape above the mouth.

6. 

   Draw a man's suit with a deep "V" shape on the chest. Attach a vertical line to the bottom of the "V" and draw a curved line across the waist. Draw a female's skirt with a curved line across the top of the chest and another just below the knee. Add the female's hair with a curved line around the top and sides of the head. Create a top hat for the male with a circle connected to a cylinder on the top of his head.

7. 

   Create the man's bow tie by drawing a circle with a sideways triangle on each side. Add buttons with small circles down the center of his chest. Create gloves for the female with a curved line just above each wrist. Add shoes with a curved line across the bottom third of each foot. Ink all of the lines you wish to keep. Let the ink dry and erase the pencil.

8. 

   Color the figures using art markers. Use gray for the man's suit, green for the woman's dress, and beige for their skin. Use brown for the man's mustache and red for the woman's hair. Color the man's bow tie and shoes red.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to let the ink dry completely before erasing or your cartoon will smudge.

• You can add highlights to the marker using colored pencils.

References

• How to Draw and Sell Cartoons, Ross Thompson and Bill Hewison, 1983
• Cartooning the Head and Figure, Jack Hamm, 1982

Resources

• An online guide with videos for drawing cartoon people.