How to Create a Free Cartoon Superhero Character

You can use your imagination to design your own superhero.

Superhero characters have been popular for decades in comics, movies and cartoon shows. Many children carry their love for superheroes into adulthood. Some of those adults even turn their love for the superhero into a full-time career by illustrating comic books, scripting superhero cartoons, or creating story lines for video games.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Color pencils
• Eraser
• Notebook
• Sketch pad

Instructions

The Birth of a Superhero

1. Write a few ideas for your superhero in a notebook. Invent details regarding where your superhero comes from, the origin of his powers, how he became a hero, what super powers he has and--if he has a secret identity--who he is in that role. If you ever decide to write an illustrated story featuring your superhero, you can base it on this information. Knowing as much as much as you can about your superhero will help you bring your character to life.

2. 

   Here's a superhero in full costume.

   Sketch ideas for your superhero's costume. Keep in mind the character's powers and design a costume that's appropriate. For example, if your superhero bursts into flames or uses flame as part of his superpowers, develop a costume that withstands intense heat. Be sure to create a logo for your superhero as well--something that will appear on the front of his costume or on his cape (if your hero has a cape). Try several ideas for costumes before you finalize your design.

3. 

   A female superhero in flying pose

   Sketch your superhero's body build. Draw her skinny, heavyset and muscular, short and tall. Consider what she will look like when she's in the role of her secret identity. Draw your character wearing street clothes as well as her superhero costume. Try different combinations until you get the body type and features you want.

4. Draw your character's face. Begin with the outline of the head and its general shape. Try starting with an oval, then add basic eyes, a nose and a mouth. Now draw more of a block shape with these basic features and refine the features to make them reflect your character. You're drawing a cartoon superhero, so your emphasis won't be on shading. Instead, focus on the overall shape and proportion of the head and the elements of the face. Try drawing the eyes thin and squinted and the mouth drawn tight and thin. If this makes your hero look too hard, then soften the eyes by making them wider. Adding a little shading on the cheeks or around the jaw line is okay if you want to add depth to the cheekbones or a chiseled look to the jaw. Consider hair length. Longer hair on a male superhero may give him a more modern appearance, but the more clean-cut look of the classic hero might be better for your superhero. If your hero wears a mask, draw his face complete without the mask first, just so you know who's under the mask. This can also help you tailor a mask to fir your hero's face.

5. 

   A superhero in flight

   Draw your costumed superhero in pencil, depicting several classic superhero poses. Erase and redraw until you're satisfied. Then color your character using colored pencils. Work from your sketch, but add shading to give your superhero definition. Try color combinations until you get the look that truly defines the character. Don't forget to give your character a name. Now your superhero is born and ready for action.

Tips & Warnings

• Be patient while you're creating your superhero. If it doesn't look the way you want it to, use another sheet of paper and start over.

• Superheroes don't have to look human. Drawing an alien or animal superhero can be fun, too.

References

• CBSS: Careers and Education in Comics
• Cartoon Critters: How to Draw a Superhero
• DragoArt.com: How to Draw Superheroes
• Youtube: How to Create a Superhero