I have enjoyed drawing cartoons since I was kid. I could easily lose myself for an afternoon drawing my favorite cartoons. I used examples from cartoons on television and in the Sunday paper. Books on drawing cartoons helped me to see how to achieve what I wanted using step-by-step instructions.
The first step in the examples is the cartoons basic shape. Each additional step adds a degree of detail. Let’s use a fish as an example. A fish can be broken into four basic steps.
First decide how big you want your cartoon fish to be and draw the body using a simple oval shape. This is the backbone of the drawing that you will add details to.
Next draw the top and side fins and the tail. Look at pictures and other cartoon drawings of fish for examples and comparisons.
Then make all the lines connect cohesively and really fine tune the fishes shape. Since you are drawing shapes on top of each other, you may want to use an eraser for this step until you get your layers to connect the way you want them. You are essentially pulling together the line in the sketch.
Finally, you can add details to the fish’s fins and tail, and add other details like the eyes and mouth. Give your fish a unique facial expression and personality.
Drawing cartoons is one of my favorite pastimes, but whether you’ve been drawing for years or are just getting started, you will be amazed how quickly you can bring your ideas to life. Drawing cartoons is a great form of self expression for the artist of any level of experience. Like anything else, you will get out of it what you put in. Give it your best shot because drawing cartoons can be easier than you think.
