Cartoon characters are fun and easy to draw because they can take many shapes and sizes. Drawing cartoon archetypes involves combining a variety of simple shapes that you are familiar with and basic facial expressions. By mixing and matching features and styles you can create a unique character in just minutes. Follow these simple steps and learn how to create your own cartoon based on the character archetype that is universally accepted.
Step 1- Practice
Although you are eager to start drawing cartoons, you must first practice your lines. Grab a large piece of paper and draw vertical, diagonal and horizontal lines. Sketch some geometrical shapes and connect them with curved lines. This will help you build a foundation so you can draw with confidence and without shaking hands.
Step 2 – Draw the head
Start with drawing the head of your character. The most important thing is the shape of the head. You can create complex cartoon from simple shapes. Choose between a round head, a pearl shaped head, square head or rectangle head. When drawing cartoons, proportions are not that important. Any proportions will make your character look good. Make a cross through the head to center it and place the horizontal line lower than the center to make the forehead look bigger.
Step 3 – Draw the face
The eyes should be half way down the face, the nose a quarter way down the eyes and the mouth another quarter way down. When drawing cartoons, facial expressions are an important channel of nonverbal communication. You can adjust the expression by the angle and curve of the mouth or the slope of the eyebrows. The easiest way to draw the mouth is using a circle or a line. The most expressive part of the face are the eyes, because they can show any emotion. Try different combinations of eye shapes, head shapes, nose shapes and mouth shapes. The eyes should always be bigger than the mouth and nose. Fill in details such as hair style and accessories.
Step 4 – Draw the body
The archetypes body for a cartoon character includes small bodies, legs, arms and big heads. This type is similar for all characters, regardless of their gender because the body is not fully matured into an adult. It can be used to create a girl, a boy and even an animal. Other important aspect of drawing cartoons, are the colors and lips, eyelashes and hairstyle because they will indicate which character is a boy and which is a girl. Begin by drawing a circle for the tummy or a rectangle. Add stick arms and legs and draw ovals or circles for the hands and feet. Complete the body by drawing two curving lines between the tummy and the head. Add digits to the hands and details tot he arms and legs. Draw the clothes, including the pants and shoes.
